EU: Internet consultation on origin marking

The European Commission has drawn up a questionnaire in its website to collect the opinions of citizens and companies about the adoption of a Community regulation that requires obligatory origin markings on products imported in the European Union.

The Commission is interested in ascertaining if consumers wish to be informed about the countries of origin of products and if producers and/or retailers believe that the indication 'made in' could be a competitive tool.

There is a different questionnaire for consumers, producers and retailers; it is very short (it will take no longer than a minute to complete it) and it is sent automatically to the European Commission. The first questions are necessary to identify the user's profile; the following questions to understand the impact of a Community regulation on origin markings on users.

Consultation will end on April 30, five days after the April 25 Brussels meeting on 'made in' between the EU Commission and the European associations concerned, including Italian Confindustria. The outcome of the consultation will be borne in mind by the Barroso Commission to ensure that a regulatory proposal on obligatory labeling is adopted quickly.

Adolfo Urso, Deputy Minister with responsibility for Foreign Trade, welcomed the initiative by the Commission: 'We have been able to give a new momentum to Brussels, which is finally being more attentive to the problems of made in Italy and European industry'.

(Source: Il Sole 24 Ore)