FACEnetwork was received by two Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), both very attentive to our concerns:

• How to make our sector more visible, notably by the decision-makers?

• How to avoid NutriScore for traditional products, for which this system is really not suitable?…

The MEPs committed to support us achieving an economic study on our sector in order to improve its visibility.
They also encouraged us to continue our lobbying against NutriScore.
FACEnetwork will stay in contact with these MEPs in the next months to initiate some concrete works.

More details on these meetings…

Both MEPs agreed that our sector is not enough visible and that a study about our sector would be helpful to improve our visibility.

Such a study should be made in two phases:

1. A statistical study, which should use the data from Eurostat and analyse them to draw quantitative conclusions for our sector:

• quantity of farmhouse dairies?
• Number of employees?
• Types of products?
• Volumes?…

2. A qualitative study aiming to know more about the needs of the sector

In order to support our actions, one MEP may initiate an “own initiative report” and organise an audition of FACEnetwork by the MEPs of the AGRI Committee in the next months.

Regarding the Nutriscore issue, the MEPs agreed that this system is not adapted to our types of products. One MEP strongly encouraged us to continue lobbying against the NutriScore.

Moreover, both MEPs confirmed to us that the reflection of the European Commission about a possible certification on “sustainable food” is just starting and that the revision of the hygiene package “is not on the table” for the moment. But we should continue following these issues.

Regarding the regulation of additives like vegetable carbon in organic cheeses, we were encouraged to try to work with associations representing organic products at European level.