COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS EU Participation at the World Expo 2015 in Milan "Feeding the Planet: Energy for Life"
Date: 2013-05-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Italy, cultural event, sustainable agriculture, sustainable development

EUROPEAN 
COMMISSION 

Brussels, 3.5.2013  
COM(2013) 255 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

EU Participation at the World Expo 2015 in Milan "Feeding the Planet: Energy for 
Life" 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

EU Participation at the World Expo 2015 in Milan "Feeding the Planet: Energy for 
Life" 

1. Introduction and context 

The World Expo 2015 will take place in Milan from 1 May to 31 October 2015 on the theme 
"Feeding  the  Planet:  Energy  for  Life".  This  edition  of  the  Expo  is  meant  to  become  a 
milestone of planetary  debate on  food and  sustainability and will be a platform for political 
discussions and policy initiatives on these issues. Over 120 countries have already confirmed 
their participation, attesting to the significant commitment generated by this event. 

A  total  of  20  million  visitors  are  expected,  offering  a  valuable  opportunity  to  inform  and 
communicate with European (and International) citizens on the critical topics brought forward 
by  the  Expo.  In  parallel  a  "cyber  Expo"  targeting  1  billion  Internet  users  will  be  deployed, 
further increasing the scope for impact.  

Expos  have  always  been  major  international  events  in  which  countries,  private  stakeholders 
and  organisations  present  and  promote  their  identity,  their  policies  and  achievements  in 
relation to Expo themes. But more than just a cultural event, this edition of the Expo will also 
be  political  as  countries  and  international  organisations  come  together  to  discuss  the  ever-
growing issues of food and sustainability. The EU should therefore aim to establish its role as 
a  key  player  in  this  global  debate  and  take  this  opportunity  to  work  towards  fruitful 
collaboration on these matters with other stakeholders, both public and private. 

The European institutions have so far actively participated in all previous editions of the Expo 
which  took  place  in  the  EU  and  in  most  of  those  organised  overseas.  Furthermore,  reports 
from  previous  EU  participation  show  that  such  an  event  can  have  an  important  impact  on 
citizens' perception of and attitude to the EU. 

On the basis of these considerations the Commission has been actively investigating options 
for  participation.  This  Communication,  which  is  based  on  extensive  analysis  of  past  Expos, 
sets out the planned objectives, practical considerations and suggested approaches to optimise 
the  EU's  participation  in  Expo  Milan  in  close  partnership  between  the  Commission,  the 
European Parliament and other interested EU institutions.  

2. Objectives and benefits of EU participation 

Communication 

With the potential to reach millions of visitors, the Expo offers the occasion to communicate 
key  EU  achievements  in  the  fields  of  food  and  sustainability.  The  timing  of  the  event 
coincides with the closing year of the Millennium Development Goals and the beginning of a 
post-2015  framework  that  will  address  also  the  Sustainable  Development  Goals.  The  EU's 
contribution  and  successes  in  achieving  these  goals  should  be  highlighted  and,  in  parallel, 
what the EU sees as being the challenges ahead and how the EU is prepared to tackle them. 

Furthermore,  2015  will  be  the  midpoint  of  the  implementation  of  the  Europe  2020  Strategy 
and the Expo will be the ideal occasion to showcase the interim results of the Strategy in the 
areas relevant to the Expo, including what the Member States acting together have been able 

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to  achieve,  and  communicate  the  objectives  for  the  second  half  of  Europe  2020,  hereby 
promoting positive reception and understanding of EU policies.  

An  initiative  to  nominate  2015  as  the  European  Year  for  Development  Cooperation  is  also 
currently underway. Should it be successful, the Expo would be an excellent communication 
platform.  

The EU should primarily seek to communicate one clear and accessible message through its 
physical space encompassing the common aims of relevant EU institutions in the domains of 
food and sustainability. In addition, the participating EU institutions should delve deeper into 
more specific and contentious issues through the organisation of conferences and events. 

