EU actions against food waste

The European Commission is taking the issue of tackling food waste very seriously. Reducing food waste has enormous potential for reducing the resources we use to produce the food we eat. Being more efficient will save food for human consumption, save money and lower the environmental impact of food production and consumption.

The EU is committed to meeting the Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3  to halve per capita food waste at the retail and consumer level by 2030, and reduce food losses along the food production and supply chains.

In 2020, the German Presidency to the Council of the European Union assessed progress made by Member States and the EU in their work to prevent and reduce food losses and food waste, as compared to the Council conclusions on food loss and waste (adopted in 2016). The Council’s assessment highlighted milestones achieved at EU level, as well as measures taken by Member States, such as the development of national strategies, adoption of legislative and non-legislative initiatives and consumer awareness campaigns. The assessment also addressed activities undertaken to mitigate risks of food waste linked to COVID-19. Further information can be found on the Council’s dedicated page.

As called for by the new Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission will seek to step up action to prevent food loss and waste across the EU. The Farm to Fork Strategy, adopted by the Commission as part of the European Green Deal, puts forward a series of actions to enable the transition to a sustainable EU food system that safeguards food security and ensures access to healthy diets sourced from a healthy planet.

Reducing food loss and waste is an integral part of the strategy’s Action Plan. The Commission will propose:

• legally binding targets to reduce food waste across the EU, by end 2023, defined against a baseline for EU food waste levels set following the first EU-wide monitoring of food waste levels
• a revision of EU rules on date marking (‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates).

The Commission will also further integrate food loss and waste prevention in other EU policies, investigate and explore ways of preventing food losses at the production stage, and continue to mobilise all players by encouraging implementation of the recommendations for action of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste.

Through the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste, the Commission is discussing in close cooperation with industry, consumer and other NGOs, research institutes and EU countries policy experts how to reduce food loss and waste. without compromising food safety, while also discussing options for possible EU actions. Prior to the establishment of the EU Platform, cooperation had been facilitated through the EU countries Expert Group and a stakeholder Working Group on Food Losses and Food Waste.

In 2014, the Commission established a dedicated Working Group, with experts from Member States, to facilitate the sharing of learning and best practice in food waste prevention. In particular, the working group was set up to help the Commission and Member States to remove, wherever possible, any regulatory barriers or grey zones, existing either at EU or national level, which lead to food waste whilst ensuring safety of food and feed, as well as protection of animal health.

While this expert group may discuss and recommend policy options, it is the relevant working groups of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (or other regulatory committees) which would consider these issues further, in their respective areas of competence.

Following the establishment of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste in 2016, Member States have been invited to participate in this multi-stakeholder forum in order to facilitate the exchange of experience, learning and best practices and to accelerate the EU's progress towards the SDG target 12.3. The Member States expert group still supports the Commission in preparation of legislation and policy initiatives that concern EU Member States.

Since 2022, the Commission has awarded over €11.5 million in action grants under the Single Market Programme, to help Member States and stakeholders improve food waste measurement and prevention initiatives, in collaboration with the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). This includes three sets of grants, the first aimed at national competent authorities, the second towards private and public stakeholders, and the third is an action grant to support the activities of the European Food Banks Federation.

Through the Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programme, the Commission funded 12 projects aimed at the research and development of innovative solutions to tackle food waste across the EU and beyond. For example, €55 million was allocated to food waste projects under the topic “Fair, healthy and environment-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption” (2021-2024).  These funded projects focusing on harmonised measurement and monitoring methods, projects exploring market solutions to prevent food waste related to marketing standards, projects that look at the link between food waste and the climate, and more.

• EU Green Deal
• EU Farm to Fork Strategy
• Key recommendations for action of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste
• Frequently Asked Questions: Reducing food waste in the EU
• How to reduce food waste in your daily life
• European Consumer Food Waste Forum
• European Citizens’ Food Waste Panel
• How to reduce food waste in your daily life
• Revised Waste Framework Directive, 2018