Italian Cultivated Meat Ban Could Be “Unenforceable” Due to Violation of EU Scrutiny Procedure

Italy violated EU scrutiny procedure by passing a ban on cultivated meat without consulting other member states or the European Commission. The ban, proposed in March and passed in November, was not subjected to the required TRIS procedure, potentially making it unenforceable and in violation of the EU's precautionary principle and Italian Constitution. The European Commission closed the TRIS procedure, citing a violation of the process by the Italian government.

The Italian government claimed the closure of the TRIS procedure was due to compliance with the single market, but the EU clarified it was done because the law was passed in violation of suspensive terms. The Good Food Institute Europe criticized the ban, stating it was based on misinformation and excluded industry input. The organization urged Italy to change course and engage in a more balanced and evidence-based discussion on cultivated meat.