COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 7 June 1988 on consumer protection in the indication of the prices of foodstuffs and non-food products (88/C 153/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Whereas the Council adopted, on 7 June 1988, Directive 88/314/EEC on consumer protection in the indication of the prices of non-food products (1) and Directive 88/315/EEC amending Directive 79/581/EEC on consumer protection in the indication of the prices of foodstuffs (2);

whereas these two Directives provide for exemption from the obligation to display the unit price in the case of certain products and foodstuffs pre-packaged in pre-established quantities in Community ranges satisfying, in particular, the criteria of simplicity and comparability;

Whereas, as recalled in the Council resolution of 19 June 1979 on the indication of the prices of foodstuffs and non-food household products pre-packaged in pre-established quantities (3), the standardization of quantities of pre-packaged foodstuffs, by establishing simple and easily comparable quantity ranges, is likely to make it easier for the consumer to compare prices;

whereas the obligation to display the unit price should, wherever possible, be replaced by such standardization;

Whereas the Community ranges should therefore be extended to further categories of products and the existing ranges revised and improved;

Whereas the Community has set itself the objective of completing the internal market by the end of 1992 and whereas the adoption of further quantity ranges helps towards that objective;

REQUESTS the Commission, in order that the Council may act before the expiry of the transitional period provided for in Article 10 of each of the abovementioned Directives, to submit to it as soon as possible appropriate proposals with a view to:

- extending the quantity ranges to further categories of products,-revising, where necessary, the ranges already adopted by the Community, including completing them by adding higher or lower values to those already included in those ranges,-improving, where necessary, the nomenclature already adopted for certain categories of products,-establishing, in conjunction with the standardization organizations, filling criteria for the foodstuffs and the non-food products pre-packaged according to container capacity ranges,

REQUESTS the Commission to this end to hold consultations as soon as possible with the Member States and the sectors concerned, taking into account particularly the categories of products listed in the Annex.

(1) OJ No L 142, 9. 6. 1988, p. 19.

(2) OJ No L 142, 9. 6. 1988, p. 23.

(3) OJ No C 163, 30. 6. 1979, p. 1.

ANNEX

Non-food products

- glues and adhesives in liquid or paste form,- unblocking and stripping products.

Foodstuffs

- chocolate and cocoa-based spreads,

- concentrated milk and milk powder,

- processed cheese, hard cheese and sliced cheese,

- fermented milk, yoghurt and kephir,

- cream, condensed cream,

- cereals,

- jams, jellies, marmalades, chestnut purée and peanut spread, honey, syrups, plum purée,

- soups and broths (other than dehydrated and soluble),

- mayonnaise, condiment sauces, sauces, mustards and ketchups,

- asparagus,

- preserved fish,

- preserved meat, and other meat-based products,

- fruit, vegetables and potatoes (fresh),

- frozen whole fish,

- frozen shellfish,

- frozen meat,

- tea,

- confectionery (chocolate and sugar products),

- snack products,

- fine baker's wares,

- powdered drinks.