[pic] | COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES |

[pic] | KOMISIJA EVROPSKIH SKUPNOSTI |

Brussels, 30.1.2008

Bruselj, 30.1.2008

SEC(2008) 95

SEC(2008) 95

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT accompanying the

DELOVNI DOKUMENT SLUŽB KOMISIJE priložen

Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the provision of food information to consumers SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT ON NUTRITION LABELLING ISSUES

Predlog UREDBA EVROPSKEGA PARLAMENTA IN SVETA o zagotavljanju informacij o živilih potrošnikom POVZETEK POROČILA O OCENI UČINKA O VPRAŠANJIH OZNAČEVANJA HRANILNE VREDNOSTI

{COM(2008) 40 final}{SEC(2008) 92}{SEC(2008) 93}{SEC(2008) 94}

{COM(2008) 40 konč.}{SEC(2008) 92}{SEC(2008) 93}{SEC(2008) 94}

SUMMARY

POVZETEK

INTRODUCTION

UVOD

The recently published White Paper on a Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity related health issues[1] stressed the need for consumers to have access to clear, consistent and evidence-based information when deciding which foods to buy. Nutrition labelling is an established way for information to be passed to consumers to support health conscious decision making in relation to food purchases. There is wide agreement in Europe today that the effectiveness of nutrition labelling can be strengthened as a channel for information to consumers to support their ability to choose a balanced diet.

V nedavno objavljeni Beli knjigi o strategiji za Evropo glede vprašanj v zvezi s prehrano, prekomerno telesno težo in debelostjo[1] je bilo poudarjeno, da morajo potrošniki imeti dostop do jasnih, doslednih in utemeljenih informacij, kadar se odločajo, katera živila bodo kupili. Označevanje hranilne vrednosti je uveljavljen način obveščanja potrošnikov, ki jim pomaga, da sprejemajo zdravstveno ozaveščene odločitve glede nakupa živil. V Evropi obstaja danes široko soglasje, da je učinkovitost označevanja hranilne vrednosti kot načina za obveščanje potrošnikov mogoče okrepiti, da se podpre njihova zmožnost izbire uravnotežene prehrane.

The revision of the Community legislation on general food labelling requirements (Directive 2000/13/EC) and nutrition labelling (Directive 90/496/EEC) have been included in the Commission work programme for simplification.

Revizija zakonodaje Skupnosti o splošnih zahtevah za označevanje živil (Direktiva 2000/13/ES) in označevanju hranilne vrednosti (Direktiva 90/496/EGS) je vključena v delovni program Komisije za poenostavitev.

PROCEDURAL ISSUES AND CONSULTATION OF INTERESTED PARTIES

Postopkovna vprašanja in posvetovanje z zainteresiranimi stranmi

The main stakeholders were consulted on the revision of Directive 90/496/EEC on nutrition labelling of foodstuffs between 2003 - 2007. There were broad surveys of all interested parties seeking their views on the provisions and application of existing legislation and the needs for change. The respondents were from governmental and NGOs, industry and individuals. Certain consultations were targeted at Member States, industry or consumers. Along with input from various discussions within Commission Committees and Advisory Groups an open consultation was conducted over the internet from 13 March 2006 to 16 June 2006.

Posvetovanje o reviziji Direktive 90/496/ES o označevanju hranilne vrednosti živil z glavnimi zainteresiranimi stranmi je potekalo med letoma 2003 in 2007. Opravljene so bile obsežne raziskave vseh zainteresiranih strani, da bi se ugotovila njihova stališča o določbah in uporabi veljavne zakonodaje ter o potrebnih spremembah. Vprašani so bili člani vladnih in nevladnih organizacij, industrije ter posamezniki. Nekatera posvetovanja so bila usmerjena na države članice, industrijo ali potrošnike. Poleg prispevkov iz različnih razprav v odborih in svetovalnih skupinah Komisije je bilo izvedeno odprto posvetovanje, ki je potekalo od 13.3.2006 do 16.6.2006 prek interneta.

A Commission Inter-Service Group was formed. The impact assessment was scrutinised by experts from different Commission Directorate-Generals' represented in the Group as well as by the European Commission Impact Assessment Board, which gave its opinion.

