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In February, the French government issued a decree prohibiting the use of the term “steak” on vegetarian product labels beginning May 1, claiming it was only reserved for meat. A veggie burger is known as a veggie “steak” in French.

The decree listed 21 terms commonly used by butchers, including “escalope,” “ham,” “filet,” and “prime rib,” that it stated were not permitted for plant-based products.

The ruling addressed the meat industry’s long-standing complaint that terms like “vegetarian ham” or “vegan sausage” were confusing to consumers.

It was based on a 2020 law, but the country’s top administrative court, known as the State Council, suspended its implementation in 2022 in response to a complaint from French companies selling plant-based food.

On Wednesday, the State Council suspended a second decree to implement the same labeling law, citing “a serious doubt over the legality of such a ban.”

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It would be suspended until the Court of Justice of the European Union answered a question about whether the measure was legal under EU law, it said.

In 2020, the European Parliament rejected a proposal to prohibit the use of animal-derived terms for plant products, with the exception of words like “yogurt,” “cream,” or “cheese” applied to products that do not contain animal milk.

France issued its second decree as farmers protested environmental regulations and competition from low-cost imports.