Policy Development 

The  Expo  will  be  the  ideal  opportunity  for  an  open  and  forward-looking  exchange  with 
citizens,  with  a  great  potential  for  future  policy  development.  Indeed,  more  than  being  just 
informative,  EU  participation  should  aim  towards  interaction  with  the  visitors  and  be  an 
occasion for discussion. Some relevant questions which would stimulate the visitors would be 
identified beforehand and tested on focus groups. 

Moreover, in order to further strengthen the impact of the Expo as an impetus for progress and 
a solution-finding step in the domains of "food security", "food safety", "sustainability" and 
"food,  peace  and  culture",  the  organisers  have  created  a  Strategy  Document,  which  was 
distributed  by  the  Expo  2015  Commissioner  General  to  the  country  representatives  on 
10.10.20121.  

This  document  is  a  living  document  aiming  on  the  one  hand  to  lead  to  the  publication  of  a 
manifesto  to  be  signed  by  the  visitors  to  engage  them  on  a  personal  level  and  on  the  other 
hand  to  serve  as  an  opportunity  for  a  policy  get  together  to  move  the  political  agenda.  All 
participants  will  contribute  to  this  living  document  in  the  run  up  to  the  Expo  and  the 
Commission will provide its reply to the first draft of the Strategy Document in the course of 
2013. 

Education 

As well as being worldwide issues, the four topics given in the Strategy Document are also 
critical to many EU policies and affect the life of EU citizens on a daily basis. Indeed, these 
issues  are  far  reaching:  whilst  food  security,  with  hunger  and  under-nutrition,  is  a  crucial 
issue,  particularly  in  developing  countries,  there  is  also  the  growing  matter  in  Europe  of 
increasing obesity and diseases linked to over-consumption or ill-informed food choices.  

Food safety has become in the last fifteen years a central element of the EU policies in this 
area and the basis of a real model for the rest of the world; the EU approach to food is at the 
same  time  the  precondition  to  guarantee  the  safety  of  its  citizens  and  consumers  and  the 
milestone on which is based the reputation and success of the EU food industry worldwide. 
Sustainability is an issue of increasing importance to EU citizens as well as globally, as it is 
becoming  ever  more  important  to  use  resources  more  efficiently  to  ensure  the  prosperity  of 
future  generations  and  limit  the  impact  on  the  environment,  preserving  already  constrained 
natural resources. With this in mind, EU participation should also aim to be educative and not 
only raise awareness but also present visitors with solution-based approaches in the areas of 
food and sustainability, empowering citizens to make positive lifestyle changes for example 
by reducing food waste and making healthier food choices. 

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http://www.padiglioneitaliaexpo2015.com/RLExpoImpaginatocompleto.pdf 

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3. Practical considerations 

The Exhibition site area is located northwest of Milan and will cover 1.1 million m². The area 
of the Expo site will have a hosting capacity of 140 000 visitors per day and will be developed 
along two perpendicular axes, the "Decumanus" (1.5 km) where some 70 self-built exhibition 
spaces are located, and the "Cardus" (350 m) reserved for the Italian exhibitors.  

The  Expo  is  being  constructed  as  a  smart  city,  built  with  innovative  design  and  the  most 
advanced  technologies  for  full  interactivity  (e.g.  by  using  augmented  reality  and  social 
networking), eco-design, smart mobility, queue managing techniques, energy efficiency, and 
waste minimisation and recycling. In order to ensure coherence, the design and construction 
of the different buildings will follow strongly harmonised rules.  

In order to have a significant impact, ensure continuous interaction and communication with 
the  visitors  throughout  the  event  and  strengthen  the  image  of  the  EU  as  a  global  political 
player,  it  would  be  optimum  to  have  a  physical  presence  for  the  EU  for  the  duration  of  the 
Expo.  

The Italian organisers have offered a prime space for the EU within the Italian Pavilion in the 
Cardus  area  in  front  of  the  Palazzo  Italia  and  by  the  Lake  Arena  where  major  institutional, 
cultural and recreational events will be held. As it will be the most visited area of the Expo, 
this should further maximise the impact of a dedicated EU space. 