Ustanovljena je bila medresorska skupina Komisije. Oceno učinka so natančno pregledali strokovnjaki iz različnih generalnih direktoratov Komisije, zastopanih v skupini, in odbor Evropske komisije za oceno učinka, ki je predložil svoje mnenje.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

OPREDELITEV PROBLEMA

The Impact Assessment concerns the revision of Directive 90/496/EEC which provides the framework for the presentation of nutrition information on food labels. The main purpose of this labelling legislation - to inform consumers, to ensure smooth functioning of the Internal Market and ensure equal conditions of competition – has not been questioned by stakeholders during extensive consultation.

Ocena učinka se nanaša na revizijo Direktive 90/496/ES, ki določa okvir za predstavljanje informacij o hranilni vrednosti na oznakah za živila. Glavni namen te zakonodaje o označevanju, in sicer obveščati potrošnike, zagotoviti nemoteno delovanje notranjega trga in zagotoviti enake konkurenčne pogoje, za zainteresirane strani pri tem obsežnem posvetovanju ni bil vprašljiv.

The feedback is that there is dissatisfaction among stakeholders on the current legislation but there are divergent views on how the legislation could be improved. For example, many consumers find nutrition labels hard to use but the research has not indicated whether the cause of the problem is the amount of information or other factors such as format of the presentation, lack of understanding of terms, placement of the information, type size, etc. Consumers demand more and "better" information on labels and are interested in clear, simple, comprehensive, standardised and authoritative information. Industry considers there are too many labelling requirements which involve implementation of detailed, technical rules. The cost of changes is a concern to industry and the potential impact on international trade has to be borne in mind. Member States wish to balance the needs of consumers and industry, taking into account, any issues that are specific to their country.

Na podlagi povratnih informacij je bilo ugotovljeno, da so zainteresirane strani nezadovoljne s sedanjo zakonodajo, vendar obstajajo različna stališča o tem, kako bi jo lahko izboljšali. Veliko potrošnikov na primer meni, da je oznake o hranilni vrednosti težko uporabljati, vendar raziskava ni pokazala, ali je razlog za to težavo količina informacij ali drugi dejavniki, kot so oblika predstavitve, nerazumevanje izrazov, postavitev informacij, velikost pisave itd. Potrošniki zahtevajo več in boljše informacije na oznakah ter želijo jasne, preproste, izčrpne, standardizirane in verodostojne informacije. Industrija meni, da je preveč zahtev za označevanje, ki vključujejo izvajanje natančnih tehničnih pravil. Zaskrbljena je zaradi stroškov sprememb, upoštevati pa je treba možni učinek na mednarodno trgovino. Države članice želijo uskladiti potrebe potrošnikov in industrije, pri čemer upoštevajo vsa vprašanja, ki so značilna za njihovo državo.

What is clear is that labels can be complex and most consumers would like simple, clear, understandable, standardised and authoritative nutrition information. Whilst the industry would support such an aim, they express concerns about the prescriptive nature of the current legislation and the cost implications of any potential changes.

Jasno je, da so lahko oznake zapletene in da večina potrošnikov želi preproste, jasne, razumljive, standardizirane in verodostojne informacije o hranilni vrednosti. Čeprav bi industrija podprla takšen cilj, je zaskrbljena zaradi preskriptivne narave sedanje zakonodaje in stroškov, ki bi jih povzročile kakršne koli možne spremembe.

During the consultation process four main issues were identified for further examination:

V postopku posvetovanja so bila opredeljena štiri glavna vprašanja za nadaljnjo proučitev:

( Disparity in inclusion of nutrition labelling on prepacked foods

( neskladje pri vključevanju označevanja hranilne vrednosti na predpakiranih živilih;

( Consideration of the nutritional elements that should be included in the nutrition labelling

( obravnava hranilnih elementov, ki jih je treba vključiti v označevanje hranilne vrednosti;

( Simplified nutrition labelling – in particular the inclusion of nutrient content information on front of pack

( poenostavljeno označevanje hranilne vrednosti, zlasti vključitev informacij o vsebnosti hranilnih snovi na sprednjem delu embalaže;

( Legibility of information.

