Ten MEPs from across the political spectrum put down a written statement on Monday 24 October calling for more organic products to be used in catering establishments, such as canteens.
Eric Andrieu (S&D, France), Maria Lidia Senra Rodriguez (GUE/NGL, Spain), Ivan Jakovcic (ALDE, Croatia), Fabio Massimo Castaldo (EFDD, Italy), Edouard Martin (S&D, France), Marco Zullo (EFDD, Italy), Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA, Germany), Viorica Dancila (S&D, Romania), Zbigniew Kuzmiuk (ECR, Poland) and Daniel Buda (EPP, Romania) want local, regional or short supply chain organic products to make up 30% of the produce ordered by the catering establishments belonging to member states’ administrations by 2020. The MEPs say that the European institutions should set the example by ensuring that a significant proportion of what is on offer in their catering establishments is organic and sourced from short supply chains.
They call on the Commission to amend Regulation 1306/2013 with regard to the scheme for the distribution of fruit and vegetables, bananas and milk in educational establishments to make it compulsory that these products are all organic and to promote local, regional and short supply chain purchasing. They also call on the Commission to use the common agricultural policy (CAP) to increase ways for farmers to convert to and remain in organic farming and to work towards that end with the member states in implementing the CAP.
If, over a period of three months from the date of its entry in the register, a statement gathers the signatures of the majority of MEPs, it is published in the minutes and sent to the European Union institutions named in the text, with the names of the signatories. Written statements are not, however, binding on the Parliament. In other words, they cannot be considered an act of the European Parliament that represents its position, but merely an act representing the position of those who drafted and signed it. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)