Brussels, 4 november 2004

Brussels, 4 November 2004 - EURO COOP, the European Community of Consumer Co-operatives, today reiterates its call for responsible advertising and social marketing at a high-level conference on "Responsible Advertising to Children and the role of Regulation" organised by European Voice in Brussels.

Data show that advertising to children does not promote a healthy and balanced diet. Rather, it contrasts sharply with the recommendations of public health advisors 1. Meanwhile, the recommended diet gets little promotional support. EURO COOP warns that this is particularly alarming in the context of rising obesity and related chronic diseases in Europe.

EURO COOP insists on the need to make healthy eating choice a reality and to enable consumers to have a balanced diet. Today, one of the major problems is that people live with the illusion that they make healthy eating choices for their children, although in reality this is usually not the case. This illusion is largely nourished by heavy advertising, but also by misleading labelling and claims.

Various consumer cooperatives have already taken some concrete measures towards responsible advertising. For example, the Cooperative Group in the UK has voluntarily banned advertising of fatty, sugary and salty food to children during children' viewing hours since 2000. It also calls on the Independent Television Commission to impose such a ban. Additionally, it has removed all children' characters from own brand packaging high in fat, sugar and salt and does not give free samples of such products. EURO COOP calls on the implementation of this measure on a larger-scale by the food and drink industry.

EURO COOP also wishes to stress that consumer empowerment and responsible advertising are the two sides of the same coin: enabling consumers to make healthy eating choices. National governments should do more to empower their citizens and promote good nutritional choices. For example, in the UK, £1 is spent by the Government to promote a balanced diet against £ 800 spent by the food industry to promote their products2.

In EURO COOP's view, the European Commission willingness to tackle the obesity epidemic is an important initiative that complements its proposals on nutrition and health claims and fortified foods. EURO COOP believes this initiative must also include the problem of advertising and marketing to children.

1. UK FSA Report Review of Research on the effects of food promotion to children, September 2003.
2. European Public Health Alliance Response to Commissioner Byrne Health Strategy Enabling Health for All, October 2004