According to European health, development and consumer organisations, the revised Directive has paved the way for the establishment of a harmful framework for marketing practices. The Directive will be published in the Official Journal in the autumn to be translated into national legislation within one year.
The decision is of great concern to NGOs who fear that the Directive will legitimise aggressive marketing practices and undermine health. A number of EU Member States, along with all the European health bodies, have criticised the Directive as inadequate.
The new Directive exposes the faults in the procedures for adopting European legislation for breastmilk substitutes. A change in the rules means that the Commission now has the power to adopt legislation on specialised foods (including baby foods) without having to consult the EU Parliament.
As a result, the new Directive was drawn up by the Commission and discussed in closed meetings with ’experts’ from Member States. These experts came, more often than not, from Agriculture and Food Standards rather than Health departments. The Commission was prepared to make amendments only when a large majority of the 25 EU Member States insisted on a particular change.
The new Directive is also being taken by the industry as an example to water down international standards.
IBFAN, a member of EPHA, will be stepping up its pressure on Member States to ensure that the Directive is implemented in the strongest possible way
Related Links:
Baby Feeding Law Group (UK) - more information and examples of promotion
