The European Vegetarian Union (EVU) is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

non-governmental A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...

umbrella organisation An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and ofte ...

for vegetarian societies and groups in Europe. The union works in the areas of

vegetarianism Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianis ...

nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient ...

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organ ...

consumer protection Consumer protection is the practice of safeguarding buyers of goods and services, and the public, against unfair practices in the marketplace. Consumer protection measures are often established by law. Such laws are intended to prevent business ...

, the campaign for

animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the s ...

ecology Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overl ...

, general information and against world hunger. Headquarters are in

Winterthur , neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell , twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria ...

(Switzerland), together with the Swiss organisation Swissveg.

History

* The EVU distribute the 1995 film '' Devour the Earth'' about the global consequences of meat consumption. The film was produced by the

Vegetarian Society The Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom is a British registered charity which was established on 30 September 1847 to promote vegetarianism. History In the 19th century a number of groups in Britain actively promoted and followed meat ...

, written by

Tony Wardle Tony Wardle is a British journalist and writer. He co-authored, with Michael Mansfield, the 1993 book ''Presumed Guilty: British Legal System Exposed'', which criticised the British criminal justice system. He is a vegan and actively involved in t ...

and narrated by

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

. * In October 2011, Renato Pichler, President of the EVU, reported that the French government's ''Décret 2011-1227'' and associated (September 30, 2011) effectively outlaws the serving of

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...

meals at any public or private school in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Similar decrees are proposed for kindergartens, hospitals, prisons and retirement homes.Renato Pichle
"The French Government Outlaws Vegetarianism in Schools"
, European Vegetarian Union (EVU). *Also se
"The French Government Outlaws Vegetarianism in Schools"
European Vegetarian and Animal News Alliance (EVANA).

Purpose

The main activities of the EVU are: * To support and represent member societies on a European level, and to offer a platform for close cooperation; * To raise public awareness of, and promote vegetarianism, vegetarian issues and the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle; * To lobby governments, European institutions and organisations for greater recognition of vegetarian issues in policy decisions; and * To further promote the V-Label scheme (Universal Vegetarian Symbol), in the interest of all vegetarian and vegan consumers across Europe and the rest of the world. The V-Label is a standardised European vegetarian label from the EVU with the aim of easy identification of vegetarian products and services.

Labeling issues

As the demand for vegan and vegetarian products in Europe has continued to rise, the European Vegetarian Union has tried to define how to label "vegetarian" and "vegan" items. They have argued that the vegan label on a product should have a clear and standard meaning. They have put forth two main requirements: # "The deliberate use of non-vegan or non-vegetarian substances must be ruled out." # "The (potential) presence of inadvertent traces of non-vegan or non-vegetarian substances should not be an obstacle to labelling a product as vegan or vegetarian, provided that such contamination occurs despite a careful production process that complies with the best practices and the state of the art." Despite the organization's efforts, the European Commission initially refused to enact any changes. The EVU has continued to lobby state governments, especially in Germany because the country experienced more widespread support for the labeling legislation. As a result, "consumer protection ministers of German Länder unanimously agreed on a proposal for a wording of the definition of the terms "vegan" and "vegetarian" for food labelling and put it into effect for the food control authorities within their jurisdictions, making it de facto binding." A recent 2018 report predicts that "vegan" and "vegetarian" labels will be required to meet the EVU's criteria by the year 2020.

References

External links

* {{Vegetarianism Food politics Vegetarian publications and websites Vegetarian organizations Winterthur Certification marks Ecolabelling Vegetarianism in Switzerland

History

Purpose

Labeling issues

See also

Animal protection movements

References

External links