Brussels: The European Commission has initiated infringement procedures against Cyprus and ten other member states for not fully incorporating Directive 2024/1438 into their national legislation. The member states under scrutiny include Belgium, Czech Republic, Ireland, France, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, Austria, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Directive amends the 'Breakfast Directives', which establish common rules for the composition, sales designation, labeling, and presentation of products like honey, fruit juices, jams, jellies, chestnut spoon sweets, and dehydrated milk. Key changes required by the Directive include updating rules on the mandatory origin labeling of honey and introducing new categories of fruit juices with reduced sugar content. Additionally, labels must indicate that these juices contain only natural sugars.
For jams, the Directive mandates an increase in the mandatory fruit content and allows the term 'jam' to be used as a synonym for 'jelly'. It also requires modernization of the labeling for dehydrated milk. These measures are designed to ensure the free movement of these products within the EU single market and help consumers make informed choices.
Member states were required to integrate the Directive into national law by December 14, 2025. Although the Czech Republic, Ireland, and Poland have partially transposed the Directive, the other member states have not reported any transposition measures. The European Commission has given these countries a two-month deadline to complete the transposition and provide updates. Failure to comply may result in the issuance of a reasoned opinion by the Commission.