MADE IN: the yes from the european parliament
- Written by Staff
With 525 votes for, 49 against, and 44 abstaining, the European Parliament passed a proposal for regulations on the indication of the nation of origin of certain products imported from other nations.
The European MPs say that the Mark of Origin will provide EU citizens more information and permit greater control over their choices, in this way protecting them from inadvertently buying products of potentially dubious quality, and above all, will eliminate the obstacle that has held Europe back so far compared to China, India, and the USA, nations in which the Mark of Origin has been required for a long time.
The MPs also invited the European Commission to conduct a study on the effects of such regulation after three years of its validity. In order for the regulation project to become law, the text must be approved by the Council (wherever EU member nations object to the idea of Europe-wide Made in legislation). If the Council expresses favorable opinion of the Mark of Origin, the new regulations will become valid everywhere in the Union one year after the publication in the EU Official Gazette. As specified in an amendment approved by the AULA, after 5 years, this regulation will lose its validity and the European Parliament, Commission, and Council will have to decide whether or not to extend it as is or modify it further.