Words Matter : COMAGRI Vote Wins for Farmers and Consumers

Farm Europe and Eat Europe warmly welcome today’s adoption by the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (COMAGRI) of the report by MEP Céline Imart on strengthening the position of farmers within the food supply chain.

This vote represents a significant step forward in promoting fairness and transparency across the EU agri-food sector. In particular, the report takes a strong stance on the critical issue of product labelling and includes robust provisions aimed at protecting the names of meat products — an essential measure to prevent misleading practices and support the European livestock sector.

We strongly commend COMAGRI’s clear position in favour of transparency and consumer protection, especially at a time when marketing practices increasingly blur the distinction between traditional animal-based products and their plant-based or lab-grown imitations.

Today’s vote also sends a strong message ahead of upcoming discussions on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Commission’s proposed revision of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) regulation. That proposal—following sustained advocacy by Farm Europe and EAT Europe—already includes a first step toward protecting meat-related terms, but further progress is needed.

In this regard, MEP Imart’s report is particularly important. It sets a long-term political objective and calls for the swift introduction of a solid and comprehensive framework for the protection of meat product denominations.

At present, key terms such as “burger,” “sausage,” and “steak” remain outside the scope of the Commission’s draft provisions, despite being among the most commonly misused names for marketing imitation products. Words matter ! Clear and honest labelling is not simply a marketing issue—it is a matter of public health, consumer trust, and fair competition.

We now urge the European Parliament to confirm this positive signal in plenary. A strong endorsement will lay essential groundwork for the upcoming interinstitutional negotiations on CAP reform and will help reinforce the protection of meat denominations while tackling misleading marketing practices.

Future legislation must not only ensure a fairer economic environment for European farmers but also empower consumers to make fully informed food choices—particularly in relation to nutritional value and processing levels.

The “Words Matter” campaign, launched in 2024, has highlighted the vital role of transparent labelling in building a sustainable food system. Protecting the names of meat products is a key part of this broader vision—ensuring that Europe’s agri-food policies support social, economic, and environmental sustainability.