Brussels, 17/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - The High-Level Forum to Improve the Functioning of the Food Supply Chain, which met for the first time in Brussels on Tuesday 16 November (EUROPE 10257), has been given two tasks, which it hopes to accomplish in two years, granting priority to “consumers' interests”. Firstly, the Forum is to follow the recommendations of the high-level group on the competitiveness of the agro-food industry; and secondly, it will ensure that the initiatives proposed by the European Commission in its communication entitled “A better functioning food supply chain in Europe” are implemented on the basis of permanent dialogue with the parties concerned.
The work of the Forum will be on three levels: 1) the high-level Forum, which will have 45 members - ministers, company directors, presidents of associations and others, under the aegis of the vice-president of the Commission, Antonio Tajani, who is responsible for industry, working together with Commissioners Michel Barnier (Internal Market), John Dalli (Health and Consumer Protection) and Dacian Ciolos (Agriculture) - ; 2) the group of sherpas, tasked with preparing the work of the Forum, together with the services of the Commission; and 3) working groups, or platforms of experts, particularly in the areas of the contractual practices between businesses in the food supply chain, the food price monitoring instrument, the competitiveness of the agro-food industry and agro-logistics.
The Forum is set in place for two years: it will meet once a year and approve its final report before 31 December 2012. (Gp/trans.fl)