A strategic use of public procurement and clearer
environmental and social criteria will be key to
boost the transition
Local and regional leaders call on the European
Commission to publish the legislative framework
for sustainable food systems as planned, later this
year. The framework law should create coherence
between different food-related policies, promote
access to more healthy food, and recognise the
crucial role of local and regional authorities by
setting up an inclusive governance model. These were
the main demands of the opinion on the
Legislative
framework for sustainable food systems by Joke
Schauvliege
(BE/EPP), Vice-President of the Flemish Parliament,
adopted at the plenary session of the European
Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 26 May.
The European Commission (EC) work programme foresees
the adoption by the end of 2023 of a
new legislative framework for sustainable
food systems (FSFS), an initiative which is part of the
Farm-to-Fork Strategy
and that aims at the promotion of food policies
coherence and harmonisation at EU and national level,
integrating the principle of sustainability.
The European Committee of the Regions supports the
intent of the European Commission to put forward a
legislative framework for sustainable food systems
and adopted a series of recommendations to ensure that
horizontal and sectoral policies related to food
systems are in line with the goals and objectives of
the future legislative framework of the Farm-to-Fork
Strategy and the objectives of zero pollution.
The proposal of local and regional leaders focuses on
the importance of a harmonised approach to food
policies in the Union that considers all elements and
activities from production to consumption and is
based on clear scientific definitions of environmental,
social and economicsustainability
principles and objectives. It aims to establish
cooperation and involvement of the various levels of
governance in the EU, with a clear definition of the
responsibilities of all stakeholders in the food system,
including the role of local authorities in the
transition of the sector.
Rapporteur Joke Schauvliege (BE/EPP), Vice-president
of the Flemish Parliament, said "A European
sustainable food strategy can only be realised if
local and regional authorities are sufficiently
involved. Public catering and food environments are
crucial to achieving sustainable food. There must be
room for customization and the strategy must be built
from the bottom up. There is a great deal of expertise
and experience available at the local and regional
level and this must be valorised. That is why we
advocate an advisory European food council in which
local authorities are involved."
Members strongly advocate that cities and regions are
key players in addressing the challenges of food
systems since food constitutes an activity within
sectors that are often the responsibility of local
and regional authorities, like the promotion of
health, school sectors, regional development and spatial
planning. Therefore, cities and regions have a crucial
role to play in creating healthy "food environments"
by ensuring that sustainable, healthy diets are the
most straightforward and most accessible choice through
appropriate urban planning by avoiding, for example,
fast food restaurants near schools and facilitating
access to healthy food options such as seasonal food
markets and thereby also supporting sustainable
producers.
Local and regional representatives request the
European Commission to set up a
multi-stakeholde
r platform on sustainable food systems, involving the
European Committee of the Regions and other relevant
stakeholders, to create an exchange of experiences
that would help the transition, taking into account
regional disparities.
Food public procurement is an important
and powerful tool to help local and regional
authorities to promote sustainable food systems. Public
procurement in schools, hospitals, elderly care homes
and canteens, that favours healthy, seasonal and
local food and short supply chains, contributes to the
goals of healthy food systems and the Sustainable
Development Goals. The CoR urges all EU public
authorities to develop sustainable public procurement
strategies and targets that help achieve the
objectives of the Green Deal. On the same vein, the Cor
is calling to eliminate the existing constraints
within EU rules to apply sustainability criteria. The
guidelines on how to use food public procurement
should be made widely available and support provided to
local and regional authorities to use it efficiently,
taking into account sustainability criteria and local
and regional circumstances. Public money should be spent
primarily on foods in diets that are considered
healthy and sustainable, and their prices should be
aligned with their true cost.
The EC proposal will include a revision of the
sustainability labelling framework
as part of the FSFS and EU local and regional leaders
recommend the adoption of harmonised, proportionate
legally regulated and mandatory European labelling
schemes based on robust and independent scientific
evidence to help consumers make informed, healthy,
sustainable food decisions.
Finally, cities and regions underline that a
sustainable food system must ensure
climate-responsible food production and guarantee food
security and nutrition for all, now and in the
future.
Background:
The European Committee of the Regions adopted opinion
on
"Safeguarding food security and reinforcing
the resilience of food system."
The CoR study on Repercussions
of the agri-food crisis at local and regional level in
the EU.
Contact:
Ângela Machado
Tel. +32 475 41 31 58
angela.machado@cor.europa.eu
Alejandro Maya Toro
Tel. +32 2 282 2131
Alejandro.MayaToro@cor.europa.eu