RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL AND OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL of 3 December 1990 concerning an action programme on nutrition and health (90/C 329/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Considering that proper, balanced eating habits, combined with other factors, efficiently prevent a series of diseases which are currently the main causes of death and morbidity in Europe; Considering that, although the nutritional situation varies greatly between different Community Member States, between different regions of one and the same State and between different groups of people in the same region, there are still problems linked with both excessive consumption of food and imbalances in the intake of the various nutrients; Considering the importance of looking at nutritional aspects in relation to various physiological states such as those peculiar to pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, adolescents and the elderly; Considering that access to sufficient quantities of healthy food is a determining factor for human health; Considering the existing high level of protection as regards the wholesomeness of food and drink and the general availability of good-quality food on the Community market; Considering that the Community has dealt on various occasions with nutritional problems and related measures in sectoral contexts, such as the fight against cancer (resolution of 7 July 1986 (1), Decision of 21 June 1988 (2) and Decision of 17 May 1990 (3) or alcohol abuse and the problems of young people (resolution of 29 May 1986 (4) and conclusions of 17 May 1990) or health education (resolution of 23 November 1988 (5)), but has not given overall consideration to aspects of nutritional education and consumer information taken as a whole with the aim of promoting eating habits in keeping with individual needs; Considering that, on the basis of the above, it is clearly important to find more effective ways of providing all Community citizens with the vital knowledge and education which will enable them, within the framework of their lifestyle, to make the necessary choices for ensuring appropriate nutrition in keeping with individual needs; Considering that these advances require active support not only from governments and parliaments but also from society as a whole; Considering that it is important to organize and promote a programme of events and activities aimed primarily at increasing public awareness of the role of a proper diet in maintaining health, Invite the Commission to submit to the Council a proposal for an action programme, together with the budget proposals necessary under the usual procedures, which provides in particular that 1994 will be 'European Nutrition Year`. When drafting this programme, the Commission is invited to use as a basis the aims and guidelines set out in the Annex. Invite the competent authorities in the Member States to take appropriate measures, on the basis of any decisions taken by the Council, to carry out the programme, and to set up the necessary coordination arrangements. Recommend that Community activities in this sector be conducted while taking into account the activities of the WHO and FAO and, as far as possible, in cooperation with them. Invite the Commission to call meetings of senior officials appointed by the competent national authorities on a regular basis at least every two years from 1992 onwards to evaluate progress in the programmes on nutritional education and consumer information. Ask the Commission to keep the Council regularly informed of progress and to submit a final report to the Council on the work done. (1) OJ No C 184, 23. 7. 1986, p. 19.

(2) OJ No L 160, 28. 6. 1988, p. 52.

(3) OJ No L 137, 30. 5. 1990, p. 31.

(4) OJ No C 184, 23. 7. 1986, p. 3.

(5) OJ No C 3, 5. 1. 1989, p. 1.

ANNEX

OBJECTIVES AND GUIDELINES FOR THE ACTION PROGRAMME ON NUTRITION AND HEALTH

1. OBJECTIVES The objectives of the action programme are: (a) to disseminate knowledge about the decisive role for health and well-being of a correct diet in relation to various diseases and risk factors; (b)to disseminate knowledge about the serious public health problems and social evils associated with alcohol abuse; (c)to prepare and disseminate information and recommendations promoting eating habits which, while reflecting each community's own traditions and habits, help to promote good health and enable everyone to adopt eating habits suited to his/her personal physiology; (d)to promote consumer understanding of the type of information given on labels for general and nutritional purposes and of the ways in which such information can be used to protect one's health; (e)to foster awareness among those concerned of the need to observe the rules of hygiene throughout the various stages of the food cycle, i.e. during agricultural and industrial production, storage, transport, wholesale and retail sale and the preparation of food in the home; (f)to encourage to a greater extent consideration of nutritional and health aspects in the measures in the various relevant sectors of the Community and its Member States; (g)to promote studies and investigations, in close coordination with the Community medical research programme, including epidemiological research, into the relationships between nutrition and disease or risk factors and the best ways of protecting health and preventing disease by means of a sensible and balanced diet; (h)to disseminate knowledge about the important results which European policies in the nutrition sector have obtained to date. 2. MEASURES TO BE TAKEN From a Community angle, and in order to achieve the objectives set out in Section 1, the Community and the Member States, according to their respective competences will take the following measures, acting in close cooperation: (a) European Nutrition Year Decision to declare and implement a European Nutrition Year, in 1994. (b)General measures to heighten awareness Activities focused on a limited number of aspects geared to different sectors of society, particularly to schools and scientific and industrial circles and mass catering as well as to typically national, regional or local aspects. Such activities will include, amongst others, information programmes via television, radio and the press as well as conferences and the distribution of educational and informative material and, possibly, prizes. (c)Pilot projects on nutrition Ad hoc projects aimed at improving the nutritional standards of select groups of people at risk and the nutritional quality of food and at assessing the levels currently achieved in the Community. Such projects will be directed, inter alia, at the methods of disseminating such knowledge. (d)Research and studies Research and studies on nutrition and health and in particular on: - factors affecting choice of food by consumers and the effect of foods on metabolic rates, -the consequences of changes in eating habits, -the consequences of rapid changes in methods of food manufacture, preservation and distribution, -the formulation of information for consumers, -studies on eating habits in the various regions of the Community. (e)Work of the Scientific Committee for Food Stepping up and diversifying the work of the Scientific Committee for Food in the nutritional field and, if need be, examination of setting up a Scientific Committee for Nutrition, attached to the Commission.