( čitljivost informacij.

OBJECTIVES

Cilji

The main objectives of the legislation on nutrition labelling are:

Glavni cilji zakonodaje o označevanju hranilne vrednosti so:

( to make key nutrition information more widely available;

( zagotoviti širšo dostopnost ključnih informacij o hranilni vrednosti;

( to make nutrition labelling more easily understandable to the consumer; and

( zagotoviti, da je označevanje hranilne vrednosti lažje razumljivo za potrošnika, in

( to create a level playing field for companies to compete.

( ustvariti enake konkurenčne pogoje za gospodarske družbe.

Taking this objective into account, the broad scope of the revision should meet the needs of consumers and industry, and reflect the following specific objectives:

Ob upoštevanju tega cilja mora širok obseg revizije izpolniti potrebe potrošnikov in industrije ter odražati naslednje posebne cilje:

( provision of key nutrition information – which means that the nutritional elements that should be included in the nutrition label need to be reviewed;

( zagotoviti ključne informacije o hranilni vrednosti, kar pomeni, da je treba pregledati hranilne elemente, ki jih je treba vključiti na oznako o hranilni vrednosti;

( increase the availability of information to the consumer with nutrition information included on nearly all relevant prepacked products;

( izboljšati dostopnost informacij za potrošnika tako, da se informacije o hranilni vrednosti vključijo na skoraj vse zadevne predpakirane proizvode;

( the information to be presented in a way that makes it easy for the consumer to find, understand and use, including its legibility;

( predstaviti informacije tako, da jih lahko potrošnik na preprost način najde, razume in uporablja, vključno s čitljivostjo informacij;

( clarify the legislative situation of nutrient content information provided on the front of pack;

( pojasniti stanje zakonodaje v zvezi z informacijami o vsebnosti hranilnih snovi na sprednjem delu embalaže;

( flexibility, allowing the industry to innovate on nutrition labelling, adapt to different markets and consumer demands, and to take account of the variations in packaging (size, shape, etc.);

( prožnost, ki omogoča industriji, da uvede inovacije pri označevanju hranilne vrednosti, se prilagodi različnim trgom in zahtevam potrošnikov ter upošteva razlike glede embalaže (velikost, oblika itd.);

( to avoid impediment of the single market, and to meet the expectations of consumers and industry, there should be mechanisms in place to control the extent of any flexibility at the national and EU level.

( za preprečitev oviranja enotnega trga ter izpolnitev pričakovanj potrošnikov in industrije je treba vzpostaviti mehanizme za nadzor obsega prožnosti na nacionalni ravni in ravni EU.

MAJOR POLICY ISSUES AND EXPECTED SIMPLIFICATION BENEFITS

Glavna vprašanja politik in pričakovane prednosti poenostavitve

With a view to achieving the objectives and in line with the simplification process a number of measures have been considered for the revision of the Community legislation on all food labelling legislation. With respect to the nutrition labelling legislation the main aspect of simplification is:

Za dosego ciljev je bilo v skladu s postopkom poenostavitve pri reviziji celotne zakonodaje Skupnosti o označevanju živil obravnavanih veliko ukrepov. V zvezi z zakonodajo o označevanju hranilne vrednosti je glavni vidik poenostavitve:

General simplification tools to bring the legal text into line with other EU policies (including Better Regulation):

Splošna orodja za poenostavitev za uskladitev pravnega besedila z drugimi politikami EU (vključno z bolje oblikovanimi predpisi):

( Setting-up of a flexible bottom-up mechanism (new labelling governance) that would enable the industry to innovate on food labelling, and the labelling rules to adapt to different and continuously changing markets and consumer demands.

( vzpostavitev prožnega mehanizma od spodaj navzgor (upravljanje novega označevanja), ki bi industriji omogočal inovativnost pri označevanju živil, ter pravil o označevanju, ki omogočajo prilagoditev različnim in stalno spreminjajočim se trgom ter zahtevam potrošnikov;

( Recasting of the different horizontal provisions on labelling. The merging of the horizontal texts will maximise synergies and increase the clarity, and consistency of Community rules. This is a powerful simplification method that should provide economic operators and enforcement authorities with a clearer and more streamlined regulatory framework.

