CAOBISCO

Priorities for the new

European Parliament

To the Honourable Members of the European Parliament,

Congratulations on your election to the new European Parliament. Welcome (back) to Brussels!

We would like to present our business to you and share our views and expertise for debates at the European level. We hope that these can inspire your work in building a productive and fruitful Europe.

The chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industry provides millions of consumers with delicious, high-quality, innovative products. We represent a prominent food sector in Europe, which works hard to maintain good economic performance in terms of employment, turnover and exports. We strongly support European agriculture, using large amounts of European agricultural raw materials and promoting good relationships with producers for the most efficient and sustainable supply chains possible.

We look for your support to help us maintain the future growth and competitiveness of European chocolate, biscuit and confectionery manufacturers through your policy and regulatory decisions.

We look forward to a constructive and positive dialogue with you over the next five years.

Introduction

Patrick PoirrierPresident

Sabine NafzigerSecretary General

Key Figures

Source: Eurostat, (figures from 2011)

Provide Jobs12,000 companies,99.4% are SMEs

293,582 direct employees

35% of European skimmedmilk powder production

30% of European sugar production

A large amountof cereal products

50% of the world’s total cocoa production

Use European Agricultural Raw Materials

Export Worldwide

€5.7 billion of exportsoutside Europe

A positive trade balance of €4.4 billion

€Manufacture In Europe11.1 million tons of product each year

11.1

The chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industries of Europe (figures of 2011):

The following priorities are vital for our business. We call on the Members of the European Parliament to give due consideration to these in their policy and regulatory approach:

• Support and promote the culture, savoir faire and tradition of chocolate, biscuit and confectionery manufacturing in Europe to sustain long-term employment. The sector directly employs more than 290 000 people in Europe (source: Eurostat)

• Help develop a flexible legal framework that allows chocolate, biscuit and confectionery enterprises to produce traditional as well as innovative products. We aim to offer a wide range of products that bring pleasure and benefits to the consumer.

• Create a competitive environment for European chocolate, biscuit and confectionery businesses. This is particularly important for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which represent more than 99% of the sector.

• Facilitate trade in agricultural commodities and finished goods worldwide.

• Develop appropriate public policies and co-invest with the private sector in initiatives to build sustainable models for global commodity supply chains.

Priorities

Our priorities are developed in more detail below. Contact us should you want to further discuss any of these points.

Support and promote culture, savoir faire and tradition

The chocolate, biscuit and confectionery sectors of Europe are privileged to have a very rich heritage of savoir faire and culture. Combined with the manufacturers’ talents for innovation, it underpins the good reputation of our products around the world.

European chocolate, biscuit and confectionery products have many assets: high quality ingredients (from Europe and other origins), high safety standards, clear and understandable information for consumers, etc. Our products are synonymous with variety, creativity, pleasure, respect for traditions and savoir faire. These features should be supported and promoted in the following ways:

• Define a dedicated EU industrial policy for food to grow the industry and create jobs in the framework of the 2020 Strategy and of the new Commission’s agenda for Jobs, Growth, Fairness and Democratic Change. In 2011, 293 582 people were directly employed by our sectors, which is 6.28% fewer than in 2010 (Eurostat data).

• Improve and simplify the EU’s promotion policy programme so it is better adapted to food operators’ needs. The promotion policy helps raise awareness of the value and quality of European food products outside Europe and is key to boosting exports for our SMEs.

Promote healthy lifestyles and balanced food choices

Chocolate, biscuit and confectionery products are delightful indulgences which bring pleasure to consumers. They can be consumed in reasonable amounts as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, including regular physical activity.

Caobisco invites the European Parliament to adopt a holistic and constructive approach including preventive initiatives:

• Encourage the work of the EU platform for action on diet, physical activity and health. Through FoodDrinkEurope, Caobisco members have committed to action in various areas, including consumer information and responsible marketing.

• Promote education programmes about diet management (responsible consumption in relation to dietary needs, lifestyle and physical activity).

• Prevent and avoid the stigmatisation of any specific food categories, including chocolate, biscuits and confectionery. The diet should be approached as a whole.

We also ask the European Parliament to consider the following points when introducing measures:

• Avoid discriminatory and punitive measures such as food taxes or forms of “health warnings” at European or national level that could cause inefficiencies and limit competitiveness.

• Guarantee that policy and regulatory measures are science-based.

• Require impact assessments to measure the consequences for manufacturers of implementing measures (e.g. origin labelling). These consequences could include fragmentation of the Single Market, feasibility barriers and cost implications.

Boosting competitiveness

Key indicators recently showed that the industry’s competitiveness is under more and more pressure. This has an impact in terms of employment, business performance and investments.

Caobisco encourages the European Parliament to:

• Ensure that the internal market functions well by removing barriers to free movement of goods and reducing excessive administrative burden (in particular for SMEs).

• Better anticipate how EU regulations will affect the competitiveness of manufacturers.

• Reduce the risks linked to the supply of raw materials and guarantee sustainable access to them.

Encouraging export opportunities

The EU is a mature market, so it is vital for Caobisco manufacturers to export. The survival of the industry depends on it. More than 10% of the total production in the three sectors is exported outside Europe, turning exports into a key component of sales and employment in many countries.

To sustain growth and maintain the EU’s export market share for high-value-added products, CAOBISCO asks the European Parliament to support the following recommendations:

• Uphold the rapid ratification and implementation of balanced bilateral trade agreements with third countries to create new market access opportunities for our sectors: Canada, US-TTIP, Japan and South Africa in particular.

