Foodlaw-Reading
Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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Commission Press Release, 23 October 2023
Chair, Ministers, Colleagues,
I welcome today's opportunity to present to you a very important proposal, which we adopted in July: an amendment to the Waste Framework Directive that focuses on more circular and sustainable management of textile waste, and on the subject of today's discussion: food waste reduction.
We are all very aware that we live in a world where too many people are today struggling to feed themselves and their families. At the same time, we use up valuable resources to produce food that we end up throwing away.
Food waste is known to be one of the largest sources of inefficiency in the agri-food chain. It places an unnecessary burden on already limited natural resources, such as land and water. And it has a negative environmental and climate impact, accounting for 16% of all greenhouse gas emissions from the EU food system. Obligations under the current Waste Framework Directive require Member States to take action on food waste. However in spite of this, we are not yet on a credible path to reaching Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3 of halving global food waste at retail and consumption level by 2030.
In data that was published by Eurostat on 29 September, we saw that despite the political commitments and measures to date, the amount of food waste generated across the EU in 2020 and 2021 remains relatively unchanged.
We need more ambitious measures. We issued a proposal setting up binding food waste reduction targets for Member States to achieve by 2030, to ensure a sufficient and consistent response from all Member States. We have put forward a pragmatic and step-wise approach towards Target 12.3 so that, by 2030, we reduce our food waste:
The proposal adapts food waste prevention programmes to meet the targets and allows us to track our progress. By the end of 2027, we will review the progress made, and may adjust the EU's ambition leading up to and beyond 2030.
Ministers,
Food waste is clearly a sign that something is not right and can be improved in our food system. We need to take ambitious actions, and we need to take them now.
We proposed targets to provide impetus for Member States to these actions – deploying the most effective measures, always tailored to your national situations. We will continue to support you in these efforts, in particular through the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste.
I am looking forward to stepping up our action now, and this has been highlighted by the Citizens' Panel, which is urging us to do so.
Thank you, and I look forward to listening to your interventions.
