19 September 1995

Doc. 7387

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

Reply to Recommendation 1244 (1994)

on food and health

(adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 11 September 1995

at the 543rd meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)

      The Committee of Ministers has noted with interest Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1244 (1994) on food and health, which it has transmitted to the governments of member States.

      The Committee of Ministers is aware of the importance of a healthy, balanced diet for the health of human beings. For this reason, the work pursued for many years by the Public Health Committee (Partial Agreement) in food quality control not only reflects the spirit of the Recommendation but is also backed up, at intergovernmental level, by awareness-raising activities run under the auspices of the European Health Committee (CDSP).

      In this respect, the Council of Europe, in conjunction with the World Health Organisation and the European Commission, manages a Network of health education schools throughout Europe. The aim of this Network is - as the Assembly prescribes in paragraph 4 (i) of its Recommendation - to develop in young people a sense of responsibility for their own health and to help them adopt healthy life-styles. The programme is run essentially in schools but great store is set by the participation of the local community.

      The Committee of Ministers has decided to transmit Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1244 to the Public Health Committee (Partial Agreement) (CD-P-SP), asking it to use the Recommendation as a basis for setting its priorities and pursuing its activities.

      The Committee of Ministers favours strengthening co-operation between member States who are at present party to the Partial Agreement in the social and public health field, and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe which have just acceded to the Council of Europe. Furthermore, since numerous international organisations - such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the European Union - have responsibilities in the field of food and health, the Council of Europe, which enjoys excellent working relations with them, should not duplicate their efforts.

      Moreover, the work carried out by the European Union in the area of quality labelling for foodstuffs already caters for the concerns expressed by the Parliamentary Assembly. In view of the complementary nature of the two institutions' activities, the Committee of Ministers has also decided to transmit Assembly Recommendation 1244 to the Commission of the European Communities.