CMO Reform: EU Agreement reshapes the rules for Plant-Based products

On March 5, 2026, following a lengthy institutional trilogue, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on a targeted reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) market regulation. Officially confirmed the following day, the text introduces—for the first time in EU law—a legal definition of “meat” and reserves 31 traditional denominations exclusively for products of animal origin, prohibiting their use for plant-based and cell-cultured alternatives.

For operators in the plant-based sector—an area we have been closely monitoring through our Observatory—this marks a long-awaited yet complex regulatory milestone: a political compromise that resolves some longstanding issues while leaving others open. It is worth examining its implications in detail

The CMO Regulation and the “Meat Sounding” Debate

The Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets (CMO/CAP) regulation governs how agricultural markets function across categories such as cereals, dairy, fruit and vegetables, and meat. While it was not originally designed to regulate plant-based labeling, it has become the framework through which EU institutions have addressed the issue of “meat sounding”—the use of meat-related terminology for plant-based products.

As stated in the official Council communication, the reform’s primary objective is to strengthen farmers’ position within the food supply chain, introducing measures such as mandatory written contracts and simplified rules for producer organisations. The labeling debate emerged during the process as an amendment and quickly became one of the most contentious aspects of the negotiation.

What the Agreement includes: 31 Protected Terms

The agreement introduces a legal definition of “meat” as “the edible parts of animals” and identifies 31 terms reserved exclusively for animal-based products and their anatomical cuts (such as loin, fillet, or leg).

As stated in the Council’s official note, “these terms are reserved exclusively for meat-based products and therefore cannot be used for products that do not contain meat, including those derived from cell cultivation.”

The agreement includes a three-year transition period from its entry into force, allowing companies to phase out existing packaging and update labels and communication materials accordingly.

The Key Exception: “Veggie Burgers” Remain

One of the most critical outcomes for the plant-based sector is what has not been included. Generic terms such as “burger,” “sausage,” “nuggets,” and “ham” will remain permitted, provided that labeling clearly indicates the plant-based nature of the product.

This outcome was far from guaranteed. The mandate approved by the European Parliament in plenary on October 8, 2025 — with 532 votes in favour, 78 against and 25 abstentions — called for a much broader restriction, which would have included these very terms. As documented in the European Parliament’s Legislative Train Schedule, the original proposal aimed to reserve exclusively for meat products “terms such as steak, escalope, sausage or burger.” Pressure from industry associations, evidence on consumer preferences, and the technical complexity of identifying viable alternative naming ultimately steered negotiators toward a compromise solution.

Cultivated Meat: a parallel but connected topic

The OCM agreement explicitly includes cell-cultured products among those that will not be allowed to use the 31 reserved terms. In practice, this clarification is largely symbolic: at present, no products derived from cultivated animal cells are authorised for sale on the European market. EFSA has not yet completed the evaluation of novel food applications for this category.

That said, its inclusion in the text carries meaningful significance. It establishes, within a European-level regulatory framework, that “cultivated meat” is not equivalent to either conventional meat or plant-based products, with implications for future discussions around the regulatory framework for alternative proteins.

Practical impact for operators: what really changes

• Product naming. The 31 protected terms may not appear on their own in labeling, advertising, or promotional materials for plant-based products. Formulations such as “plant-based steak,” “soy fillet,” or “vegan bacon” are likely to fall outside compliance. By contrast, “veggie burger,” “legume burger,” “vegan sausage,” and similar wording that clearly qualifies the plant-based origin remain permissible.
• Packaging and communication. Companies currently using any of the 31 protected terms for their plant-based products will need to revise labels, naming, and communication materials. The three-year transition period from the entry into force provides sufficient time to plan, but not to delay.
• Single market. One of the most anticipated effects is the end of the current patchwork of inconsistent national initiatives. Companies operating across multiple EU countries will be able to rely on a single regulatory framework, rather than navigating between Italy’s Law 172/2023, the French decree suspended by the Conseil d’État, and potential rules in other Member States.
• Hybrid and blended products. One area of uncertainty highlighted by operators concerns products combining animal and plant proteins — so-called “blended meat.” As noted by FoodBev Media, “the extent to which the restrictions will apply to ‘hybrid’ products is currently unclear. Further clarification is expected.”

Consumer awareness: a critical point

Restrictions on naming have consistently been justified, at least in the political discourse, as measures to protect consumers. The underlying assumption is that meat-sounding terminology creates confusion — that a consumer might purchase a “soy burger” believing it to be a beef burger.

However, the available data tells a very different story. According to a 2020 study by the Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs (BEUC), conducted on a sample of 11,000 participants across 11 European countries, 42.4% of consumers believe that meat-sounding terms should be allowed, provided that products are clearly labeled as vegetarian or vegan. Only one in five consumers believes that such terms should never be used for plant-based products.

Similarly, a 2022 survey by ProVeg International among European consumers found that 94% of respondents are not confused by the use of the term “nuggets” for a plant-based chicken-style product. Only 3.6% reported having mistakenly purchased vegan nuggets believing them to be chicken. Overall, there is no evidence of widespread confusion when products are clearly labeled as plant-based or vegan.

The European plant-based market: scale and resilience

The economic stakes are far from marginal. According to GFI Europe, in 2024 retail sales of plant-based products across the six major European markets (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom) reached €4.7 billion. Italy, with €639 million, confirms its position as the third-largest market in Europe.

On a global level, Europe represents the leading market for plant-based meat alternatives: in 2024, the region accounted for 54% of global retail sales of plant-based meat and seafood alternatives, estimated at $6.1 billion worldwide.

What happens next? The approval process of the reform

The agreement reached on March 6 is, for now, a provisional deal. Before it acquires legal force, it must be formally approved by both the European Parliament in plenary session and the Council. The next step is scheduled for Friday, March 13, when the text will move forward for formal adoption by the Agriculture and Fisheries Council and a final vote in plenary at the European Parliament. There is therefore still some limited technical room for further adjustments.

For companies operating in food retail and plant-based distribution, the three-year adjustment period will start from the date the regulation enters into force, not from the date of the provisional agreement. This means it is not an immediate urgency, but rather a deadline that requires planning from now—particularly for businesses with product lines that include any of the 31 protected terms.

We are now at a point where the European Union is taking ownership of a debate that, until now, had resulted only in fragmented national initiatives, court rulings, and regulatory uncertainty.