Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity related

Health Issues:

The Platform for action on diet Physical activity and Health as part of an EU integrated approach

European Conference on Diet, Physical Activity and Health

Budapest, 19 novembre 2007

Philippe RouxDeputy Head of UnitEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection« Health Determinants » Unit

•Part 1: The EU Institutions and the role of the Commission

Part 2: A strategic Framework

Part 3: The EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health

Part 1

The EU Institutions and the role of the Commission

European Commission

Council of the EU

European Parliament

Economic & Social Committee

Committee of the Regions

European Council

European Court of Justice

European Court of Auditors

Institutional Triangle: Decision Makers

Advisory Committees

European Institutions

Part 1

The Role of the Commission

The European Commission

• Initiate & negotiate draft legislation

• Ensure implementation of EU policies

• Apply European Union laws

• Represent the European Union on the world stage

Health and Consumer Protection DG

DG SANCO

Food safety

Public Health

Consumer Affairs

Priorities

• Protecting and improving• Public health• Ensuring food is safe• Promoting EU food safety• Standards worldwide• Protecting the health of

animals & plants• Promoting the humane

treatment of animals

Our StructureDirector General

Robert Madelin

Deputy Director GeneralActing DDG P.Testori Coggi

BConsumer Affairs

CPublic Health &

Risk Assessment

DAnimal Health &

Welfare

ESafety of the Food Chain

FFood &

Veterinary Office

Principal Adivser

with special responsibility for C3, C6

and C7

01Audit and evaluation

02Strategy and analysis

03Science & Stakeholder

relations

04Veterinary control

programmes

Principal Adviser

AGeneral Affairs

Co-ordination& institutional relations

Legal affairs

Financial resourcesand controls

Information: systems

and publications

Human resources

AdministrativeAffairsGrange

Policy analysis &development;relations

withconsumer organisations;&

international relations

Unfair commercial practices

and other consumer protectionlegislation

Product and servicesafety

Protection of legal,economic and other

consumerinterests

Enforcement andconsumer redress

Programme management

Health Information

Health threats

Health determinants

Health strategy

Health measures

Risk assessment

Animal Health and Standing Committees

Animal Welfareand Feed

International questions

(multilateral)

International questions(bilateral)

Country profiles,coordination of follow-up

Food of animal origin:mammals

Food of animal origin:birds and fish

Food of plant origin,plant health; processing &

distribution

Animal nutritionimport controls,

residues

Quality, planningand development

Biotechnologyand Plant health

Hygiene & Controlmeasures

Chemicals, contaminants,

pesticides

Food Law, nutritionand labelling

A1

A2

A3

A4

A5

A6

B1

B2

B3

B4

B5

C1

C2

C3

C4

C5

C6

C7

D1

D2

D3

D4

E1

E2

E3

E4

F1

F2

F3

F4

F5

F6

01/12/2006

DG SANCO

Public Health

“Enabling good health for all”

• Deliver a high level of health protection• Promote healthier lifestyles• Respond to disease outbreaks• Encourage member state co-operation on

health• Provide accurate health information and data• Invest to tackle health inequalities• Combat smoking through legislation and

campaigns• Deliver quality standards for blood, tissues, and

cells

SANCO’s Core Activities

Public Health

Health Determinant Unit: Mission

Improve the health of European citizens and reduce health inequalities through actions to address health determinants. In particular to:

Promote health through measures to address lifestyle (nutrition and physical activity, sexual health, mental health), addictions (tobacco, alcohol, drugs), socio-economic and environmental determinants.

Take forward work under the health determinants strand of the public health programme and anti-smoking activities of the Tobacco Funds.

Coordinate work with stakeholders related to public health policies and actions.

Develop and implement initiatives to prevent accidents and injuries and diseases with a major impact on the health of people in Europe including cardiovascular diseases, asthma/allergies, diabetes),

Part 2: A strategic Framework

Overweight and Obesity in the EU: Scene setter

Obesity levels in the EU have risen by between 10-40% over the past decade.

Range of obesity prevalence in EU countries is from 10% to 27% in men and up to 38% in women.

Number of EU children affected by overweight (BMI >25) and obesity (BMI >30) is estimated to be rising by more than 400,000 a year.

Across the entire EU25, overweight affects almost 1 in 4 children.

Obesity accounts for up to 7% of health care costs.

In the EU, 9.6% of disability-adjusted life-years are lost due to poor nutrition, obesity and physical inactivity (compared with 9% due to smoking).

Obesity is a risk factor for many serious illnesses, including heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, respiratory disease, arthritis and certain types of cancer.

