ECJ Article 14 of Directive 79/112 on labelling and presentation of foodstuffs, which requires Member States to prohibit the sale of such products within their territories if certain particulars ‘do not appear in a language easily understood by purchasers, unless other measures have been taken to ensure that the purchaser is informed’, requires only the prohibition of trade in products whose labelling is not easily comprehensible for the consumer, without imposing the obligation to use a particular language.
National legislation which, on the one hand, imposes a stricter obligation than the use of a language easily understood, such as, for example, exclusive use of a language of the linguistic region where the goods are marketed and, on the other hand, fails to acknowledge the possibility of ensuring that the consumer is informed by other means, goes beyond the requirements of that provision.
The obligation to use exclusively the language of the linguistic region is a measure having equivalent effect to a quantitative restriction on imports, prohibited by Article 30 of the Treaty.
Citations:
C-369/89, [1991] EUECJ C-369/89
Links:
European
Updated: 01 June 2022; Ref: scu.160394