Overview
- MEPs voted 355–247 to reserve terms such as burger, sausage, steak and escalope for products containing meat, ending use of labels like “veggie-burger” and “vegan sausage.”
- The measure is not yet law and now enters negotiations with the European Commission and EU member states in the Council, leaving its final shape and approval uncertain.
- Sponsor Céline Imart framed the amendment as recognition for livestock producers and part of broader reforms to strengthen farmers’ position in the supply chain.
- Major German retailers including Aldi and Lidl, along with environmental and consumer groups, warned the change would confuse shoppers and hurt the plant-based market; BEUC cites data showing most consumers understand such names when vegan or vegetarian is clear.
- The push revives efforts the Parliament rejected in 2020, and follows France’s 2024 national ban that the EU’s top court overturned in 2025, highlighting significant legal and political risks for any EU-wide restriction.