The total space provisionally reserved for the EU is 1500 m², which would be constituted of a 
3-story building, the first floor reserved as an exhibition space, the second floor for meeting 
rooms  and  conference  rooms  and  the  third  floor  for  an  open  air  terrace.  The  proximity  to 
Palazzo  Italia,  which  will  include  a  conference  centre  available  also  for  EU  events,  would 
allow limiting space requirements and costs.  

The presence of the EU in the Cardus area could be accompanied by a more widespread on-
site presence which could make use of digital technologies of communication. This could also 
be the basis to create interaction and synergies with the Cyber-expo and its expected 1 billion 
cyber-visitors.  In  this  respect,  due  to  its  highly  innovative  and  technological  profile,  Expo 
2015 will be radically different from all the previous World Expos: visitors will fully master 
and  pre-arrange  their  visit  and  experience  through  the  use  of  websites,  apps  and  smart 
technologies. It will thus be essential to design new smart ways to interact and attract visitors, 
within and outside the EU space.  

Budget 

In consideration of the current budget constraints, it is envisaged that the EU participates in 
the Expo Milan within a limited physical space of 1500 m², which is half the size of the space 
used in Expo Hanover2 with a view to limiting the associated costs.  

The physical presence reserved by the Italian organisers for the EU institutions would require 
a  core  budget  of  about  EUR  10  million  spread  over  the  years  2014  and  2015.  Given  the 
Expo's focus on agriculture and sustainability the baseline resources will be drawn from the 
relevant budget heading. Additional resources will be mobilised in 2015 for the organisation 
of thematic events and exhibitions in the frame of existing or planned budget.  

4. Preliminary proposals for EU participation 

It will be crucial to have a simple EU message, emphasising the key role played by the EU in 
the food area. We can learn from previous Expos that citizens visit several pavilions, spending 
very little time in each one, and will remember a few key ideas only. It must also be noted that 

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In the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, the EU was hosted by Belgium within its pavilion.  

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this message will have to be thought out with the view that there might be a shift from current 
concerns between now and 2015. This message will also have to be receivable by 'the man in 
the street' and should ideally be tested on focus groups prior to the Expo. 

Within the context of this message and through the organisation of events by the DGs, several 
examples  of  EU  initiatives  and  policies  in  the  domains  of  food  and  sustainability  could  be 
explored, such as the following: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

The  Expo  themes  are  primarily  directed  to  agriculture,  a  sector  in  which  the  EU, 
most  notably  through  the  CAP  but  also  through  many  other  policies,  is  extremely 
active. For example, it would be an interesting test case to follow up on the outcome 
of  the  International  Year  of  Family  Farming  (2014)  and  look  in  detail  at  the 
agricultural  cooperative  movement,  with  a  clear  focus  on  institution  building  in 
developing countries, especially Africa.  

Food  represents  a  building  block  of  the  EU  economy:  the  EU  is  the  biggest  world 
exporter in the field and the EU food industry is its largest manufacturing industry, 
generating an annual turnover of almost EUR 1 trillion and employing more than 4 
million people.  The  active presence  of the EU in the Expo will be crucial to shape 
policy  debate  and  possible  strategies  for  the  future  of  this  area  and  by  doing  so  to 
further promote industrial competitiveness and export. 

The  EU  is  the  largest  development  aid  donor  worldwide  and  this  will  be  the 
opportunity to show European citizens and the world the extent of EU actions in the 
domain  of  food  and  nutrition  security  in  the  most  vulnerable  regions  of  the  world. 
Still  within  the  context  of  food  security,  a  particular  focus  of  the  Expo  will  be  the 
issue of food waste. Indeed, whilst hunger is still a critical global problem, especially 
in developing countries, 40% of the food produced for human consumption is wasted 
annually  around  the  world.  The  EU  is  leading  the  way  in  the  commitment  in  this 
field and aims to halve the disposal of edible food waste by 2020. Specific work in 
this direction has already started with the direct involvement of stakeholders and the 
Expo will be the opportunity to show results and communicate best practice. 

