Following a significant legal battle, the French court has ruled plant-based manufacturers can continue to label products with “common” or “descriptive” names, including ‘veggie burgers’.
It follows the bringing forward of a court case by the European Vegetarian Union (EVU), the Association Végétarienne de France (AVF) and Beyond Meat, to the European Court of Justice in 2023.
This referral was in response to the 2021 decree introduced by the French government that prohibited the use of “meaty” denominations for plant-based foods produced in the country.
The veggie burger ban overthrown
Plant-based brands, industry representatives and other interested parties argued the decree was incompatible with EU law, which the French court has since backed, resulting in the losing French government having to cover legal fees.
The French government will pay €3,000 each to the EVU, AVF and Beyond Meat.
“The case that was brought to the courts by the European Vegetarian Union (EVU), French Vegetarian Association(AVF), Proteines France and Beyond Meat, comes now to an end with a full victory for the plant-based advocates,” read an EVU statement.
It was an “important victory” for consumer protection, which contained arguments based on “misconception” and not data, says EVU senior policy manager Rafael Pinto.
Can the veggie burger ban be enforced?
“We hope the ruling can change the priorities of the French government and better align them with citizens' needs, such as supporting sustainable farming, increasing competitiveness and protecting consumers, instead of continuing down this inefficient path.”
However, the French government can still propose new bans on plant-based labelling, so long as they follow the legal requirements set out by the ECJ.
Bans can by implemented by Member States under certain conditions only, with countries being required to legally define meat products. The ban could then only be applied to products made in that country.
Which the EVU said: “Could create significant issues for the whole of the food industry, since definitions may vary per country. Furthermore, it would put companies from that Member State at a significant disadvantage compared to other EU partners.”