Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend the motion No. 3 standing in my name by deleting the words 'Community Affairs References Committee' and replacing them with 'Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee' and ask that it be taken as a formal motion.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the following matters be referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee for inquiry and report by 27 October 2014:

The current requirements for labelling of seafood and seafood products, with particular reference to the following matters:

(a) whether the current requirements provide consumers with sufficient information to make informed choices, including choices based on sustainability and provenance preferences, regarding their purchases;

(b) whether the current requirements allow for best-practice traceability of product chain-of-custody;

(c) the regulations in other jurisdictions, with particular reference to the standards in the European Union (EU) under the common market regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 Article 35;

(d) the need for consistent definitions and use of terms in product labelling, including catch area, species names, production method (including gear category), and taking into account Food and Agriculture Organisation guidelines;

(e) the need for labelling for cooked or pre-prepared seafood products with reference to the Northern Territory’s seafood country of origin regulation;

(f) recommendations for the provision of consumer information as determined through the Common Language Group process conducted by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation;

(g) whether current labelling laws allow domestic seafood producers to compete on even terms with imported seafood products; and

(h) any related matters.

Question agreed to.