US Court of Appeals upholds revised COOL regulations
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has denied the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction – that would prevent revised Country-of-Origin Labelling (COOL) regulations from remaining in effect while the plaintiffs’ lawsuit challenging the COOL regulations proceeds.
As a result of today’s decision, the revised COOL regulations will remain in place while the case is pending.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has appauled the decision. “I am extremely pleased with today’s decision,” said Roger Johnson, NFU president. “Yet again, claims that the revised COOL regulations are unconstitutional or inconsistent with the COOL statute have been rejected in federal court.”
One of the plaintiffs in the cause the Canadian Pork Council (CPC) said it was disappointed with the decision. “The Canadian Pork Council participated in the US meat industry legal challenge as co-plaintiffs in the hope that a more expeditious and effective resolution of the matter could be achieved. It is essential that there be a legislated change for the US to come into compliance with its WTO obligations on COOL,” stated CPC’s Chair Jean-Guy Vincent.
The original case was filed on July 8, 2013 by (plaintiffs) the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, American Meat Institute, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canadian Pork Council, North American Meat Association, American Association of Meat Processors, National Pork Producers Council, Southwest Meat Association and Mexico’s National Confederation of Livestock Organizations.
NFU, together with the United States Cattlemen’s Association, the American Sheep Industry Association and the Consumer Federation of America, intervened to defend the COOL regulations from challenge, and they actively participated in a briefing at the District Court and the Court of Appeals, as well as the preliminary injunction hearing at the District Court.
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