Europe has a new set of parliamentarians, and commentators have been busy scoping out the political ramifications of last week’s elections.
Since the Lisbon Treaty, power in Europe has shifted significantly in favour of the European Parliament; there’s every reason to pay close attention to the new set of MEPs from an industry perspective, too.
So what can the food and drinks sector expect from the new European Parliament?
Despite the noise generated by UKIP’s performance in the UK – and similarly strong showings of Eurosceptic parties in other member states – it is unlikely there’ll be a dramatic shift in EU food, farming and consumer policy any time soon.
The EU’s regulatory agenda is firmly set – with alcohol policy set to move centre stage in the autumn – so there will be limited scope for the new Parliament to suddenly rush off in new directions.
Plus, many key players on important EU committees relevant to food and drink have been re-elected, including German MEP Renate Sommer (a key voice on labelling policy) and the UK’s Linda MacAvan (instrumental on tobacco policy), although farmers will regret the departure of ag committee member and former NFU Scotland president George Lyon, who lost his seat to a UKIP candidate.
Although dramatic changes in overall direction are unlikely, other, more subtle shifts could be on the cards – especially as far as UK influence in Europe is concerned.
Industry bodies have been keen to flag up their desire to build positive relationships with the new Parliament, with the British Retail Consortium saying it looks forward to working with the UK’s newly elected MEPs. “The election result is likely to lead to greater focus on issues we are already heavily engaged in, such as tackling climate change and strengthening consumer protection,” says a spokesman.
The National Farmers’ Union has struck a similar note, stressing it has a track record of working with all MEPs from all parties.
But there are also grumblings of concern. With UKIP now the biggest UK party in the European Parliament, some industry sources fear the UK food and drinks industry could be finding it more difficult to make its voice heard in Europe. “The UK industry often takes a lead on issues, and we don’t want to end up in a situation where the industry’s firepower isn’t matched by the firepower of its parliamentarians,” says one source. “The industry wants reform, but you get that by engaging, not by saying you don’t want to be part of the club.”
The head of the NFU’s Brussels office, Gail Soutar, also stresses the need for collaboration. “It is clear influencing in the Parliament is about building relationships – we need all parties to engage, not just abstain, and to play their full part in the process,” she warns.
Given Europe’s vital role in setting the regulatory landscape for the food and drinks sector, the industry will be hoping all the UK’s new MEPs will be willing to do their bit to safeguard the interests of the country’s biggest manufacturing sector.
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