The European Parliament has approved rules according to which it is planned to ban calling veggie burgers burgers

The European Parliament on Wednesday approved its position for negotiations with member states on new rules designed to “restore the balance of power in the agri-food supply chain,” which would include changing the labeling of plant-based products with “meat” names. 532 deputies voted for the document, 78 were against, and 25 abstained.

The most controversial provision of the law was the demand by parliamentarians for a stricter definition of meat as “edible parts of animals.” It states that names like "steak", "escalope", "sausage" or "burger" should be reserved exclusively for products containing meat, and exclude products grown from cells.

MPs also added a condition: food and feed from third countries can only be imported if the level of residual pesticides in them does not exceed the maximum allowed for products produced in the EU. In addition, EU countries will have to ensure that supply contracts under public procurement are concluded for products originating in the European Union. Speaker Céline Imar said farmers should receive a “fair remuneration” that takes into account production costs. Negotiations with member states on the final form of the law will begin on Tuesday, October 14.

The new initiative of the European Parliament came against the backdrop of mass protests by European farmers in early 2024, when thousands of tractors blocked roads in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland and other countries. Farmers demanded a reduction in administrative burdens, fair prices and the removal of excessive environmental regulations. In December 2024, the European Commission presented a legislative proposal to strengthen farmers' position in the food chain in response to these protests.

Rafael Pinto of the European Vegetarian Union notes that instead of simplifying rules for farmers, the European Parliament is creating new bureaucratic barriers - from defining “short supply chains” to banning the word “burger” on plant-based product packaging. At the same time, according to him, there is no evidence that buyers are misled by such names.