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The EU, as one of the richest and most prosperous communities in the world, has a moral and political obligation
to reduce huge quantities of food wasted every year. Uneaten food left on plates or thrown out of fridges also
entails wasted water, soil, working hours, electricity, gasoline and other valuable and often limited resources.
As the Parliament’s rapporteur it is my intention to write an encompassing document that will address the
problem of food waste along the entire supply and consumption chain and explore political and practical means
and ways to reduce it.
Maintaining and improving food safety is my red line. I would not compromise food safety for the sake of
reducing food waste.
The problem of food waste is high on the political agenda of the EU. The Action Plan on Circular Economy is
progressing and should lay the ground work for coordinated European action. We need common definitions and
methodologies if the EU is to tackle the problem systematically.
But there are many other areas where the Union and Member States can act.
At the moment there are 52 EU legislative acts that have an impact, positive
or negative, on food waste: 29 regulations, 10 directives, 3 decisions, 10
communications and 1 resolution.
A few of them should be looked at to see if they are fit for purpose and some of
them need clarification and guidelines. The EU should, without compromising
current food safety standards, remove obstacles to reducing food waste and
increasing food donation.
Farmers, processors, retailers, the hospitality sector, consumers and all the other actors in the food chain have
a responsibility, proportionate to their contribution to the problem, to act.
The nature of the hospitality sector and the way it operates presents its share of challenges.
The operators are mostly SMEs and that entails a logistical difficulty in, for example, collecting of possible food
donations or repurposing of leftovers. Sharing of best practices and cooperation can help in tackling these
obstacles.
The framework agreement between HOTREC, METRO and FEBA is a great example of stakeholders acting and
taking responsibility in reducing food waste. Initiatives such as this should be promoted and encouraged as the
problem is multi-sectoral and partial action will yield partial results.
To conclude, I commend HOTREC and its members for their efforts in reducing food waste and conserving
resources. Every crumb that finds its way to a person in need instead of a waste bin takes us a step closer
towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3.
Biljana Borzan
Rapporteur for the European Parliament report “Initiative on resource efficiency: reducing food waste,
improving food safety”
FOREWORD BY MEP BORZAN
I commend HOTREC and its
Members for their efforts in
reducing food waste and
conserving resources
Biljana Borzan, MEP
European hospitality industry guidelines to reduce food waste and recommendations to manage food donations
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