Germany taken to court for calling garlic supplements medicines

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Germany taken to court for calling garlic supplements medicines

 

 

 

Tue, 22 Mar 2005 17:28:31 -0000

C

Friday, March 18, 2005 8:51 PM

 

 

The insanity starts here...

 

Germany taken to court for calling garlic supplements medicines

18/03/2005 - Germany is being taken to court by the European

Commission for treating garlic supplements as medicines.

 

In a Commission statement, vice-president Günter Verheugen,

responsible for Enterprise, Industry and the Free Movement of Goods,

said the case was a `clear cut' example of national over regulation

creating unnecessary burdens for business and hampering economic

growth in the EU.

 

Garlic preparations, such as capsules containing pure dried garlic

powder, are marketed as foodstuffs in another member state. German

classification of the supplements as medicines therefore constitutes a

disproportionate and unnecessary obstacle to the free movement of

goods under EU law, said the Commission.

 

The case also points to recent legislation that was expected to clear

up some of the confusion over the borderline between food supplements

and medicinal products.