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CIAA's Role and Mission
CIAA’s mission is to represent the food and drink industries’ interests, at the level of both European and international institutions.
In order to fulfil its mission, CIAA participates pro-actively in the development of an environment where all European food and drink companies (whatever their size) can compete effectively for sustainable growth in the context of an enlarged EU and global markets, as well as meeting consumers’ needs and playing their part in delivering the targets set by the Lisbon declaration of the European Council – that is, to become the most competitive economy in the world by 2010.
Moreover, CIAA contributes to the development of a legislative and economic framework addressing competitiveness, food quality and safety, consumer information and respect for the environment as regards the food and drink industry.
How CIAA Organises its Work
CIAA’s permanent secretariat, based in Brussels, is a major contact partner of/partner in consultations with the European and international institutions on food-related developments. It co-ordinates the work of more than 500 experts, grouped together in Committees and Expert Groups around the following three themes:
Through these Committees and Expert Groups, manufacturers from all EU countries provide broad and in-depth expertise. They contribute to establishing CIAA positions on key issues which, once approved, are then communicated to European and international decision makers.
CIAA's Priorities
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Increase consumer confidence in the food and drink industry.
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Guarantee the smooth functioning of the internal market through a competitive regulatory framework and an increase in self regulation for the food and drink industry.
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Strengthen food and drink industry competitiveness to meet the challenges of globalisation, on EU and world markets.
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Manage sustainable development through enhanced competitiveness and more responsible corporate practices.
By concentrating on these four priorities, CIAA can actively ensure maximum representation of the food and drink industry, foster close and fruitful cooperation between all links in the food chain and increase consumer confidence.
How CIAA Takes Action
To meet these four priorities, CIAA has identified a number of key actions directed towards both European and international institutions.
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Increasing consumer confidence means promoting food safety, providing nutrition information and encouraging dialogue on diet, lifestyle and health issues.
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Guaranteeing the smooth functioning of the internal market means simplifying regulations to ensure fair competition between Member States; improving relations between industry and the retail trade and preparing our members for further enlargement of the EU market.
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Stronger industry competitiveness means benchmarking competitiveness, pushing for more R&D and innovation and competing effectively on world markets.
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Managing a balanced approach to sustainable development requires a coherent policy framework that creates the necessary conditions for industry to achieve the Lisbon objectives, to further communicate on industry’s contribution to sustainable development, to support increased sustainability in agricultural production and to promote a dialogue between business partners, consumers and policy makers.
How CIAA Came About
UNICE (the Union of Industrial and Employers’ Confederations of Europe) set up the CIAA (Confederation of Food and Drink Industries of the EEC) in 1982 to replace their Commission of Food and Drink Industries. Registered as an international association under Belgian law, the most recent amendments to the Confederation’s statutes were adopted on 21 November 2000.
CIAA’s creation provided the EU food and drink industry with its own independent organisation. Since then, CIAA has become a favoured partner of European and international institutions, thanks to its longstanding work on issues such as food quality and safety, nutrition and health, novel foods, labelling, agricultural policy, international trade matters, sustainable development, respect for the environment and enlargement.
Contact details
CIAA aisbl
Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries in the EU
Avenue des Arts, 43
1040 Brussels
BELGIUM
Tel: +32 2 514 11 11
Fax: +32 2 511 29 05
ciaa@ciaa.eu
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