Several WHO documents have highlighted the need for action in the area of marketing of food to children:
- The Global strategy on diet, physical activity and health (May 2004
- The European Charter on Counteracting Obesity (Nov 2006)
- The WHA resolution on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases: Implementation of the Global Strategy (WHA 60.23) (May 2007)
- The Second WHO European Action Plan for Food and Nutrition Policy 2007–2012 (September 2007).
The establishment of a European Network on reducing marketing pressure on children reflects the interest of several countries to follow up the recommendation for action as spelled out in these documents and especially to support the implementation of the Second WHO European Action Plan for Food and Nutrition Policy.
The European Network on reducing marketing pressure on children consists of countries in the WHO European Region who want to work together to find ways to reduce the marketing pressure on children of high salt, energy-dense, micronutrient-poor foods and beverages.
Taking part in the network does not imply any particular policy preference with regards to regulatory approach. The views expressed by network members are not necessarily the official view of the countries or organizations represented.
Long term goal and objectives 2010–2012
Long term goal
To protect children’s health through sharing experiences and best practices in order to identify and implement specific actions which will substantially reduce the extent and impact of all marketing to children of high salt, energy-dense, micronutrient-poor foods and beverages.
Objectives
- To constitute a coalition of committed countries who can identify and demonstrate specific actions to protect children against pressure from marketing of high salt, energy-dense, micronutrient-poor foods and beverages.
- To share and discuss experiences in work relating to regulation of food and beverage marketing to children and ensure that information is exchanged between the network countries and available to other countries in the Region and globally, including countries in transition.
- To discuss approaches to control marketing of food and non-alcoholic beverage to children, such as statutory regulation, self-regulation, voluntary measures and co regulation and identify content and principles and contribute to international recommendations on the regulation of marketing of food and non-alcoholic beverage to children.
- To develop tools and share experiences to support monitoring of food and beverage marketing to children, as well as compliance and impact of control mechanisms in place, and when possible to identify the impact on different socio-economic groups.
- To discuss and come up with advice on the use of systems of categorizing foods as a tool to control the marketing of food and beverages.
- To follow-up and identify how WHO HQ Recommendations and Network Code can be used to support member states in their work to protect children from food and beverage marketing.
- To report and contribute to various international meetings such as to the World Health Assembly and Regional Committee (RC) meetings in the WHO European Region.