Front-of-pack nutrition labelling

Question for written answer  E-001469/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Peter Lundgren (ECR)

In 2022, the Commission is to bring forward a proposal on new harmonised rules for nutrition labelling on packaging, including ‘front-of-pack nutrition labelling’ (FoPNL). The aim is for the labelling to sum up the nutritional value of the food concerned and help consumers make healthier choices. The Commission has not yet indicated which FoPNL system is to be used, although France’s Nutri-Score is a strong candidate, as it is already a fixture on 50% of the EU market. Sweden’s Keyhole label (Nyckelhålet) has been in place for 30 years, and enjoys the highest level of recognition among Swedish consumers. Nutri-Score does not have the highly developed categorisation that Keyhole has. This means that foods that currently bear the Keyhole label and are seen as healthy in some cases lose the signal value – like cheese, for example.

• 1.Does the Commission think that Member States that already have effective FoPNL systems should be allowed to keep them?
• 2.Does the Commission think it is possible to harmonise or coordinate FoPNL within the EU without destroying or replacing existing systems?