Obesity: EU gives industry 3 years to self-regulate[fr][de] 

"Our biggest achievement so far is that we have managed to raise knowledge on obesity and to get everybody to recognise that there is a problem," said Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou presenting the White Paper on 'A Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity related health issues', adopted by the Commission on 30 May 2007. 

"What consumers eat is up to them, but they should be able to make informed choices, and have a range of healthy options to choose from. That is why the Commission is reviewing the options for nutrition labelling, and calling on industry to advertise responsibly and reduce levels of salt, fats and sugar in food products," he added. 

However, "given the urgency of the matter, it is better to try with self-regulation at first and see, in 2010, if there's a need for legislation," said Kyprianou arguing that "offering industry these two and half years", after which member states could decide to legislate, represented a "great incentive for industry to co-operate on the obesity problem".

Building on the EU obesity platform and the Green Paper on promoting healthy diets and physical activity, the White Paper calls for more cross-sectoral action-orientated partnerships across the EU. These would involve private actors and public health and consumer organisations. 

The Commission is also urging the private sector to develop stronger advertising codes, the food and retailing industry to make greater efforts to reformulate foods and sport organisations to develop advertising and marketing campaigns to encourage physical activity focusing in particular on children.

With regard the obesity platform launched in March 2005, Kyprianou said that it "is starting to produce results even though we have not reached target yet." Therefore, this platform will continue discussions. A High-Level Group on nutrition, overweight and obesity related health issues will be established to liaise the platform at member state level to ensure exchange of best practices. 

As to physical activity, Commissioner Kyprianou recognised that the issue is more in the hands of member states and that the challenge is not the same in all EU-27. "Children do not entertain themselves through physical activity anymore. Therefore, schools should re-introduce physical activity as entertainment to their curricula instead of pure physical performance exercise," he said.

The Confederation of the food and drink industries of the EU (CIAA) and the Association of the chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industries (CAOBISCO) have welcomed the Commission's strategy. 

The association of television and radio sales houses (egta) also welcomed the strategy and the fact that "the Commission recognises the added value of and supports advertising self-regulation". 

"When acknowledging that the individual is ultimately responsible for his lifestyle and that advertising and marketing are only wider information elements that shape an environment in which consumers take individual decisions, the European Commission is moving away from simplistic and ineffective additional restrictions to advertising of food products," states egta. 

According to EuroCommerce, "the commerce sector is pleased to see that the White Paper acknowledges the effectiveness of multi-stakeholder approaches to fight against obesity. Voluntary initiatives are recognised as important tools to promote healthy lifestyles. EuroCommerce welcomes the fact that the Commission will give these time to produce result before proposing any new legislation."

"EuroCommerce members are confident that voluntary initiatives are more effective and tailor-made to help the consumer understand the benefit of both good diet and healthy lifestyle." 

The European Consumers' Organisation (BEUC) qualifies the strategy as "a disappointing, unambitious and minimalist response to the problems of obesity and diet related diseases that the White Paper itself identifies. On advertising of food for children the White Paper talks vaguely about partnerships and voluntary measures, with a review in 2010 – when there will be a new Commission." 

"Reading the White Paper it seems that Mr Kyprianou and the Barroso Commission have already decided to leave much of the work to their successors – who will no doubt themselves wish to 'review the situation' before deciding what to do," deplored BEUC Director Jim Murray urging the current Commission to do "much more before they go" and to at least to bring forward a "robust proposal for simplified nutritional labelling". 

Euro Coop, the European Community of consumer cooperatives, was "expecting concrete measures from EU decision-makers, instead of what very much looks like procrastination". Euro Coop welcomes the White Paper's support and recognition of the obesity platform's achievements, but thinks that "with its disproportionate focus on self-regulation, the White Paper fails to strike the right balance between voluntary and regulatory proposals."