• Support the EU in eliminating and preventing any kind of tariff and non-tariff trade barriers as they distort trade.

• Work towards the simplification of export procedures.

• Promote greater regulatory coherence on the world market via the WTO and other international institutions.

A strong and successful chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industry, respected by stakeholders with products enjoyed by consumers as part of a balanced diet.

Caobisco and its members will follow this objective by encouraging:

1. The safety, quality and taste of their products, whilst maintaining the culture and tradition of their origins;

2. That products comply with the regulatory framework at national and European level;

3. That raw materials are sourced and products manufactured in a responsible manner from an economic, environmental and social point of view.

Mission

Our mission is:

• To support our member companies’ freedom to market their products in a flexible and responsible manner; and

• To support the development of an innovative, sustainable, competitive and creative chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industry in Europe that represents the values of our member companies.

Vision and Mission

Support sustainable supply chains

Caobisco members work with each other and in partnership with other stakeholders throughout their key supply chains to ensure that ingredients are sourced and products are manufactured in a responsible, sustainable manner from an economic, environmental and social point of view.

They are achieving some success in their joint and individual programmes; but they recognise the need to join forces with the EU and its Member States – as well as with third country governments – to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth in developing countries.

How can the European Parliament support the industry in this mission?

• Join forces and develop Public-Private Partnerships and Sector Investments to create environments that help improve the sustainability of supply chains for all involved. Efforts on the ground should address environmental and social issues.

• Support the work done by Caobisco and partners on the definition of an ISO CEN/TC415 Standard for traceable and sustainable cocoa. This standard will be a strong framework, providing a clear and measureable definition of sustainable cocoa.

National Associations

AUSTRIAFIAA - Fachverband der Nahrungs-u. Genussmittelindustrie Oesterreichswww.dielebensmittel.at

BELGIUMChoprabisco - The Royal Belgian Association of the Biscuit, Chocolate, Pralines and Confectionerywww.choprabisco.be

FINLANDChocolate, Sugar, Confectionery and Biscuit Industry Associationwww.etl.fi

FRANCEL’Alliance 7www.alliance7.com

GERMANYBDSI - Bundesverband der Deutschen Süsswarenindustrie e.V.www.bdsi.de

HUNGARYHUNBISCO - Association of Hungarian Confectionery Manufacturerswww.hunbisco.hu

IRELANDCCBCI - Chocolate, Confectionery and Biscuit Council of Irelandwww.ibec.ie

ITALYAIDEPI - Associazione delle Industrie del Dolce e Della Pasta Italianewww.aidepi.it, www.dolceitalia.net

NORWAYNACM - The Norwegian Association of Chocolate Manufacturers

POLANDPOLBISCO - Stowarzyszenie Polskich Producentów Wyrobów Czekoladowych i Cukierniczychwww.polbisco.pl

PORTUGALACHOC - Associação dos Industriais de Chocolates e Confeitaria

SLOVENIACAFE - Chamber of Agricultural and Food Enterpriseswww.gzs.si

Members

SPAINPRODULCE - La Asociación Española del Dulcewww.produlce.com

SWEDENCHOKOFA - The Swedish Chocolate, Confectionery and Biscuit Manufacturers’ Associationwww.li.se

SWITZERLANDChocosuisse-Biscosuissewww.chocosuisse.ch, www.biscosuisse.ch

THE NETHERLANDSVBZ - Vereniging voor de Bakkerij-en Zoetwarenindustriewww.vbz.nl

UNITED KINGDOMBCCC Sector - The Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Sectorwww.fdf.org.uk

Member companies

BARILLAwww.barillagroup.com

BARRY CALLEBAUTwww.barrycallebaut.com

FERREROwww.ferrero.com

FOSTER CLARCK PRODUCTS LIMITEDwww.fosterclarck.com

IONwww.ion.gr

MONDĒLEZ INTERNATIONALwww.mondelezinternational.com

MARSwww.mars.com

NESTLÉwww.nestle.com

CivilSociety

InternationalInstitutions

IndustryRepresentation

EuropeanInstitutions

Universities

ScientificInstitutes

Third CountryAuthorities

EUMedia

SupplyChain Actors

Network

The Caobisco Secretariat is available to reply to your questions, provide you with information or open its European chocolate, biscuit and confectionery network to you. Let’s sustain the dialogue!

SECRETARY GENERALSabine NAFZIGER

sabine.nafziger@caobisco.eu+32 2 533.94.65

OFFICE MANAGEMENTVerda MEHMET ALI

verda.mehmetali@caobisco.eu+32 2 533.94.60

ECONOMIC AFFAIRS STATISTICSDirector: Muriel KORTER

muriel.korter@caobisco.eu+32 2 533.94.63

REGULATORY & SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRSManager: Alice COSTA

alice.costa@caobisco.eu+32 2 533.94.67

SUSTAINABILITY & CSRManager: Paula BYRNE

paula.byrne@caobisco.eu+32 2 533.94.61

COMMUNICATIONManager: Laurence VICCA

laurence.vicca@caobisco.eu+32 2 533.94.66

Contact Us

Telephone+3225391800

Webwww.caobisco.eu

E-Mailcaobisco@caobisco.eu

CAOBISCOBd Saint-Michel 471040 BrusselsBelgium