Providing a business-friendly framework

In order to sustain the industry’s competitiveness, Europe’s food and drink manufacturers need a sufficiently flexible and business-friendly framework in which to operate. Legislation is imperative in certain areas; while in others alternatives can often be more effective and should be given due consideration. Central to this, FoodDrinkEurope calls for an integrated industrial policy, improving relations along the food chain, and for the completion of the single market, removing barriers to the free movement of food and drink products. This should include work on the twelve instruments identified under the Single Market Act.

Generating growth through trade

The food and drink industry exported approximately €68 billion in food and drink products to third countries in 2010. It also registers a positive trade balance. To stimulate trade in Europe’s food and drink products further, FoodDrinkEurope calls for a consistent EU trade policy which supports the growth of a sustainable food and drink industry. This should include a continuous commitment to the multilateral trade system and progress towards ambitious and balanced bilateral trade negotiations with important partners. Most recently, FoodDrinkEurope welcomes the commitments made at the EU-Japan summit in May and the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement which came into force on 1st July 2011.

Ensuring security of supply

Food and drink industries rely on access to adequate supplies of safe and sustainable raw materials. These materials should meet specific quality criteria and be competitively priced. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is pivotal to meeting this objective, given that the industry purchases and processes 70% of EU agricultural production. Therefore, the industry is interested in promoting a demand-oriented CAP, supportive of an efficient and sustainable EU agriculture. In particular, FoodDrinkEurope calls for the new "greening" practices to deliver added value at EU level.

Working in partnership

FoodDrinkEurope works within the High Level Forum (HLF) for a Better Functioning Food Supply Chain, established in July 2010. The HLF builds on the High Level Group (HLG) on the Competitiveness of the Agro-Food Industry, bringing together stakeholders across the food chain to assist the European Commission in implementing the HLG’s 30 recommendations and developing an integrated industrial policy across the food chain as a whole.