There is no overall food and nutrition strategy at EU level.
For a number of years, many health NGOs have been calling for a comprehensive approach that would integrate overall nutrition goals, the Common Agriculture Policy, food safety measures and legislation on food labelling, marketing and promotion.
The role of inappropriate or poor nutrition in illness has been conclusively proved by the World Health Organisation: "41 % of healthy life years are lost through diseases with major nutritional determinants and nutrition plays a role in ill health that leads to a further 38 % of lost healthy life years" (WHO World Health Report 2000).
Furthermore the major causes of morbidity and mortality in developed countries are chronic conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory illnesses. These are largely preventable and are closely linked to lifestyle choices and poor diet in particular.
The dramatic increase in overweight and obesity in Europe demonstrates the urgent need for action on nutrition. Latest figures from the International Obesity Task Force .
In the absence of a food and nutrition strategy, the European Commission is pursuing three approaches for addressing these issues:
Support to policy-making
This is delivered through the Network on Nutrition and Physical Activity which is organised by DG SANCO and consists mainly of experts nominated by Member States and the coordinators of nutrition projects funded through the Public Health Programme.
Launched in 2004, participation in the NPA Network is by invitation only. Meetings tend to be twice a year in Luxembourg. Details of the NPA Network including members, mandate and minutes of earlier meetings can be found on DG SANCO website .
Scientific research and evidence gathering
The EU’s well established Scientific Committees already provide expertise, risk assessment and advice on phyto-sanitary legislation.
The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) is the EU agency that carries out risk assessments regarding food and feed safety. In close collaboration with national authorities and in open consultation with its stakeholders, EFSA provides scientific advice and communication on existing and emerging risks.
The Framework Research Programmes, by DG Research have funded a number of large-scale projects that explore food safety, nutrition, obesity, diabetes, genetics and other links between food and health. The results of these projects should feed evidence and the latest scientific knowledge into policy-making.
A call for action
The Obesity Roundtable established in July 2004 of Member States, WHO and 10 representatives of industry and NGOs was designed to create a momentum for action on the growing problems of obesity and malnutrition. An intensive programme of meetings in 2004 led to the Roundtable being renamed as a European Platform on Diet, Nutrition and Physical Activity.
On 15 February 2005, the Platform was convened with a wider group of European organisations who were invited to comment on the proposed Platform and to join the initiative.
DG SANCO report of the meeting.
The Platform was publicly launched by Commissioner Kyprianou on 15 March 2005 in the European Parliament. The Luxembourg Health Minister represented the Council at the event.
The Platform is an open and flexible mechanism for any interested organisation to participate if they can commit to taking concrete, measurable action on tackling obesity and improving overall nutrition. The Platform will also be an opportunity for sharing best practice and evidence of what works at national and local level.
Any organisation that wishes to endorse the Platform can be listed as a partner but must be committed to taking action on improving nutrition, monitoring their progress and to accelerating activities each year. The next meeting of the Platform will be the second half of May 2005. At that point all member organisations will have to provide details of their actions or that of their members and indicate how they will monitor progress.
As a reminder, DG SANCO also has a number of pieces of food legislation in process: health claims on food (first reading in Parliament), fortification of foods (vitamins and minerals, first reading in the EP), revision and streamlining of food safety laws.
Commissioner Kyprianou has also announced in January 2005 that the food industry has 12 months to curb advertising of unhealthy food products to children, or the EU would introduce Regulation to that effect.
Cross border television advertising rules are already under revision through the Television without Frontiers Directive.
