The EU legislative framework for a sustainable food system

The document outlines recommendations for a proposed EU legislative framework for a sustainable food system, emphasizing the need for binding targets, corporate due diligence, and mandatory sustainable public procurement to address the food system's contributions to climate change and biodiversity loss.

• The proposed FSFS should be an 'umbrella law' that establishes a legal definition of a 'Sustainable EU food system' as one that operates within planetary boundaries and ensures safe, nutritious food for present and future generations without harming people outside the EU.
• The framework must include two primary objectives: guaranteeing access to healthy and sustainable food and ensuring the EU food system operates within planetary boundaries, supported by legally binding, time-bound targets.
• To ensure policy coherence, the European Commission should be required to review the consistency of existing laws, such as the Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy, with the FSFS objectives every five years.
• The briefing recommends that 'middle of the chain' actors (processors, wholesalers, retailers, and food service businesses) be subject to binding legal obligations and due diligence to mitigate adverse impacts in the food value chain.
• The document argues against relying solely on the 'Do no significant harm' (DNSH) principle for minimum sustainability requirements, suggesting instead a threshold of 'non-negligible' harm to drive a 'race to the top'.
• Public procurement, which represents 14-16% of EU GDP, should be transitioned from a voluntary to a mandatory sustainable model, requiring contracting authorities to purchase products meeting 'core' EU Green Public Procurement (GPP) criteria.
• The FSFS should empower the public through guaranteed access to information via a free online database, participation in national food plan decision-making, and access to effective judicial remedies.
• The briefing proposes a right to compensation for individuals who suffer material or non-material damages due to breaches of the FSFS, including the right for NGOs to bring collective actions.
• The document identifies a political risk where 'food security' discourse is used as a 'scientifically flawed' justification to delay environmental policies and protect private industry interests.

APA

Kolpak, G., Lisi, G., Fiorilli, L., Popirtaru, M., Rice, M., & Marchais, Q. (2023). The EU legislative framework for a sustainable food system. ClientEarth. https://www.clientearth.org/media/g12pjcjb/clientearth_the-eu-legislative-framework-for-a-sustainable-food-system-september-2023.pdf

Chicago

Kolpak, Gabriela, Gaia Lisi, Lorenzo Fiorilli, Madalina Popirtaru, Michael Rice, and Quentin Marchais. The EU legislative framework for a sustainable food system. ClientEarth, 2023. https://www.clientearth.org/media/g12pjcjb/clientearth_the-eu-legislative-framework-for-a-sustainable-food-system-september-2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kolpak |first1=Gabriela |last2=Lisi |first2=Gaia |last3=Fiorilli |first3=Lorenzo |last4=Popirtaru |first4=Madalina |last5=Rice |first5=Michael |last6=Marchais |first6=Quentin |title=The EU legislative framework for a sustainable food system |publisher=ClientEarth |date=September 2023 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/g12pjcjb/clientearth_the-eu-legislative-framework-for-a-sustainable-food-system-september-2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kolpak2023legislative, author = {Kolpak, Gabriela and Lisi, Gaia and Fiorilli, Lorenzo and Popirtaru, Madalina and Rice, Michael and Marchais, Quentin}, title = {{The EU legislative framework for a sustainable food system}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/g12pjcjb/clientearth_the-eu-legislative-framework-for-a-sustainable-food-system-september-2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }