European Commission White Paper on nutrition, overweight and obesity: outcome of vote in ENVI Committee

 

The European Parliament Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food safety (ENVI) adopted today a draft report on the Commission's White Paper on nutrition, overweight and obesity related health issues (the report, originally drafted by Adriana Poli-Bortone [UEN/IT] was taken over by Alessandro Foglietta [UEN/IT] following Ms. Poli-Bortone's return to Italian politics).

 

The overall outcome of the vote was positive and largely reflects amendments introduced by WFA in collaboration with the European Food Industry Association (CIAA). The main amendments of relevance to food and beverage advertising that were adopted state the following:

 

- Recent industry initiatives on advertising self-regulation will address the balance and nature of food and beverage advertising; self-regulatory measures need to cover all forms of marketing on the internet and other media;

 

- Self-regulation is recognised as playing a substantial role in fighting obesity, although clear and concrete targets for all parties concerned are needed, as well as an independent monitoring of these targets;

 

- A paragraph calling for more tangible measures was deleted;

 

- Sponsorship and advertising for HFSS foods in schools should be subject to the request or the express permission of school authorities and should be monitored by pupil-parents associations (initial wording said such sponsorship and advertising should be banned);

 

- A request for all operators in the media sector to take voluntary steps towards avoiding any kind of marketing practice involving "unhealthy food" targeted at children in the media and for holders of IP rights not to license cartoon characters for advertising this kind of food was removed;

 

- References for a quicker review of the effectiveness of the voluntary approach adopted in the AMS Directive were removed, and this approach is now considered "a step in the right direction", although it should be specifically monitored, and should be sanctioned - in case of a failure - by a stricter EU proposal after the 2010 review;

 

- An amendment suggesting a 9 pm watershed was rejected.

 

- The creation of an ad hoc observatory on advertising in the media directed at children was rejected.

 

However, the following amendments, which are more problematic, were also adopted:

 

- The EP calls on the industry to exercise particular care when advertising food products specifically targeted at children and asks for protected times and for restrictions on commercials for unhealthy food specifically targeted at children; any such restrictions should cover new forms of media such as online games, pop-ups and text messaging.

 

- "Regulation is sometimes necessary to deliver substantive and meaningful change across all sectors of industry, particularly when concerning children" was adopted.

 

- "Food advertising accounts for around half of all advertising broadcast during children's TV viewing times and there is clear evidence that TV advertising influences short-term consumption patterns of children aged between 2 and 11 years".

 

- The EP notes with concern the use of new forms of marketing using all technological means and in particular the so-called 'advergames' including cell-phones, instant messaging, video games and interactive games on the internet.

 

The vote in Plenary is scheduled for 2 September 2008. The report is non-binding and is not necessarily linked to any regulatory processes which might restrict food and beverage advertising. It does however reflect the current mood of the European Parliament and could inform future regulatory dossiers which may impact food advertising to children.