The EU will oblige member states to reduce food waste by 30% by 2030.
Brussels, Belgium03 July 2023, 09:30 7804 read 0 comments
EU member states will have to cut the amount of food they throw away this decade, according to draft EU plans aimed at tackling the 10 percent of food in Europe that ends up in the trash.
131 kg of food per European resident is thrown away every year, the EU reports. This costs consumers money, leads to excessive carbon emissions and wastes the energy, fuel and water used in food production, Investor.bg clarifies.
A draft European directive due to be proposed by the European Commission on July 5 and seen by Reuters would set a binding target for each EU member state to reduce the total amount of food thrown away in its shops, restaurants and households by 30% per capita by the end of 2030 compared to 2020 levels.
Countries will have to reduce food waste and in the processing and production process by 10% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels, according to the draft, which is subject to change before it is published.
The commission declined to comment.
EU member states will have to agree the final directive with the European Parliament. They will also need to devise measures to incentivize companies and consumers to meet the targets.
This could include rules to limit in-store promotions that encourage over-buying of food that ends up being thrown away, incentives for farmers and shops to donate surplus produce to community kitchens and incentives for offering ‘ugly’ or defective fruit and vegetables in the market.
Households are responsible for just over half of Europe’s food waste.
Separately, Brussels is working on a clearer labeling system for “best before” and “use by” dates to prevent consumers from throwing away food that is still fit to eat.
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2023-07-03 06:30:01
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