In mid-November, the Italian parliament passed a law prohibiting the production and distribution of food and animal feed made in laboratories based on cell culture. However, the prestige project of the right-wing government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni risks setbacks due to the actions of the president.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella states that he wants to receive the green light from the European Commission first. During the drafting of the law, Mattarella had already expressed doubts that the law might conflict with the EU's free market rules.
According to reports in the Italian media, Italian Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida apparently intended to deliberately skip the European Commission's assessment. President Mattarella now insists on following the prescribed EU procedures.
The Italian coalition has stated that the ban is necessary to protect the public from potential health risks and to safeguard Italian livestock farming and traditional cuisine.