( preoblikovanje različnih horizontalnih določb o označevanju. Zaradi združitve horizontalnih besedil se bodo povečale sinergije ter izboljšali jasnost in skladnost pravil Skupnosti. To je pomembna metoda poenostavitve, ki mora gospodarskim subjektom in izvršilnim organom zagotoviti bolj jasen in racionalen zakonodajni okvir.

BASIC OPTIONS

OSNOVNE MOžNOSTI

In the impact assessment report various options for Community action are described to address these issues varying from no further action (the baseline scenario) to statutory actions.

V poročilu o oceni učinka so opisane različne možnosti za ukrepanje Skupnosti za obravnavo teh vprašanj, in sicer od možnosti brez ukrepanja (osnovni potek dogodkov) do obvezujočih ukrepov.

No intervention would maintain the current situation with scattered legislation with the following negative effects:

Z možnostjo brez posega bi se ohranil trenutni položaj z razdrobljeno zakonodajo, ki ima naslednje negativne učinke:

- piecemeal and confusing rules undermining the effective implementation;

- razdrobljena in nejasna pravila, ki ogrožajo učinkovito izvajanje;

- unjustified burdens on food business because of outdated, redundant or unclear requirements;

- neupravičene obremenitve za živilsko dejavnost zaradi zastarelih, odvečnih ali nejasnih zahtev;

- inconsistent consumer use of labels;

- potrošniki oznake uporabljajo nedosledno;

- ineffectiveness of labelling as a communication tool;

- neučinkovitost označevanja kot komunikacijskega orodja;

- failure of the legislation to adapt to changing markets and consumers' legitimate demands.

- neprilagojenost zakonodaje spremenljivim trgom in upravičenim zahtevam potrošnikov.

Intervention was considered in the context of deregulation, national legislation, non-statutory approach or updating Community legislation.

Možnost s posegom se je obravnavala v okviru deregulacije, nacionalne zakonodaje, neobvezujočega pristopa ali posodobitve zakonodaje Skupnosti.

A deregulatory approach would entail the abolition of the basic policy instruments on horizontal food labelling rules with a direct impact on vertical labelling rules. Although food manufacturers would continue to apply the current rules for a short period of time, they would progressively remove information they consider as a burden. Non-harmonised rules would impair the internal market, lead to poor information and reduce the level of consumer protection. Existing rules have proven their merits in allowing free circulation of goods and consumers' protection. Dismantling them would meet resistance from most Member States and consumers given that they have been used to the current requirements and any change could be seen as an abandonment of a valuable "acquis". Therefore, deregulation was not considered a viable approach.

Deregulativni pristop bi vključeval odpravo osnovnih instrumentov politike o horizontalnih pravilih za označevanje živil z neposrednim vplivom na vertikalna pravila označevanja. Čeprav bi proizvajalci živil nekaj časa še naprej uporabljali sedanja pravila, bi postopno odpravili informacije, za katere menijo, da so obremenitev. Neusklajena pravila bi ogrozila notranji trg, privedla do pomanjkljivih informacij ter zmanjšala raven varstva potrošnikov. Obstoječa pravila so dokazala svojo vrednost pri omogočanju prostega prometa blaga in varstva potrošnikov. Odprava teh pravil bi sprožila odpor večine držav članic in potrošnikov, ker so navajeni na sedanje zahteve, vsako spremembo pa bi lahko obravnavali kot opustitev dragocenega pravnega reda. Zato se deregulacija ni obravnavala kot izvedljiv pristop.

National legislation and repeal of the harmonised Community rules would result in different national rules that would impede the internal market; distortion of fair competition; increased administrative burden for industry; inconsistent approach in content and availability of information creating confusion for consumers; different level of protection for EU citizens.

Nacionalna zakonodaja in razveljavitev usklajenih pravil Skupnosti bi povzročili oblikovanje različnih nacionalnih pravil, ki bi ovirala notranji trg, izkrivljanje poštene konkurence, večjo upravno obremenitev za industrijo, neusklajen pristop glede vsebine in razpoložljivosti informacij, kar bi povzročilo zmedo med potrošniki, in različno raven varstva za državljane EU.