White Paper: Marshalling Community actions towards

Better informing the consumer, such as through better labelling on food products Making the healthy option available, such as making fruits and vegetables available to schools Encouraging physical activity, such as by encouraging community initiatives or by raising awareness of Community funds to develop the physical environment to encourage walking/cycling and other forms of activityFocus on priority groups and settings, such as children and schoolsDeveloping the evidence base to support policy making, such as by carrying out research into behaviour change in relation to food and nutrition Developing monitoring systems, such as by working with the WHO to identify effective local actions

Challenges to private actors …Product reformulation Strengthen restrictions on advertising of HFSS foods to childrenSports organisations can develop campaignsHealthy workplacesClinical groups develop guidelines to health professionsCivil society organisations support collection of evidence of what works

But with support from the Commission (facilitation, policies, specific studies) and…in the context of a stronger partnership framework

EU Partnerships

Monitoring of progress Leading to report by European Commission in 2010

EU Platform Diet, Physical Activity and Health

Industry and NGO stakeholders

Nutrition and physical activity Network: Support to the High Level Group

Community/local action orientated partnershipsCommunity action involving civic leadership, businesses, local government, schools etc

EU sectoral policies E.g. Food,

Agriculture, Transport

Member State High Level Group

Each Member State to nominate a high level representative from each Member State

National Stakeholder Forums. Follow events in EU Platform, develop local partnerships

Ne

two

rkin

g, fac

ilitatin

g, s

ha

ring

go

od

p

rac

tice

Eu

rope

an

Co

mm

ission

EU, national level research to assess policy impact. Support of WHO to develop database of interventions internationally (nutrrition and physical activity surveillance)

Developing evidence base

Progress report in 2010

Identify efforts made in each area

Commission will need support from actors to demonstrate the progress that has been made

An opportunity to reorient our approach

An opportunity to keep high profile of the issue

Part 3:

Committee on Nutrition

33 members / Observers WHO, EFSA, EP, Presidencies and Member States

Actions underway

Promotion healthy lifestylesLabellingAdvertising and marketing DisseminationResearch and surveyProduct developmentPolicy development

To date more than 200 Commitments

http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/nutrition/platform/docs/synopsis_commitments.pdf

Actions underway

RAND Europe produced the Second Monitoring Progress Report for the Platform published in March 2007:

Commitments represent more than 600 hundred initiatives implemented at local, regional and national levels.

An overwhelming part of the activities (37%) relates to Promoting a healthy lifestyle/Education on nutrition and/or physical activity.

Other main areas are ‘Nutrition labelling/Nutrition information’ (17% of the activities) and ‘Advertising/Marketing’ (11%).

http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/nutrition/platform/docs

“Monitoring Framework” adopted in 2006

Actions underway: examples

Nutrition labelling” by CIAA: Introduce VOLUNTARY measures to improve the nutritional information provided to consumers on food & drink packages across all 27 EU member states by end 2009

EMRA (Mac Donald) nutrition scheme with by end 2007 over 30,000 restaurants world-wide plan

What'sInsideCampaignTVC.mpg

Actions underway: examples

UNESDA (nine major soft drink companies including Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Cadbury Schweppes):

no advertising to children under 12 in printed media, on websites or during broadcast programmes specifically aimed at children.no direct commercial activity in primary schools in the EU.ensure that in secondary schools a full range of beverages - including water, juices and others - in both regular and low-calorie/calorie-free versions and in a range of serving sizes - are available in unbranded vending machines.

Irish Food Board

Food Dude Healthy Eating educational project to improve children’s long-term consumption of fruit and vegetables.Children are given free fruit and vegetables at school for 16 days, along with peer modelling videos and rewards based on the “Food Dude” characters.

Actions underway: examples

World Federation of Advertisers: agreement to implement the EACA self regulation charter among its members.

Ferrero (CIAA): Tailoring portion sizes, namely those for Kinder chocolate, to children consumption; Reducing the levels of trans fatty acids and salt; Eliminating all hydrogenated fats contained in Ferrero products by 2006.

European health and fitness Associations (EHFA):Cooperation with schools to offer multi-sport activity for teenage girls (15/16 years old).

Ensure relevance of the initiatives against the objectives of the Platform.

Ensure the emergence of initiatives that can contribute to the increase of the levels of physical activity of citizens.

Create conditions that facilitate debates among the different stakeholders on individual initiatives.

Be clear on the fact that Self-regulation is not an alternative to law. On the contrary it works best within a clear legal framework that allows non-legislative approaches but also backs them up.

Create conditions for easy reporting on progress.

Building one year work programmes” is usefull.

Improving dialogue with the national authorities (i.e.: via the EU Nutrition and Physical Activity Network and/or the future High Level group on Nutrition and Physical Activity) and with national Platforms is desirable.

Key issues

Monitoring

Review of the outcomes of codes of conducts for advertising and other voluntary approaches. Solid monitoring framework and a transparent reporting process and actors should:

be specific when setting objectives and reporting on actions,

focus on relevant information when monitoring,

devise appropriate methods of measuring results,

communicate information clearly,

state the Platform’s contribution to a commitment,

dedicate sufficient resources to allow effective monitoring.

Link to background documents onWhite Paper & Platformwww.ec.europa.eu/health/index_en.htm

Heath Portal: http://ec.europa.eu/health-u/index_fr.htm

Thanks

Food safetyPublic Health Consumer Affairs