Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-09-24-Speech-3-386"
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"en.20080924.34.3-386"2
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"Mr President, I very much welcome Parliament’s report in response to the Commission White Paper on nutrition, overweight and obesity-related health issues. In particular, allow me to congratulate Mr Alessandro Foglietta on his excellent work.
Complementary to the EU Platform, to date Public-Private Partnerships between governments and the private sector are reported in 17 EU Member States and I consider that this is going in the right direction.
In July, the high-level group met with the European Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health in order to discuss potential for synergies and partnerships, focusing in particular on salt reduction – the agreed initial priority for joint action with Member States.
This joint meeting was positive and I am certain that such gatherings involving both high-level officials from Member States and Platform members will increase the impact of actions taken both by government authorities and by Platform members in the future.
Let me also draw your attention to the Commission’s proposal last July to reserve EUR 90 million every year for the purchase and distribution of free fruit and vegetables to schools.
Turning the tide on obesity is one of the most important public health challenges we are faced with in Europe today.
I am grateful for your continued support and look forward to continuing dialogue with Parliament on how best to proceed so that the European Union can play its role to the full in addressing this issue.
I am happy to note that Parliament shares the Commission’s view that the obesity epidemic can only be halted by means of an integrated approach and that Parliament welcomes the Commission’s White Paper as an important step towards stemming the rise in obesity and overweight across Europe. I also take note of Parliament’s request for a number of further actions – including more regulatory measures – beyond those currently envisaged by the Commission.
The Commission will, in 2010, hold a first review of achievements against the objectives set out in the White Paper of 2007.
If monitoring shows that progress is not adequate, further actions, including a possible regulatory approach, will of course need to be considered.
With regard to the monitoring process, I wish to draw your attention to the important role being played by the World Health Organisation. We are working together in line with the conclusions of the WHO Ministerial Conference in Istanbul, with a focus on monitoring actions in Member States to implement both the Commission’s White Paper and the WHO strategy.
Finally, I wish to share with you today some of the most recent developments in the implementation of the strategy for Europe on nutrition, overweight and obesity-related health issues, which respond to some of the actions called for in your report.
As you know, to strengthen actions at the European level the Commission has to set up a high-level group focused on nutrition and physical-activity-related health issues. The group is ensuring the rapid exchange of ideas and practices between Member States, with an overview of all government policies.
Looking at the engagement of the stakeholders to date, the pan-European organisations, members of the European Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, are currently implementing more than 200 commitments in key areas such as product reformulation, labelling and responsible advertising.
Monitoring is ongoing and annual reports are publicly available on the Commission’s website."@en1
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