-aA+ 

EC wants uniform penalties for counterfeiting meat

After declaring the scandal of horse meat as beef, the European Commission wants to spring to propose that in all EU countries apply the same penalty for falsifying meat. The plan is also to give officials the right to EU commission DNA testing. "In the spring we will present a package for the health of animals and plants. Will is a document in which we simplify the rules and combine a number of directives.'s Part will be adjusting on fraud against food supply chain. Our goal is greater harmonization of penalties" - said spokesman Commission for Health Frederic Vincent.

According to data provided by the European Commission of the EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy Tonio Borg tests conducted so far have revealed that fraud involving declaring horsemeat as beef may affect about 1 percent. products. As a result of the scandal was withdrawn from the market more than 6 thousand. tons of meat.

The EC is considering asking the Member States to introduce such penalties accounts, which would be proportional to the scale of counterfeiting high and expected profits from it. The new rules would be the same in all EU countries. The current EU rules provide only that the EU adopt "appropriate and dissuasive sanctions", which in practice means that they are set at the national level.

"At this time, the member states are different types of punishment. We want to harmonize them. Working on solutions that will present in April or May. This can be financial penalties, withdrawal of authorization the company breaks the rules - see" - said Vincent.

Moreover, new regulations may give the European Commission greater powers in carrying out tests to ascertain whether the composition of the meat is in line with the information on the label. For DNA tests, which are carried out in the EU, member states have agreed to, but did not have such an obligation. The Commission would, if necessary, to order the State to carry out some tests to check the scale of criminal trafficking.

"The tests that have been launched in the last week, are made on the basis of the consent of the recommendation (EC). If member states do not want them to do, they would not have to" - explained Vincent.

As a result of the scandal-counterfeiting beef in February, the European Commission recommended the testing of processed meat products, including DNA testing for the presence of horsemeat in products labeled as beef.

The study, which began in early March will last a month, with the possibility to continue for the next two months. In the first stage will be tested in Europe, a total of 2250 samples of processed meat products that hit the retail market and have been labeled as containing beef. For individual countries will fall from 10 to 150 tests - depending on the size of the state.