Innsbruck, 10/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - At its meeting in Innsbruck, Austria, on Tuesday 10 May, Committee of the Regions (CoR) commission on natural resources gave majority support to an opinion drafted by Ossi Martikainen (ALDE, Finland) in which in calls on the European Commission to consider setting (indicative) targets for reducing food waste.
Targets would be determined for each of the links along the foodstuffs chain (production, processing, sales and distribution, catering services, households and waste management), according to the opinion which will be approved at the CoR plenary session of 15-16 June. The CoR has in the past argued for a 30% reduction in food waste by 2025 and it welcomes the efforts of the Commission on sustainable development targets.
The opinion highlights the scale of the challenge: - one third of products intended for human consumption is lost at the various stages of the production process; - globally, 28% of all arable land food production is thrown away; - the effect on the climate of the waste generated is equivalent to 3.6Gt of CO2; - the annual financial toll of food waste is estimated at US$1,000 billion, the environmental cost at US$700 billion and the social cost at US$900 billion.
The natural resources commission recommends that the European Commission set up a European forum bringing together the various levels of government and stakeholders. It urges the local and regional authorities which manage catering services to draw up their own food waste prevention programmes and to make best possible use of food waste generated. Catering services are called on, where possible, to use local and regional products and seasonal produce, thereby shortening the production and consumption chain and so reducing wastage. Municipalities and local authorities should, the CoR says: - introduce food waste programmes in schools; - draw up waste sorting and recycling programmes.
Lastly, the CoR suggests that public procurement rules should include clauses on reducing food waste. It suggests, too, better informing consumers to improve their understanding of the expiry dates printed on labels. Depending on the product, consumers can safely use products the “sell by” date of which has passed, some members said.
The rapporteur, Ossi Martikainen, a town councillor in Lapinlahti, emphasised to the CoR commission that this opinion would feed into European Commission work on efficient resource use and the circular economy. He advocates a common European target (he spoke of a European framework in this area), to avoid schemes differing widely among member states, while taking account of the specific circumstances of each country. He held Finland and France up as examples, both of which have legislated to reduce food waste. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)