Speaking at the CIAA-sponsored Friends of Europe �Caf� Crossfire� debate on 8 June, Jean Martin, President of CIAA repeated his calls for Commissioner Kyprianou to publicly support the EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. "We would like to see more explicit support from Commissioner Kyprianou. The motivation for our members can be useful."

The EU Platform was initially launched 15 months ago in March 2005. It brings together a wide range of stakeholders to make commitments to help solve the obesity epidemic in Europe.

In a follow-up to both the EU/US summit in May on Diet, Physical Activity and Health and the Obesity Europe Conference of the previous days, Mr. Martin stressed that obesity was "not just a problem for the food industry," but that it was a "multi-factorial issue requiring a similar multi-factorial approach to combat it, involving all stakeholders." He added, "it is wrong to focus exclusively on food."

However, Mr. Martin stressed that the food industry believed in the Platform and that if further self-regulation was allowed, it could ensure that positive changes were made very fast.

Mr. Martin highlighted the voluntary self-regulatory moves made by the food and drink industry so far, in particular the Commitments of industry presented in November 2005, but said that Member States needed to become more actively involved themselves.

Other speakers at the �Caf� Crossfire� debate included Robert Madelin, Director General of DG Sanco and Geoff Rayner from City University in London.

• A full synopsis of the event is available by clicking here

• To listen to an audio stream of Jean Martin�s speech at the Obesity Europe Conference please click here.