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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
lang=EN-US
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">The
European Commission has asked France to "bring its national law on the use of
languages for labelling foodstuffs into line with European law."
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
lang=EN-US
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
lang=EN-US
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: FR; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">The
relevant excerpt of press release IP / 02 /1155 (Date: 25/07/2002) follows:
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style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US">
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><B><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"></SPAN></B> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><B><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">France - use of
languages in the labelling of foodstuffs</SPAN></B><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> <?xml:namespace
prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">The Commission has
decided to send a reasoned opinion to the French authorities asking them to
bring French law into line with a judgment handed down by the Court of Justice
on 12 September 2000 in preliminary ruling C-366/98 concerning the use of
languages for labelling foodstuffs. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">As it stands,
French law provides that any particulars on the label of foodstuffs imported
into France must be written in French. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">The Commission
considers that, pursuant to the aforementioned case law of the Court of Justice,
the EC Treaty and Directive 2000/13/EC on the labelling and presentation of
foodstuffs preclude national regulations from imposing the use of a specific
language for labelling foodstuffs without allowing the use of another language
that is easily understood by the consumer or allowing the consumer to be
informed by other means. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">For example, the
Directive would allow a carton of chicken wings sold in a fast food restaurant
in France to refer to the product concerned in a language other than French,
such as the term "chicken wings", if the carton carried a photo clearly
depicting its contents. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">The French
authorities have acknowledged that their legislation is incompatible with
Community law, and have confirmed their intention to revise the contested
legislation. Nevertheless, the proposed amendment has still not been adopted.
</SPAN></P></SPAN>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P></FONT>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>For critical voices, see Vox Latina (in French): </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.voxlatina.com/vox_dsp2.php3?art=1495">http://www.voxlatina.com/vox_dsp2.php3?art=1495</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>