Foodstuffs

Small enterprises play a key role in this sector as around 80% of Europe’s food products are produced in SMEs. The UEAPME’s Working Group on Foodstuffs actively monitors the developments in the EU food legislation so as to ensure that the regulations affecting SMEs are fair, feasible and allow traditional SME food manufacturers to continue to produce food in traditional ways while ensuring consumer safety.

The Working Group on Foodstuffs consists of experts from UEAPME member associations who represent the small and medium sized enterprises involved in food producing and processing. At the moment 20 experts from 8 European Member states work together in this Working Group. They share opinions on proposals for directives and regulations from the European Commission and prepare joint positions for the European Commission and the Parliament.

You can download the document on the strategy and activities of the UEAPME Working Group on Foodstuffs in English, Italian or German.

UEAPME food letter

Please contact Ludger Fischer to be always up to date with the UEAPME Food Letter.

Watch our video: Policy for SMEs - UEAPME’s daily bread

Position papers

  08/10/2008: Detailed amendments the proposal for a regulation on the provision of food information to consumers COM(2008) 40 final

  05/08/2008: Updated UEAPME position on the proposal for a regulation on the provision of food information to consumers

  18/04/2008: UEAPME position on the proposal for a regulation on the provision of food information to consumers

  14/12/2007: UEAPME position on the European Commission’s Proposal for a Regulation on the Provision of Food Information to Consumers

  06/08/2007: UEAPME position on the Recommendation from the Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits for Flour Dust (SCOEL) of March 2007

  10/05/2007: UEAPME position on the Draft Instrument 7371/07 and ADDS 1-4 of 14 March 2007 "Food Safety: Risk-Based ‘HACCP’ Requirement for Micro-Businesses"

  18/10/2006: Position Paper on Labelling Requirements

  15/10/2006: Position Paper on Obesity

  15/06/2006: Response to DG SANCO’s consultative document of February 2006 "Labelling: competitiveness, consumer information and better regulation for the EU"

  01/03/2005: UEAPME’s position paper on the proposed Regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods

  01/01/2004: UEAPME position paper on the proposal for a regulation on Nutrition, Functional and Health claims made on foods COM (2003) 424 - EN

  01/01/2004: UEAPME position paper on the proposal for a regulation on Nutrition, Functional and Health claims made on foods COM (2003) 424 - DE

Press releases

  16/06/2006: Simplified food labelling rules would serve consumers and producers alike

  17/05/2006: New rules on health claims: good for consumers, good for SMEs?

  28/03/2006: Health Claims: much remains to be done after Parliament’s Committee vote

  28/03/2006: Gesundheitsbezogene Angaben auf Lebensmitteln: Es bleibt noch viel zu tun nach der Abstimmung im Umweltausschuss

  17/12/2004: Food safety: UEAPME welcomes SME-friendly initiatives regarding traceability requirements and hygiene requirements

  14/01/2004: UEAPME denounces Commission’s Proposal on Health Claims on Food as excessive and unfeasible for SMEs

  14/01/2004: L’ UEAPME juge la proposition de la Commission sur les allégations nutritionnelles et de santé portant sur les denrées alimentaires excessive et irréalisable pour les PME

  19/06/2003: Small Businessess and foodstuffs: MEPs join UEAPME’s call against compulsory documentation in artisanal food production process

  19/06/2003: Kleinbetriebe und Lebensmittel: Europa-Parlamentarier unterstützen die Forderung der UEAPME, auf eine vollständige Dokumentation im handwerklichen Lebensmittelbetrieb zu verzichten

  03/06/2003: Foodstuff legislation: UEAPME welcomes Commissioner Byrne consideration for small and micro food producers

  04/06/2003: Lebensmittelgesetzgebung: UEAPME begrüßt die Beachtung von kleinen und kleinsten Lebensmittelherstellern durch Kommissar Byrne

  10/02/2003: Food and feed controls: Commission includes SMEs concerns in new proposal

Key EU documents

In order to assist Member States and food business operators to better understand the new food hygiene rules, the following documents were prepared by the European Commission:

 Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety: EN; DE; FR; IT

 Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs: EN; DE; FR; IT

 Guidance document on the implementation of certain provisions of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs: EN; DE; FR; IT

 Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 on the hygiene of food of animal origin: EN; DE; FR; IT

 Guidance document on the implementation of certain provisions of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 on the hygiene of food of animal origin: EN; DE; FR; IT

 Guidance document on the implementation of procedures based on the HACCP principles, and on the facilitation of the implementation of the HACCP principles in certain food businesses: EN; DE; FR; IT

  Directive 90/496/EEC on Nutrition Labelling for Foodstuffs: Discussion Paper on Revision of Technical Issues (see UEAPME response above)