Overview
- Representatives of the European Parliament and the 27 member states ended talks without a compromise and deferred the issue to 2026.
- Backers led by French MEP Céline Imart want terms such as Burger, Schnitzel, Wurst and Steak reserved exclusively for animal products.
- Germany opposes the ban, with Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer warning of high costs and extra bureaucracy in the EU’s largest plant-based market.
- Major retailers and producers including Aldi Süd, Lidl, Burger King, Beyond Meat and Rügenwalder Mühle argued in a joint stance that renaming would hinder sales and confuse shoppers less than clear labeling would.
- The naming fight is tied to a broader package to strengthen farmers’ bargaining power with supermarkets, which also failed to produce an agreement.