News
27 Apr 2021

Packaging is an essential component of the EU food supply chain

Ensuring access to safe and sustainable food for all is high on the global agenda, but also on ours!

This year, in a bid to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and promote sufficient quantities of food and healthy diets for all, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will host the UN Food Systems Summit in September 2021, to which EUROPEN will participate.

Similarly, the European Commission has made a “healthier and more sustainable EU food system” a cornerstone of the European Green Deal with its Farm to Fork Strategy, published in May 2020. This strategy contains different measures relevant to the packaging value chain, including the development of a contingency plan to ensure the EU food supply and food security is maintained in the event of a crisis.

EUROPEN is engaged in the development of this contingency plan: packaging plays an essential role in the delivery of essential goods, it enables the safety, accessibility, affordability and availability of food supplies across the EU. The COVID-19 crisis demonstrated the intrinsic role of packaging within the food supply chain. Packaging prevents spoilage and food waste by protecting food products and enabling these to remain fresh and safe for consumers longer. This function becomes even more important during emergency situations when, as an example, delays in shipping are incurred.

WHAT’S NEXT?

  • 3 May 2021: The European Commission is conducting a targeted stakeholder consultation on the EU food contingency plan until 3 May 2021.
  • Q2 2021: As part of the Farm to Fork Strategy, the European Commission will develop an EU code and monitoring framework for responsible business and marketing conduct in the food supply chain
  • Q4 2021: Expected publication of the European Commission’s EU food supply and food security contingency plan
  • Q4 2022: As part of the Farm to Fork Strategy, the European Commission will publish a proposal for a revision of EU legislation on Food Contact Materials