Italy faces EU infringement over "shrinkflation" product labels
The European Commission said that it has opened infringement proceedings against Italy for violating EU law by making companies highlight when a product has been subject to "shrinkflation" on the label.
Shrinkflation is the practice of reducing the quantity of a product while maintaining the same price in order to mask cost increases linked to inflation, CE Report quotes ANSA.
"Italy introduced an obligation to affix on consumer products a specific indication informing that the product's quantity has been reduced while its packaging remains unchanged, leading to an increase in the price per unit," the EU executive said.
"While the Commission acknowledges the importance of informing consumers about such changes, requiring this information to be displayed directly on each concerned product does not seem proportionate.
"National labelling requirements constitute a major internal market barrier and seriously undermine the free movement of goods.
"The Commission considers that the Italian authorities have not provided sufficient evidence concerning the proportionality of the measure, as other less restrictive options are available (e.g. displaying the same information near the products concerned)".
