On 15 November 2024, the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels hosted a pivotal event dedicated to the promotion of organic food and sustainable practices through public procurement. Organized by Organic Cities Network Europe, the EESC, and the Associazione per l’Agricultura Biodinamica, in partnership with ICLEI and Buy Better Food, France Urbaine, IFOAM Organics Europe, the event brought together representatives from cities, regions, national governments, and European institutions to explore strategies for transforming food systems across the continent.

The event culminated in the issuance of the Brussels Declaration, a joint statement urging European legislators to adopt sustainability criteria and streamline procurement procedures to accelerate the shift toward healthier and more environmentally friendly food systems. Recognizing the transformative potential of public food procurement, the declaration emphasizes its role in combating food insecurity, reducing inequalities, supporting local economies, and promoting sustainable agriculture.

The declaration outlines two key proposals: the establishment of harmonized sustainability criteria across Europe and simplified procurement processes to empower local authorities in fostering short supply chains. Advocates call for a European framework law and revisions to procurement directives to prioritize food as a fundamental good linked to health and environmental protection.

This declaration serves as a rallying point for cities, regions, and organizations across Europe, urging collective action to leverage public procurement as a powerful tool for sustainable transformation.

The declaration was signed by the following organisations:

Read the Brussels Declaration in English and French below.

Brussels Declaration, November 2024

Joint action by cities, regions, national governments and associations to encourage European legislators to support sustainable food public procurement

If Archimedes once said, “Give me a fixed point and a lever, and I will move the Earth,” today we might say, “Give us sustainability criteria and simplified public procurement procedure, and we will transform food systems.”

Given the socio-economic, political, and environmental challenges facing European food systems, this joint statement pursues a dual objective. First, it seeks to encourage European legislators to establish a regulatory framework that supports sustainable public food procurement. Second, it aims to serve as a reference point for cities, regions, and European organizations interested in joining this collective effort to harness public procurement in driving sustainable food systems.

In recent years, local authorities and among them organic cities and regions across Europe demonstrate that public canteens are a lever for combating food insecurity, reducing social inequalities, boosting local economies, supporting sustainable agriculture, increasing the proportion of organic products, protecting the environment, and promoting healthier diets. Additionally, public food procurement should incorporate an educational dimension to raise awareness about nutrition, sustainability, and food origins, while empowering communities to participate in the sustainable transition. Supported by numerous organizations, these efforts have led to the creation of two European campaigns — the Buy Better Food campaign and the Freeing Public Procurement campaign — which advocate for the transformative role of public procurement in reshaping food systems.

Recognizing the real potential of public food procurement, witnessing successful practices across Europe, and heeding a growing call for change, these two campaigns share a common vision. Public funds must be redirected to support sustainable food systems that provide fair compensation to producers, protect the environment and biodiversity, and promote healthier, more sustainable diets. In line with this shared vision, we present two concrete proposals to transform public food procurement in Europe:

  • Establish minimum sustainability criteria within a harmonized European framework that empowers local authorities to make more sustainable choices.
  • Simplify procurement procedures to offer public actors the flexibility to select the most effective procedures to strengthen local short supply chains, contributing to fair, healthy, and sustainable food systems.

To support these proposals, it is essential to pursue a European framework law and the upcoming revision of public procurement directives. This effort should recognize food as a vital good closely connected to health and the environment, harmonize food-related regulations, and promote multi-level governance that especially values the role of local authorities and urban-rural partnerships.

Déclaration de Bruxelles, novembre 2024

Action conjointe des villes, régions, gouvernements nationaux et des associations pour encourager les législateurs européens à soutenir la commande publique d’alimentation durable

Si Archimède en son temps disait “donnez-moi un point fixe et un levier, et je soulèverai la Terre ». Aujourd’hui nous pourrions dire : “donnez-nous des critères de durabilité et un cadre simplifié pour la commande publique, et nous transformerons les systèmes alimentaires.”

