Luxembourg's Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development Claude Haagen signed the agreement, which revises metal packaging that comes in direct contact with food.
The goal of the agreement is to create universal legislation on food safety between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The Benelux countries believe themselves to be in a pioneering position and that other EU countries will follow their example.
Consumers of all three countries will thus benefit from revisions of metal and light metal packaging that comes in direct contact with food.
If metal or alloy articles and packaging intended to come into contact with foodstuffs are specially designed for this purpose, e.g. tableware, tins, aluminium foil or crisp bags, they may, under certain conditions, unintentionally release contaminants or impurities into the food and present a risk to public health.
At present, the rules applicable in Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands diverge. This initiative will harmonise the laws applicable within the Benelux countries, thus offering maximum protection to consumers in terms of food safety. In addition, all Benelux businesses will have clear and common rules, which will facilitate cross-border trade.
