Forum in Bulgaria calls for prohibiting double standards of EU food

SOFIA - A high-level international forum here on Monday said double standards of food in the European Union (EU) should not be allowed, and there should be no second class consumers.

The participants in the forum on double standards of EU foodstuffs agreed that equality and nondiscriminatory treatment of consumers is the guiding principle within the EU.

"All consumers are EU citizens regardless of the EU member state they reside in and deserve nondiscriminatory treatment," the forum said in a declaration.

The forum also called for continued strong support at the EU level of the national food and consumer authorities so they can control their marketing of food products in order to prevent misleading practices.

"We want the European consumers to see fair Europe in their shopping baskets," said Vera Jourova, commissioner for justice, consumers and gender equality, who attended the event along with 200 participants from EU countries.

"It is our common obligation to facilitate this," Jourova said.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said very clearly there can be no second class consumers, she recalled.

The European Commission remains fully committed to stamping out all kinds of unfair commercial practices related to the issue of dual quality products, Jourova said.

"I want to ensure you that equal treatment of all consumers across our union must be ensured," she said.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said in turn that the existence of a double standard of food in the EU "sounds terribly insulting."

Bulgaria's agriculture, food, and forestry minister, Rumen Porodzanov, said that during the last 10 months, Bulgarian authorities had conducted three studies on double standards, and found differences in composition or nutritional value in 18 percent of the foods.

More significant differences were found in products such as milk for young children, which in Bulgaria contained more vegetable fats such as palm oil, and less milk powder, macroelements and vitamins, he said.