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Health
A high level of health protection is a key priority for the EU, which has the responsibility to complement national policies and encourage the cooperation among Member States, with the objective to improve public health. Over the years, EU activities in the field of public health have been growing and increasingly focusing on the objective to promote healthier lifestyles and discourage unhealthy behaviours among European citizens.
EU actions in relation to tobacco, alcohol and nutrition are directly relevant to the hospitality industry as they might affect the running of hospitality businesses when dealing with consumers (e.g. smoking in public places, serving of alcohol, nutrition labelling for the food served in restaurants, etc.)
European initiatives in this field are directly influenced by and closely interlinked with developments at international level, in particular with the policies of the World Health Organization (WHO). EU activities in the area of public health fall under the responsibility of the Commission's Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection (DG SANCO).
Key EU measures:
Nutrition:
Smoking:
Alcohol:
European Alcohol and Health Forum
The European Commission launched the European Alcohol and Health Forum on 7 June 2007, in the framework of the EU strategy to "support Member States in reducing alcohol related harm”. The objective of the Alcohol Forum is to provide a common platform at EU level for all interested stakeholders who are willing to "devote time and resources to adopt meaningful actions to prevent alcohol related harm”. Forum members commit themselves to take self-binding actions (called "commitments”) to achieve that goal and engage themselves to monitor and to report on their implementation.
HOTREC decided to join the Alcohol Forum in September 2007 . As a member of the Forum, HOTREC committed itself to invite and stimulate its national hospitality associations to take actions to reduce alcohol abuse related harm.
Further information on the Forum, its members and their commitments can be found
here.