7 Promotion of healthy diets and physical
exercise
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9838/07
COM(07) 279
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+ ADD 2
| Commission White Paper: A strategy for Europe on nutrition, overweight and obesity related health issues
Commission staff working document: impact assessment
Summary of impact assessment
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| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 30 May 2007
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| Deposited in Parliament | 11 June 2007
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| Department | Health |
| Basis of consideration | EM of 18 June 2007
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| To be discussed in Council | No date set
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Cleared
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Background
7.1 In 2006, we considered the Commission's Green Paper on promoting
healthy diets and physical exercise.[25]
It outlined the links between, on the one hand, poor diet, lack
of physical exercise and obesity and, on the other hand, the incidence
of serious illness, substantial public expenditure on health care
and lost economic production. It suggested that preventing excessive
weight calls for action cutting across Community policies on,
for example, agriculture, fisheries, education, sport, consumer
protection, research and the environment. The Commission invited
view on a wide range of questions.
The White Paper
7.2 The Commission says that the purpose of the White Paper is
to contribute to reducing ill health caused by poor nutrition,
overweight and obesity. It builds on the Green Paper and the responses
to it.
7.3 The Commission recognises that Member States
have the principal responsibility for improving public health
through diet and exercise. But Article 152 of the EC Treaty requires
the Community to encourage cooperation between Member States to
improve public health and prevent disease. It also authorises
the Community, where necessary, to support Member States' action
and complement it by, for example, promoting research and health
education. Moreover, the Community has competence, through its
responsibilities for the single market and the Common Agricultural
Policy, in such things as the labelling of foodstuffs, the authorisation
of health claims and promoting the consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Action by the Community in some cases may achieve results which
could not be achieved or not to the same extent by the individual
Member States acting alone (for example, persuading a multinational
company to reduce the salt content of food products it sells throughout
Europe).
7.4 The following are among the main points of the
White Paper:
- The Commission intends to develop
the activities of the EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical
Activity and Health. The Platform was set up in 2005 and brings
together representatives of industry, research bodies and non-governmental
organisations. The Commission suggests that similar Platforms
might be set up nationally and locally.
- In order to improve the dissemination of best
practice and the exchange of information between Member States,
the Commission will set up a High Level Group on nutrition and
physical exercise.
- The Commission is reviewing EC legislation of
labelling with a view to requiring producers to give consumers
better information about the nutrition of food and drink.
- The Commission's preference, at present, is for
self-regulation of advertising and marketing, including products
intended for children. It will review the position in 2010 and
take a view on whether other approaches are required.
- The Commission, working with Member States and
interested organisations, will promote education campaigns to
improve public awareness of the health problems caused by poor
nutrition and obesity.
- As part of the reform of the Common Market Organisation,
the Commission will promote the consumption of fruit and vegetables
by children.
- The Commission intends to commission a study
in 2008 of the potential for manufacturers to reformulate foods
so as to reduce the content of saturated fats, salt and sugar.
- The Commission will issue a White Paper containing
proposals to increase participation in sport.
- Health education and physical education are among
the priorities of the EC's Lifelong Learning Programme for 2007-13.
- This year the Commission will finance a study
of the relationship between obesity and socio-economic status.
- The Commission intends to use the EC's 7th
R&D Framework Programme to support research on consumer behaviour,
the impact of food on health, and ways to prevent obesity.
- The Commission will take action to improve the
collection, analysis and dissemination of consistent and comparable
statistics on diet and physical health.
The Government's view
7.5 The Minister of State for Public Health at the
Department of Health (Caroline Flint) tells us that England, Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland have already devised and published
strategies for action on healthy food and exercise which are consistent
with the Commission's White Paper. She says that:
"the UK has made important strides: towards
reducing salt in the diet through publicity campaigns and working
with food manufacturers and retailers; introducing a front of
pack signpost labelling approach to facilitate healthy eating
choices; and through OfCom's controls aimed at curbing TV advertising
and promotion of high fat, salt, sugar [sic] foods to children.
"It is important that other countries adopt
similar non-regulatory approaches especially in an increasingly
globalised market. The UK looks to contribute fully to exporting
best practice and to considering any methods adopted by others."
Conclusion
7.6 We recognise that the European Community can
make a useful contribution to the improvement of public health
through activities of the kind discussed in the Commission's White
Paper and we are content to clear it from scrutiny. We draw the
White Paper to the attention of the House because of the importance
of its subject.
25 (27111) 15700/05: see HC 34-xxi (2005-06), para
14 (8 March 2006). Back
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