April 10, 2013
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) recommend that EU must make the use of "made in" origin labels on goods imported from third countries mandatory. The initial goal is "to prevent the use of false or misleading labels, so as to put us on an equal footing with our trade partners."
MEPs also cited the following impact of not having a mandatory "made in" labels:
- Particular interest of multinationals in some big EU countries in using misleading or no claims of origin to cover up environmental and social dumping
- Setback for consumer rights
- Missed opportunity to protect jobs in Europe
They also pointed out that countries such as Brazil, China and the United States have compulsory origin marking schemes for imports of these goods.