An e-label can be created in any of the 24 official languages of the EU. The automatic translation feature of the platform can then be used to generate the e-label in all the other EU official languages, or only in some of them, depending on the company’s needs. Additional linguistic versions of an existing e-label can be added or removed at any time.

Yes. The content of an e-label can be modified at any time through the company’s U-label account. Once saved, the changes are instantly implemented and visible to any consumer scanning the QR-code corresponding to this e-label.

When creating an e-label, all structured data selected can be translated automatically by the platform in all EU official languages, thanks to an extensive multilingual database integrated within the platform. Any free text that is manually entered by the user, however, will not be automatically translated by the system, but can be manually translated by the user in any EU language when reviewing the different linguistic versions of the e-label.

Once subscribed to the platform, any company can start creating e-labels for wine, aromatised wine or spirits drinks products. Information on the product can be inserted either manually by following the step-by-step process, or automatically by absorbing information from an existing database (GS1). Whichever the input mode, companies can enter as little or as much optional information as they wish and decide which indications to show on the final e-label.

After all relevant data has been entered by the user, the system automatically translates the e-label into all 24 EU official languages, unless the user decides to select only some of them. The user is then invited to check and validate each linguistic version before finalising the process and downloading the unique QR-code.

The U-label platform currently allows to create e-labels for products marketed in the EU only. These e-labels are fully compliant with EU legislation and can be made available to consumers in all official languages of the EU thanks to the automatic translation feature of the platform.

Soon, the scope of the platform will be extended to cover also non-EU markets (UK, Switzerland, …), with e-labels containing information that is relevant for each destination market and available in appropriate languages.

U-label offers a secured and trusted environment that allows companies to easily start building their digital information strategy and provide clear, relevant and accurate information to their consumers. The U-label platform offers, at an affordable price, some unique features that will make it considerably easier for companies to embark on this digital journey:

• Integrated expertise on EU legal requirements for wine, aromatised wine and spirits products labelling;
• Automatic translation of all structured information into 24 EU languages;
• Instantly adaptable content;
• Complete autonomy for companies to create new e-labels and manage existing e-labels.

• For wine and aromatized wine products, each e-label contains a set of mandatory indications imposed by EU legislation and some voluntary indications that the company may decide to add or not. Mandatory indications include basic product characteristics (name, image, product category, country of provenance), the list of ingredients, the nutritional declaration per 100ml, a pictogram warning against drinking during pregnancy and a generic message about responsible consumption.
• For spirit drinks, no legal obligations to provide any information online are applicable. Background for the provision of consumer information online is the spirits sector’s Memorandum of Understanding on the provision of consumer information, dating back to 2019. Members of spiritsEUROPE agreed to always include on the e-label basic product characteristics (name, image, product category, ABV, net quantity).

In addition to these (mandatory) indications, companies may decide to provide extra information such as additional product characteristics (regulated under EU law), nutrition declaration per portion (and 100ml for spirits), other health warning pictograms or messages, sustainability certificates and recycling information as well as basic information about the company (name, logo and website).

The e-label does not contain any type of marketing information and users of the e-label will not receive targeted advertisements after scanning QR-codes generated with the U-Label platform.

Spirit drinks, like all alcoholic beverages above 1.2% ABV, are exempted from the general rule under the Food Information to Consumers (FIC) Regulation to provide nutrition information and ingredient listing on the label of food stuffs. Following constructive discussions with the European Commission, and in line with the sector’s firm commitment to transparency and clarity, the spirits sector agreed to  provide this information for spirit drinks sold in the EU, as captured in the Memorandum of Understanding on the Provision of Nutrition Information & Ingredients Listing of Spirit Drinks sold in the EU (hereinafter referred to as "MoU"). The MoU sets out a range of concrete commitments on the provision of the energy value and list of ingredients for spirits drinks. It further includes several specific principles and rules with regards to the questions of how, and by when, energy information will be provided on the label and in which manner ingredients will be listed online, as facilitated by the E-Label Platform.

The EU wine sector has been asking proactively to the EU institutions the adoption of the new mandatory rules to respond to consumers expectations and increase transparency while harmonising an adapted communication on wines and aromatised wine products. The inclusion of rules under the Common Agricultural Policy packages is an opportunity to demonstrate the wine sector’s commitment to fulfil consumers’ expectations and modernise consumer information.

The new mandatory information can be communicated to consumers either directly on the physical label of the product or electronically, through a digital label (e-label). In case the nutrition declaration is provided digitally, the energy value of the product should appear on the label. If the list of ingredients is provided digitally, a reference to the allergenic substances should be maintained on the label.

All wines and aromatised wine products commercialised in the EU market will have to communicate the list of ingredients and the nutrition declaration per 100 ml.

New specific labelling rules applicable to wine and aromatised wine products will be adopted by the EU institutions in fall 2021, in the framework of the reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). These new labelling measures will require wine and aromatized wine products to communicate, on a mandatory basis, the list of ingredients and the nutrition declaration either on the label or through a digital support.