Borzan has been warning about the problem of products that look alike but are of poorer quality in newer member states for a long time. It was her amendment highlighting unequal product quality in newer and older EU member states that has resulted in stating, for the first time, the importance of fighting unequal product quality in the Single Market Strategy, a statement from Borzan's office says.
"Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Estonia have sent a joint letter to the European Commission noting that this practise is unacceptable for consumers on the joint European market even though these products are labelled in accordance with regulations. The European Union is founded on the values of equality and non-discrimination and all EU citizens thus have the right to products of the same quality. Placing products of dual quality under the same trade name is an unfair trade practise and we seek an urgent reaction from the Council and the Commission," Borzan explained.
Last year Borzan launched a research programme with the Croatian Food Agency to compare products on the Croatian and German markets. Earlier research conducted by MEP Olga Sehnalova showed that one-third of the products on the Czech market were of poorer quality than those on the German market.
The results of the research in Croatia and that commissioned by Ms. Sehnalova will be submitted to the Council and the Commission, Borzan said, adding that she and her colleague had lobbied for a long time for this problem to be brought to light. Many MEPs from Western EU member states were unaware that this problem even existed, Borzan said.
Many citizens have approached me on this topic and it is important to say from the highest level that the EU must not have second class citizens, Borzan's statement concluded.