Alternative non-statutory approach (self-regulation, co-regulation, guidance) - The different features of consumer information and current trends towards the development of a "new legislative culture" called for the assessment of an approach that could strike the balance between flexibility and prescription and between action at the national and action at EU level. A multi-level bottom-up governance (local/national/community) based on the principle of commitment to formal, measurable best practice and data sharing between stakeholders could be a viable alternative for certain aspects of the legislation and this innovative mechanism has been assessed as an option.

Nadomestni neobvezujoči pristop (samoureditev, soureditev, vodenje) – zaradi različnih elementov informacij za potrošnike in sedanje usmeritve k razvoju „nove zakonodajne kulture“ je bila potrebna ocena pristopa, ki lahko vzpostavi ravnovesje med prožnostjo in predpisovanjem ter med ukrepi na nacionalni ravni in ukrepi na ravni EU. Večstopenjsko upravljanje od spodaj navzgor (lokalno/nacionalno/Skupnost), ki temelji na načelu zavezanosti formalni, merljivi najboljši praksi ter izmenjavi podatkov med zainteresiranimi stranmi, je lahko izvedljiva nadomestna možnost za nekatere vidike zakonodaje in ta inovativni mehanizem je bil obravnavan kot možnost.

POLICY ISSUES AND SPECIFIC OPTIONS

Vprašanja politike in posebne možnosti

Although the so called basic alternative approaches were considered, given that the initiative in question concerns a revision of the legislation for which clear areas for action have been identified through the extensive consultation the detailed analysis of impacts has been based on the options for action on the four main issues that were identified for review in the legislation:

Čeprav so se obravnavali tako imenovani osnovni pristopi, je glede na to, da je zadevna pobuda povezana z revizijo zakonodaje, za katero so bila med obširnim posvetovanjem določena jasna področja ukrepanja, podrobna analiza učinkov temeljila na možnostih za ukrepanje za štiri glavna vprašanja, ki so bila v zakonodaji določena za revizijo.

Policy Issue 1: Disparity in inclusion of nutrition labelling on pre-packed foods

Vprašanje politike 1: neskladje pri vključevanju označevanja hranilne vrednosti na predpakiranih živilih

Current problems

Sedanje težave

It is considered that the provision of nutrition information is essential to enable consumers to make informed choices. However, the inclusion of such information is not uniform across product categories nor Member States. Information is less likely on products that have negative attributes such as high fat content.

Zagotovitev informacij o hranilni vrednosti se šteje za bistveno, da se lahko potrošniki odločijo na podlagi informacij. Vendar vključitev takšnih informacij ni enotna za vse kategorije proizvodov in vse države članice. Navedba informacij je manj verjetna pri proizvodih z negativnimi značilnostmi, kot je visoka vsebnost maščob.

Policy options

Možnosti politike

The options of no EU action, a voluntary approach, and statutory approach including the mandatory labelling of products were examined.

Proučene so bile možnosti brez ukrepanja na ravni EU, prostovoljnega pristopa in obvezujočega pristopa, vključno z obveznim označevanjem proizvodov.

Main findings

Glavne ugotovitve

The do nothing option and a purely voluntary approach would not overcome the identified problem, in particular in relation to provision of information on products with negative attributes.

Z možnostjo brez ukrepanja in povsem prostovoljnim pristopom ugotovljene težave ne bi rešili, zlasti glede zagotovitve informacij o proizvodih z negativnimi značilnostmi.

The introduction of mandatory labelling was examined on the basis of applying to all the industry or with exceptions for SMEs as a whole or only exceptions for microbusinesses. In terms of the potential impact on industry the application of mandatory nutrition labelling across the board would have a major impact if applied immediately. However, with a transition period of 3 years it was estimated that the costs would be reduced significantly to around € 1.2 billion. Whilst for the objective of making information more widely available to the consumer, the option that would lead to the most widespread inclusion of information was the mandatory labelling of all prepacked foods. Exceptions for microbusinesses were expected to lead to around 90% of prepacked food being labelled. It is anticipated that the more widespread availability of nutrition information would lead to changes in consumers' behaviour with potential benefits on public health.