Face aux nombreux défis socio-économiques, politiques et climatiques auxquels les systèmes alimentaires européens sont confrontés, cette déclaration conjointe poursuit un double objectif. D’une part, elle vise à inciter les législateurs européens à mettre en place un cadre normatif soutenant la commande publique alimentaire durable. D’autre part, elle ambitionne de servir de référence pour toutes les villes, régions et organisations européennes souhaitant se joindre à cet effort collectif de transition vers des systèmes alimentaires durables à travers la commande publique.

Depuis des années, partout en Europe, les collectivités locales et parmi elles les biorégions et biovilles œuvrent pour faire des cantines publiques un levier pour lutter contre la précarité alimentaire, réduire les inégalités sociales, stimuler le développement économique, soutenir une agriculture durable, augmenter l’approvisionnement en produits biologiques, protéger l’environnement et promouvoir des régimes alimentaires plus sains. De plus, la commande publique doit intégrer un dimension pédagogique pour sensibiliser aux enjeux de nutrition, de durabilité, d’origine des produits tout en soutenant la participation de toutes et tous aux dynamiques de transitions durables. Tous ces efforts, soutenus par de nombreuses organisations, ont donné naissance à deux campagnes européennes de sensibilisation et plaidoyer pour valoriser le rôle clé de la commande publique dans la transformation des systèmes alimentaires, la campagne Buy Better Food et la campagne Libérer la commande publique.

Conscients du pouvoir réel de la commande publique, témoins des succès des bonnes pratiques partout en Europe et à l’écoute d’une demande croissante de transformation, nous partageons aujourd’hui une vision commune. La dépense publique doit être orientée au profit de systèmes alimentaires durables capables de rémunérer dignement les producteurs, protéger l’environnement et la biodiversité ainsi que promouvoir des régimes alimentaires plus sains et durables. Au vu de cette vision partagée, nous formulons ici deux propositions concrètes pour transformer la commande publique alimentaire en Europe:

  • Établir des critères minimaux de durabilité au sein d’un cadre européen harmonisé encourageant les collectivités locales à adopter des choix plus durables.
  • Simplifier la procédure d’achat et offrir aux acteurs publics le choix de la procédure la plus adaptée en vue de renforcer les circuits courts de proximité contribuant à des systèmes alimentaires justes, sains et durables.

Pour soutenir ces propositions, il est nécessaire, à la faveur d’une loi cadre européenne et de la révision prochaine des directives sur la passation des marchés publics de reconnaître dans l’alimentation un bien essentiel en lien étroit avec la santé et l’environnement, harmoniser les règlements en lien avec l’alimentation et promouvoir une gouvernance multiniveau reconnaissant en particulier le rôle des autorités locales et des coopérations urbain-rural.

The speakers:

119 participants from various countries and different continents attended in person and online.

Peter Schmidt, President of the NAT Section, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC); Carlo Triarico, Director Association for Biodynamic Agriculture; Claudio Serafini, Director Organic Cities Network Europe; Audrey Pulvar, City of Paris, Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of sustainable food, agriculture and short supply chains, and vice-president of France Urbaine Territorial Food Strategy Commission; Dario Nardella, Member of the European Parliament; Jan Kohlmueller, City of Bremen, Coordinator Centre for Sustainable Food; Eva-Sonja Bauhus, City of Nuremberg, Personal educational assistant, head of construction, digital, strategic and central tasks; Katri Kuusk,Tartu County Development Association, Coordinator of Tartu county food network; ; Karl Kempkens, German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Head of the Organic Food Sector; Piroska Kallay, European Economic and Social Committee; Clara Behr, Biodynamic Federation Demeter International, Head of Policy and Public Relations; Valentina Carlà Campa, National Councillor Association for Biodynamic Agriculture ; Alessandro Piccolo, Professor of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, University of Naples Federico II; Peter Defranceschi, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability Head of Brussels Office & Global CityFood Programme: Antonio Bettanini, Director “In Cammino-Abazie d’Europa”; Antonio Ferrentino, President Citta’ del Bio: Eduardo Cuoco, Director of IFOAM Organics Europe; Marion Tannion, France Urbaine, councillor for solidarity and social cohesion; Jean-Marc Louvin, Coordinator Buy Better Food Campaign.