31979Y0630(01)

COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 19 June 1979 on the indication of the prices of foodstuffs and non-food household products prepackaged in pre-established quantities

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,

Having regard to the draft Resolution submitted by the Commission,

Whereas the preliminary programme of the European Economic Community for a consumer protection and information policy (1) provides for the establishment of common principles for indicating unit prices;

Whereas the Council adopted on 19 June 1979 Directive 79/581/EEC on consumer protection in the indication of the prices of foodstuffs (2);

Whereas, by establishing simple and easily comparable quantity ranges, the standardization of quantities of prepackaged foodstuffs is likely to make it easier for the consumer to compare prices at the place of sale;

Whereas the obligation to display the unit price should, wherever possible, be replaced by such standardization;

Whereas an effort to standardize is now under way at national and Community level and it is necessary to take account of the progress which has been or is being made in this context;

Whereas the abovementioned Directive defers the adoption by the Council of the conditions for applying the obligation to indicate the unit price of foodstuffs prepackaged in pre-established quantities;

Whereas non-food household products are not covered by the said Directive and provisions concerning the display of the prices of these products, in particular unit prices, should be adopted;

Whereas the Council should, therefore, undertake now to adopt, on a proposal from the Commission, within a given period supplementary measures concerning the indication of prices of foodstuffs and non-food household products prepackaged in preestablished quantities, 1. invites the Commission: (a) to submit to it without delay a proposal concerning the indication of the selling price and the unit price for non-food household products;

(1) OJ No C 92, 25.4.1975, p. 2. (2) OJ No L 158, 26.6.1979, p. 19. (b) to submit to it before July 1983 a proposal on the decisions to be taken pursuant to Article 8 (1) of Directive 79/581/EEC.

2. considers that ranges of quantities satisfying the following criteria may qualify for exemption from unit-pricing: - they are simple and involve only a small number of sizes,

- they involve only sizes sufficiently distinct from one another to permit easy comparison,

- they are uniform for the same, or very similar, products,

- they involve as far as possible only sizes which are simple multiples or submultiples of a kilogram or a litre,

- they correspond wherever possible to ranges in quantity of the contents.