Food and Consumer Policy

Food quality – EU Food Policy should allow the food and drink industry to provide consumers with a variety of tasty, high quality products.

Food safety – CIAA co-operates with other stakeholders in the European Food Safety Platform to ensure safety throughout the entire food chain. The food and drink industry takes its food chain responsibilities very seriously and uses sophisticated systems for voluntary safety and risk controls in order to ensure that only safe products reach the market.

Consumer Information – Diet and Health Issues

Consumer information – A product label is an important consumer information tool. Therefore, the food and drink industry seeks to provide clear and accurate labelling of essential information. Others ways of informing the consumer are being actively encouraged such as; consumer care-lines, in-shop touch screens and specialised websites.
CIAA supports the harmonisation of the use of scientifically substantiated nutrition and health claims made on food and drink products, enabling consumers to make informed and meaningful choices.

Diet, nutrition and health – A balanced diet is one of the key elements for a better quality of life. CIAA contributes pro-actively to work in the EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health which aims to promote a balanced and comprehensive approach to the challenges of diet-related diseases.

Innovation - CIAA’s launch of the European Technology Platform ‘Food for Life’ clearly shows that the food and drink industry is determined to step up its efforts in research and innovation. CIAA is convinced that promoting the dissemination of technology and higher investment to support growth and quality development will be of benefit to all actors in the food chain, including consumers.

Competitiveness

A single market for consumers – Consumer freedom of choice must be guaranteed by harmonising consumer protection measures at a European level. CIAA also supports the removal of all obstacles to the free movement of food and drink products across the EU.

Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) – Gradual reform of the CAP should provide the European food and drink industry with competitive supplies of agricultural raw materials (for both European and international markets) in accordance with the quality and quantities required.

International trade – The regulatory framework that emerges as a result of bilateral and multilateral World Trade Organization (WTO) trade agreements should ensure the food and drink industry’s competitiveness, both on European and international markets.

Environmental Sustainability

Environmental sustainability – The food and drink industry is strongly committed to continuously improving the environmental performance of its products and processes along the whole life cycle.

Sustainable Production and Consumption – CIAA actively promotes voluntary environmental information to consumers to be based on scientifically reliable, EU-wide methodologies. All means of communication must be explored to provide consumers with factual, non-discriminatory information.

Climate Change:  In addition to delivering continuous CO2 cuts under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, food companies show genuine leadership in voluntary energy and carbon management. A global agreement is vital for tackling climate change effectively and for ensuring a level-playing-field for EU industries.

Packaging and packaging waste – Packaging recovery and recycling are highly successful in the EU. Any additional EU or national policies on packaging must preserve the highest standards in terms of food safety and product quality and must not impede the proper functioning of the Single Market.

Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) – CIAA together with the European Commission, Member States and stakeholders defined the BATs (Best Available Techniques) for its sector. These BATs aim to prevent and reduce pollution in an integrated, economically viable way.

Communications

EU Parliament – CIAA’s secretariat in Brussels has a key role to play as far as the EP is concerned. It monitors parliamentary work closely and reports back to CIAA members on issues related to the food and drink industry. It also maintains contacts with the relevant parliamentary committees, political groups and individual MEPs and informs them of the food and drink industry’s position on specific issues. The secretariat also has the important task of co-ordinating communication activities carried out by CIAA members in the National Federations, sectors and companies.

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