On 2 September, EU Member States will gather for a Council working-level hearing on several proposals linked to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Common Market Organisation (CMO). Among the items on the agenda is a controversial attempt to restrict the use of familiar terms such as “veggie burger” or “plant-based sausage” for non-animal products.
AAFT, a member of the European Alliance for Plant-Based Foods (EAPF), has urged the governments of Greece and Cyprus to reject these restrictions. In letters sent ahead of the meeting, we called on both countries to resist pressure from vested interests and instead champion a more proportionate, evidence-based approach.
Consumers across Europe already understand the difference between plant-based and animal-based foods. Phrases like “veggie burger” or “oat milk” are part of everyday language, and there is no evidence of widespread confusion. What these restrictions would do, however, is create unnecessary costs for businesses, block innovation, and fragment the EU’s Single Market, undermining the very principles the CAP and CMO are meant to uphold.
The consequences would go beyond labelling. Europe has repeatedly positioned itself as a leader in sustainable food innovation and as a pioneer in diversifying protein sources. Imposing heavy-handed bans on plant-based denominations would send the message that innovation is unwelcome, and that the EU prefers to shield industrial farming rather than invest in the foods of the future.
For farmers, entrepreneurs, and consumers alike, plant-based foods represent opportunities, from opening new markets to strengthening Europe’s response to climate and public health challenges. Restricting them would not only be a setback for businesses but also for the EU’s own objectives. AAFT therefore called on the ministries of Greece and Cyprus to oppose the restrictions, or at least to refrain from supporting them until a thorough, evidence-based assessment is carried out.
Europe has a choice to make: it can either move forward with innovation, sustainability, and consumer freedom, or it can retreat into protectionism that benefits only a few. We are committed to ensuring that plant-based foods remain part of Europe’s future, and that citizens’ right to choose is defended against unnecessary and unjustified restrictions.