The European Parliament has postponed further negotiations regarding the proposed ban on meat-like words, such as ‘burger’ and ‘steak,’ for labelling plant-based products.

The negotiations between the EU Parliament, Council and Commission were underway this week, with an agreement due to be made on the proposed legislation yesterday (10 December 2025).

However, member states were not able to reach an agreement on the ban, and the file will now be passed to the upcoming Cyprus presidency, beginning in January 2026.

Negotiations were up in the air following the recommendation of additional restrictions by French MEP Céline Imart, who is leading the proposed legislation.

Imart is pushing to expand the list of protected terms, which already includes a range of meaty words like ‘sausage’ and ‘burger,’ to include new words such as ‘foie’ and ‘ham’ for vegetarian products.

Denmark led the talks for EU countries, and opposed an expansion of the ban, which halted the meeting. ProVeg International CEO, Jasmijn de Boo, expressed relief at this latest development, which will allow more time for campaigners petitioning against the ban.

Why has the ban been proposed?

Imart and other supporters of the ban, which seeks to protect the animal agriculture industry, claim that the use of such meat-related words for plant-based products is deceptive and confusing for consumers.

However, in response to a previous, similar proposal to restrict these words, the European Court of Justice stated that EU law already provides sufficient rules to protect consumers, and that such a ban could not be permitted.

ProVeg’s de Boo commented: “This [delay] allows the EU institutions time to reflect on the value of restricting plant-based food labelling. No-one is confused by terms like ‘vegetarian sausage,’ as numerous surveys attest.”

She added: “Instead, we must enter the New Year with determination to actively encourage the production and consumption of plant-based foods as a way to help boost the EU economy, improve the healthiness of European consumers’ diets, open up opportunities for Europe’s farmers and bring down the bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions.”

Impact on the industry

If made law, the ban would significantly impact plant-based brands selling meat alternative products in the EU. Producers selling products in the UK would also likely be impacted by the ban due to the UK’s post-Brexit trade deal, which may see the EU rules applied in Britain.

A cross-party group of UK MPs has written to the European Commission, urging it to reject the proposals. The letter is supported by musician Paul McCartney and family, long-time advocates of plant-based diets since before the launch of UK meat-free pioneer Linda McCartney Foods back in 1991.

The MPs have warned that the proposed restrictions would actually create consumer confusion rather than prevent it, as well as damaging innovation and slowing progress on climate goals.

Their letter states: “Although the United Kingdom is no longer a member of the European Union, our markets, companies, consumers and regulatory conversations remain closely intertwined. Decisions taken at EU level continue to influence global norms, international trade, and the direction of sustainable food innovation.”

New YouGov research shows that 92% of UK adults say they have never accidentally purchased a plant-based sausage or burger believing it contained meat, or cannot recall doing so.

Paul McCartney commented: “To stipulate that burgers and sausages are ‘plant-based’, ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ should be enough for sensible people to understand what they are eating. This also encourages attitudes which are essential to our health and that of the planet.”