News [1/31/2007 ]         The European Parliament will adopt on 1 February 2007 its resolution on “promoting healthy diets and physical activity”. The resolution is the Parliament’s response to the Commission’s Green Paper on Healthy Diets and Physical Activity, published at the end of 2005. The consultation launched by the Commission via the Green Paper sought views as to where the EU could add value in the fight against obesity. As an own-initiative report, the Parliament text is not legally binding but will be taken into account by the Commission as it drafts its EU Strategy on Nutrition and Health, due to be published in spring 2007. The draft resolution proposes a number of actions to stem the obesity epidemic in Europe, including specific measures to regulate the marketing of HFSS foods to children. Amendments tabled before the vote state that there is "clear evidence" of an effect of advertising on children’s consumption patterns, and call for a ban on TV advertising of HFSS foods to children as well as tough restrictions on the use of celebrities, films, cartoon characters, and toys in marketing foods. Ahead of the vote, WFA has - together with the Association of Commercial TV in Europe (ACT), the Association of Radio and TV Saleshouses (egta) and the European Association of Communciation Agencies (EACA) - written a joint letter to MEPs on behalf of the advertising and broadcast media industries to call for a number of improvements. In the letter, the co-signatories - Acknowledge the role of the industry in helping to fight rising obesity rates - Challenge the reference to 'clear evidence' of an effect of advertising on food consumption - Insist on progress already made in the context of the EU Platform on diet, physical activity and health, which should not be stifled by indiscriminate marketing restrictions - Call on MEPs to vote accordingly on the amendments concerned The full text of the letter can be found below. For any questions please contact m.lohan@wfanet.org Documents: ACT-egta-EACA-WFA joint letter.pdf  (.pdf file, size 314.285 kb)