European platform for action on diet, physical activity and health. Lots of chatter, few facts, negative results. The system has failed and the associations representing civil society leave it, slamming the door. Everything to be redone, here's how and why.
EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, a European failure
The platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health was created by the European Commission in 2005. With the aim of 'bring together all voluntary initiatives undertaken in the EU by business, civil society and the public sector'for the prevention of overweight, obesity and related diseases. The EU Platform should also have promoted 'other initiatives at national, regional or local level and by cooperating with similar forums at national level'. (1)
Obesity, overweight and related diseases continue to grow, in Europe like in the world. In the adult population and in the juvenile-infantile population, without respite. The public-private synergies that the Platform was supposed to promote have led to promises and commitments that Big food denies with industrial and commercial policies in the opposite direction.
Goes on the production of ultra-processed foods with poor nutritional profiles and unregulated promoted with aggressive and insidious marketing strategies. To the detriment of the health of the weakest social groups and especially of the youngest, children and teenagers.
EU platform, civil society abandons
European associations representing consumers and civil society - BEUC, EHN, EPHA, CPME, COFACE, World Obesity and IBFAN - leave the EU Platform. The decision was made public on 3.7.19, in a concise but effective press release. 'The platform, in its current operation, is not fit for purpose'for which it was established. (2) A predictable news, after 3.4.19 the same organizations - which participated in the working group for over a decade - had reported in vain, to the European Commission, serious organizational and programmatic deficiencies.
Financial resources to promote the organism's activities and the frequency of its plenary meetings - from 5 in 2005 to 2 in 2018 - have progressively decreased. Political interest has waned, as shown by the ten-year delay on nutritional profiles, which the Commission should have defined on the basis of a specific mandate from the European legislator. Proof of a completely justified lack of interest. And the associations insisted, right up to the end, for the resumption of a serious and constructive dialogue with the European Commission, DG Sante, on the development of effective strategies and policies.
'We had asked for a meeting with the Commission services before the end of this parliamentary term. Unfortunately, the Commission has not accepted our request for constructive dialogue and this is particularly disappointing, given that the Commission itself is currently reviewing and considering the future of the platform ... [...] At this time we do not believe that continued participation in the company's platform civilization through our organizations is a productive use of our resources'. (3)
Obesity, overweight and related diseases, what to do?
The inability of the forum Brussels to reverse - or at least mitigate - the growing trend of obesity, overweight and related diseases has been reported on repeated occasions, also on our site Great Italian Food Trade. (4) Big food has outsourced the rising costs of chronic noncommunicable diseases to national health systems (Non-Communicable Disease, NCDs) caused by their own reckless policies. And the European Commission, Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, has failed in its duties.
The European theater of nutritional policy has failed, we need to start from scratch and introduce mandatory measures. Since the introduction of the Nutri score, which must be made mandatory at European level on food labels. At least on ultra-processed foods, to be subjected to further restrictions when unbalanced from a nutritional point of view. Simple but effective measures, such as a ban on junk food marketing, purpose taxation and serious nutritional education programs.
Dario Dongo and Giulia Caddeo
Footnotes
(1) European Commission. (2005). Green Book 'Promote healthy diets and physical activity: a European dimension in the prevention of overweight, obesity and chronic diseases'
(2) BEUC et al., Press release 3.7.19, su https://www.beuc.eu/publications/beuc-x-2019-039_statement_on_leaving_platform.pdf
(4) See also previous articles https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/salute/obesità-infantile-una-sfida-in-salita, https://www.foodagriculturerequirements.com/approfondimenti_1/food-product-improvement-criteri-nutrizionali-e-marketing-come-affrontare-la-crescente-epidemia-di-obesità-e-diabete#
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Graduated in law, master in Food, Law & Finance. You have explored the theme of green procurement and urban food policies in the International Cooperation and Peace sector of the City of Turin.
