Welcome to the final edition of the CIAA newsletter for 2009.

2009 has proven to be an active year for Europe’s food and drink industry, with a continued focus on competitiveness and the work being done within the EU High Level Group (HLG) on the Competitiveness of the EU agri-food industry.  We have also been kept busy as a result of renewed discussions within the European Parliament and Council on the Food Information Package and the continued work of the European Food Chain Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Round Table, to name but a few.

Regarding the EU High Level Group (HLG) on the Competitiveness of the EU Agri-Food Industry, CIAA welcomed the adoption of the Roadmap and the list of 30 Recommendations coupled with a number of important accompanying actions, all of which aim at boosting the performance of the food and drink sector. CIAA members are actively monitoring the implementation of this Roadmap and corresponding actions. Only through the effective implementation of the HLG Recommendations can the competitiveness of Europe’s food and drink industry be strengthened.

The EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health (DPAH) held its latest Plenary meeting on 4 December in Brussels, during which CIAA presented the results of its second independent survey into industry commitments made under the Platform. The survey examined progress across the entire food and drink industry in 5 key markets in the following three areas, namely, (i) reformulation and innovation, (ii) labelling, and (iii) range of product choice and portion size. The results paint an encouraging picture: despite the fragmented nature of the EU agri-food industry (over 99% of companies are SMEs), progress continues in each of these three areas with CIAA direct and indirect members taking the lead.

On the environment side, we are pleased to report that the European Food Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Round Table has just announced that it has formally accepted new membership applications from fourteen EU level food chain organisations, bringing the total count of European organisations involved to twenty-three. We are delighted that such a large number of major stakeholders across the whole food chain have united.  The initiative will seek to promote the environmental sustainability of the food chain and establish scientifically reliable, uniform assessment methodologies for measuring environmental sustainability.

Finally, on behalf of all of us in the CIAA Secretariat, I would like to wish you a very Happy Christmas and an active and prosperous 2010!

Bonne lecture!

Mella Frewen
Director General