Uvedba obveznega označevanja je bila proučena na podlagi možnosti, da se uporabi za celotno industrijo ali z izjemami za vsa MSP ali le z izjemami za mikropodjetja. V smislu možnega učinka na industrijo bi splošna uporaba obveznega označevanja hranilne vrednosti imela velik učinek, če bi se začela uporabljati takoj. Če pa bi določili prehodno obdobje treh let, bi se stroški po ocenah znatno zmanjšali na približno 1,2 milijarde EUR. Glede cilja, da se zagotovi širša dostopnost informacij potrošnikom, je možnost obveznega označevanja vseh predpakiranih živil tista, ki bi privedla do najobsežnejše vključitve informacij. Zaradi izjem za mikropodjetja naj bi se označilo približno 90 % predpakiranih živil. Pričakuje se, da se bo zaradi večje dostopnosti informacij o hranilni vrednosti spremenilo vedenje potrošnikov, kar bi lahko bilo ugodno za javno zdravje.

Policy Issue 2 - How much nutrition information should be included on the label – consideration of the nutritional elements that should be included in the nutrition labelling

Vprašanje politike 2 – koliko informacij o hranilni vrednosti je treba vključiti na oznako – obravnava hranilnih elementov, ki jih je treba vključiti v označevanje hranilne vrednosti

Current problems

Sedanje težave

The aim of nutrition labelling is to inform the consumer and to facilitate their ability to choose a nutritionally balanced diet, therefore the question is what information should be included on a nutrition label to achieve this aim. At the moment nutrition labelling must consist of at least energy, protein, carbohydrates and fats. The WHO Global Strategy on Diet Physical Activity and Health[2] noted that the following nutrients were associated with increased risk of noncommunicable diseases: fats, saturated fats, trans fats, free sugars, and salt (sodium). These broadly coincide with the most frequently mentioned nutritional elements in the 2006 consultation. However, certain stakeholders have called for inclusion of nine nutritional elements in the labelling. Other stakeholders argue that a long list of nutrients is confusing for the consumer. The balance between providing information on the components most relevant to public health and comprehensive information needs to be considered against consumer understanding and risk of information overload.

Označevanje hranilne vrednosti je namenjeno obveščanju potrošnikov in izboljšanju njihove zmožnosti, da izberejo hranljivo uravnoteženo prehrano, zato se pojavlja vprašanje, katere informacije je treba vključiti na oznako o hranilni vrednosti, da se doseže ta cilj. Trenutno je treba pri označevanju hranilne vrednosti navesti vsaj energijsko vrednost, beljakovine, ogljikove hidrate in maščobe. V Globalni strategiji o prehrani, telesni dejavnosti in zdravju Svetovne zdravstvene organizacije[2] je navedeno, da so z večjim tveganjem za nenalezljive bolezni povezane naslednje hranilne snovi: maščobe, nasičene maščobe, transmaščobe, prosti sladkorji in sol (natrij). Te se na splošno ujemajo s hranilnimi elementi, ki so bili pri posvetovanju leta 2006 najpogosteje navedeni. Vendar so nekatere zainteresirane strani pozvale, naj se v označevanje vključi devet hranilnih elementov. Druge zainteresirane strani trdijo, da lahko dolg seznam hranilnih snovi zbega potrošnika. Ravnovesje med zagotavljanjem informacij o sestavinah, najpomembnejših za javno zdravje, in izčrpnih informacij je treba preučiti glede na razumevanje potrošnikov in tveganje prevelike količine informacij.

Policy options

Možnosti politike

The options of no action, a voluntary approach, and a statutory approach to specify the main elements for nutrition labelling were considered.

Obravnavane so bile možnosti brez ukrepanja, prostovoljnega pristopa in obvezujočega pristopa za določitev glavnih elementov obveznega označevanja hranilne vrednosti.

