Policy
Diversity and freedom of choice for individual consumers
The German food sector's expectation of the EU Institutions from 2019 to 2024
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This consumer image must continue to be the benchmark as it ensures an appropriate balance between State-sovereign protection against deception and misleading and co-responsibility, self-determination and sovereignty of the consumers and their decisions. It is important that these are always informed, conscious and free decisions. In order for consumers to be able to make informed choices, they need sufficient information and understanding to be able to classify them. The central building block of independent consumers capable of judgment is therefore transparency and education. Consumer guidance through measures such as special taxes on fat or sugar or prescribed recipes would lead to a fictitious freedom of choice.
Example: focus on competition and innovation
The greatest strength of the German and European food industry is its predominantly medium-sized structure and the existence of numerous family businesses. Numerous competitors ensure competition that works and that secures the variety of the 170,000 products on offer at affordable prices. This structure is successful because it helps companies to profile, establish, and compete with innovative products, manufacturing processes, and services. Therefore, the German food sector also relies on the principle of voluntariness, e.g., in the reduction and innovation strategy or in the application and labelling of product properties (designation of origin, coloured nutrition labelling systems), so that individual companies can distinguish themselves from others with their special offers.
What else does the German food sector expect from the Institutions and the Member States of the European Union in the legislative period until 2024? Click here for the overview.