Food is part of our common and diversified cultural heritage, a worldwide symbol of 
the "EU way of life". This is partly the result of the policies put in place by the EU in 
the  crucial  fields  of  food  safety  and  food  quality.  Particularly  with  regards  to  food 
safety,  the  EU,  with  its  science-based  approach  founded  on  the  clear  separation 
between risk assessment and risk management, is acknowledged as being a model for 
the rest of the world. Regarding food quality, this is becoming increasingly important 
in today's health conscious society and in view of the ever clearer link between food 
and  health.  Once  again  the  EU  is  at  the  forefront  of  the  discussion  in  this  field, 
promoting, both in terms of education and policy development, healthy standards in 
the field of nutrition, based on the parallel track of stakeholders' active commitment 
and consumers' information.  

The  issue  of  environmental  sustainability  which  is  becoming  a  worldwide  priority 
and  a  growing  concern  in  our  society  is  intrinsically  linked  with  the  topic  of  food. 
EU  achievements  in  the  sector  of  sustainable  energy,  in  particular  for  efficient  use 
and sustainable production of energy should also be emphasised. In this context, the 
impacts of the "Sustainable Energy for All" initiative launched in 2012 on the Expo 
themes could be explored. 

Finally,  the  Expo  would  be  the  ideal  opportunity  to  build  on  EU  activities  and 
achievements  in  the  field  of  research  and  innovation,  for  instance  by  showcasing 

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results from important R&D projects supported by the EU Framework Programmes 
which  are  relevant  to  the  future  of  food  and  agriculture,  also  in  the  context  of  the 
Expo scientific programme.  

Expo and Cultural and Scientific Events 

The Expo will be an exceptional occasion for participants to organise cultural and scientific 
events  (conferences,  seminars,  temporary  exhibitions  etc.)  to  further  bring  forward  key  EU 
messages, better communicate and stimulate exchange with citizens. These events will require 
long-term  planning  in  order  to  manage  budget  and  workload  constraints  and  to  maximise 
impact. 

In addition to this, relevant events that are already scheduled for 2015 could be set up in Expo 
Milan rather than at another location.  

With regards to scientific events, the European Commission (Joint Research Centre)’s site of 
Ispra  is  located  just  60  km  from  the  Expo  site  and  hosts  several  experimental  laboratories, 
including the EU reference laboratories for Food Contact Materials and GM Food and Feed. 
The  Joint  Research  Centre  (JRC)  is  also  carrying  out  research  activities  which  are  closely 
related to the theme, such as on water management, climate change, land use, desertification, 
biofuels, etc. In preparation for the Expo, the JRC is currently building a new visitors' centre 
that  would  be  able  to  host  a  larger  number  of  visitors.  The  JRC  will  offer  its  support  and 
infrastructure to other institutions who may wish to organise expert events in Ispra back-to-
back to other events in the Expo. Regular shuttles may be organised for interested experts and 
researchers who wish to visit the JRC site in Ispra.  

5. Conclusions and steps to be taken 

Expo Milan 2015 represents a unique opportunity for the EU to reinforce its role as a global 
actor in the development of future initiatives on food and sustainability, to communicate with 
its citizens and to convey past achievements and future objectives to its citizens. In order to 
maximise  the  impact,  it  is  appropriate  for  the  EU  to  have  its  own  space  for  maximum 
visibility. This space has been offered by and should be rented from the Italian organisers. 

To  ensure  high  value  for  money,  the  preparation  of  EU  participation  should  start  early  and 
take  into  account  current  budget  constraints.  In  view  of  these  constraints,  the  Commission 
proposes  to  limit  the  EU's  physical  presence  to  half  of  the  space  used  in  the  last  European 
Expo  in  Hanover  in  2000.  This  will  require  a  core  budget  of  about  EUR  10  million  spread 
over the years 2014 and 2015. Additional resources will need to be mobilised in 2015 for the 
organisation of thematic events and exhibitions in the frame of existing or planned budget. 

The  Commission  invites  the  Parliament  and  other  interested  EU  institutions  to  join  in  close 
partnership  with  the  Commission  in  order  to  maximise  the  benefits  from  the  Expo  by 
presenting a common EU approach and coherent policy messages to the public.  

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