Main findings

Glavne ugotovitve

The do nothing and voluntary approach would mean that the information that is provided would not necessarily coincide with the nutritional elements that are of most interest for the consumer. Any change from the existing requirements would have a potential impact on businesses needing to collect different nutritional composition information for their products. These costs to industry were estimated as being not significant (if the necessary computer software was available to allow rapid calculation of the nutrient content of foods) to € 3.7 billion if the information was collected through chemical analysis of the product. There could be potential benefits to the consumers if the information that was included covered the nutritional components that are most frequently looked for and those that are important in public health terms as being associated with the risk of development of certain non-communicable diseases.

Pristop brez ukrepanja in prostovoljni pristop bi pomenila, da zagotovljene informacije ne bi nujno ustrezale hranilnim elementom, ki so za potrošnika najpomembnejši. Kakršen koli odmik od obstoječih zahtev bi lahko vplival na podjetja, ki bi morala za svoje proizvode zbrati drugačne informacije o hranilni sestavi. Ti stroški za industrijo so bili ocenjeni kot neznatni (če bi bila na voljo potrebna računalniška programska oprema za hitro izračunavanje vsebnosti hranilnih snovi v živilih) v primerjavi s 3,7 milijarde EUR, če bi se informacije zbirale s kemijsko analizo proizvoda. To bi lahko bilo koristno za potrošnike, če bi vključene informacije zajemale hranilne sestavine, ki so najbolj zaželene in pomembne za javno zdravje, ker so povezane s tveganjem razvoja nekaterih nenalezljivih bolezni.

Policy Issue 3 - Simplified nutrition labelling – in particular the inclusion of nutrient content information on front of pack

Vprašanje politike 3 – poenostavljeno označevanje hranilne vrednosti – zlasti vključitev informacij o vsebnosti hranilnih snovi na sprednjem delu embalaže

Current problems

Sedanje težave

The inclusion of nutrient content information in simplified form has been increasing in the recent years through the promotion of such schemes by individual Member State Authorities and representative industry organisations. The situation regarding such presentations, particularly those being promoted for use on the front of pack, is not clear under the existing legislation leading to a need for clarification. In addition, the application of different schemes could potentially lead to confusion for the consumer and barriers to trade for the industry.

Vključitev poenostavljenih informacij o vsebnosti hranilnih snovi se je v zadnjih letih povečevala, ker so takšne sisteme spodbujali organi posameznih držav članic in predstavniške industrijske organizacije. Položaj glede takšnih predstavitev, zlasti predstavitev, ki naj bi se pogosteje uporabljale na sprednjem delu embalaže, v okviru veljavne zakonodaje ni jasno, zato je potrebna pojasnitev. Poleg tega bi lahko uporaba različnih sistemov zbegala potrošnika in ustvarila trgovinske ovire za industrijo.

Policy options

Možnosti politike

The options of no action, a voluntary approach, and a statutory approach - to ban such presentation, or to provide a framework for a voluntary approach or to include the information on a mandatory basis were assessed.

Ocenjene so bile možnosti brez ukrepanja, prostovoljnega pristopa in obvezujočega pristopa – prepoved takšne predstavitve, zagotovitev okvira za prostovoljni pristop ali obvezna vključitev informacij.

Main findings

Glavne ugotovitve

From the analysis, the options to do nothing or leave to voluntary approaches would mean continuing proliferation of different schemes. There is a need for clarity of the situation, however, the ban of such labelling would potentially have negative consequences for the industry and consumers. Therefore, the provision of a framework for front of pack labelling would benefit the consumer (reducing the risk of confusion) and benefit the industry (reducing the risk of the creation of barriers to the free movement of goods). The inclusion of the information on a mandatory basis would potentially increase the impact of nutrition labelling on consumer behaviour as evidence suggests that consumers take account of information on the front of pack more often that when provided on the back of pack.

Analiza je pokazala, da bi možnost brez ukrepanja ali prostovoljnih pristopov pomenila nadaljnje širjenje različnih sistemov. Stanje je treba pojasniti, vendar bi lahko prepoved takšnega označevanja imela negativne posledice za industrijo in potrošnike. Zato bi bila določitev okvira za označevanje na sprednjem delu embalaže koristna za potrošnika (zmanjšanje tveganja za zmedo) in hkrati koristna za industrijo (zmanjšanje tveganja za nastanek ovir za prosti pretok blaga). Z obvezno vključitvijo informacij bi se lahko povečal vpliv označevanja hranilne vrednosti na vedenje potrošnikov, ker dokazi kažejo, da potrošniki upoštevajo informacije na sprednjem delu embalaže pogosteje kot informacije na zadnjem delu embalaže.

Policy Issue 4 - Legibility of information

Vprašanje politike 4 – čitljivost informacij

Current problems

Sedanje težave

There is little benefit to the consumer if the nutrition information is hard to read. The question of legibility concerns various aspects of presentation, font size, type style and colour, contrast with background etc. The main cause for complaint is font size particularly for the back of pack information. There is a need for consideration whether the legislation should be adapted to give a framework for the general provision that labels should be legible. This issue is of relevance to all information provided on food labels, not just nutrition information.

Informacije o hranilni vrednosti za potrošnika niso koristne, če jih težko prebere. Vprašanje čitljivosti je povezano z različnimi vidiki predstavitve, velikostjo pisave, slogom in barvo pisave, kontrastom z ozadjem itd. Glavni razlog za pritožbe je velikost pisave, zlasti za informacije na zadnji strani embalaže. Proučiti je treba, ali je treba zakonodajo prilagoditi in tako določiti okvir, s katerim se na splošno zagotovi, da morajo oznake biti čitljive. To vprašanje je pomembno za vse informacije na oznakah za živila in ne le za informacije o hranilni vrednosti.

Policy options

Možnosti politike

The options of no action, a voluntary approach, and a statutory approach were assessed.

Ocenjene so bile možnosti brez ukrepanja, prostovoljnega pristopa in obvezujočega pristopa.

Main findings

Glavne ugotovitve

In the analysis of the options it appeared that doing nothing or leaving to a voluntary approach would not lead to a significant improvement in the situation. The inclusion of a minimum font size for the type on food labelling would help to address the main complaint from consumers.

Pri analizi možnosti se je pokazalo, da se z možnostjo brez ukrepanja ali s prostovoljnim pristopom položaj ne bi znatno izboljšal. Vključitev najmanjše velikosti pisave za označevanje živil bi prispevala k rešitvi glavne pritožbe potrošnikov.

Conclusion

Sklep

The preferred option identified is mandatory labelling of nutrition information on energy, fat, saturated fats, sugars and salt in the principal field of vision (front of pack) with the voluntary declaration of other nutrients. The impact on manufacturers can be minimised by providing transition periods that allow for the labelling changes to be made during the normal cycle for label changes that are in operation within a company. In addition, the availability of computer systems to enable the easy calculation of the nutrient composition of a product would significantly reduce any costs associated with obtaining such information.

Kot prednostna možnost je ugotovljeno obvezno označevanje informacij o hranilni vrednosti za energijsko vrednost, maščobe, nasičene maščobe, sladkorje in sol na glavnem vidnem polju (sprednji del embalaže) s prostovoljno navedbo drugih hranilnih snovi. Učinek na proizvajalce se lahko zmanjša z določitvijo prehodnih obdobij, ki omogočajo spremembe označevanja med običajnim ciklom za spremembe označevanja, ki se uporabljajo v gospodarski družbi. Če bi bili na voljo računalniški sistemi za preprosto izračunavanje hranilne sestave proizvoda, bi se znatno znižali tudi kakršni koli stroški, povezani s pridobivanjem takšnih informacij.

[1] European Commission (2007), White Paper on a Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity related health issues - COM(2007) 279.

[1] Evropska komisija (2007), Bela knjiga o strategiji za Evropo glede vprašanj v zvezi s prehrano, prekomerno telesno težo in debelostjo - COM(2007) 279.

[2] World Helath Assembly Resolution 57.17, 2004, Global Strategy on diet, physical activity and health.

[2] Resolucija Generalne skupščine Svetovne zdravstvene organizacije št. 57.17, 2004, Globalna strategija o prehrani, telesni dejavnosti in zdravju.