2025-10 Recommendations for Competitive, Innovative, Resilient, and Sustainable EU Food Systems

EU Specialty Food Ingredients recognizes the European Commission’s ongoing commitment to advancing the climate targets established under the previous mandate. The Association encourages President von der Leyen, Members of the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union to continue pursuing legislative proposals that will facilitate the transition towards Competitive, Innovative, Resilient, and Sustainable EU food systems. Accordingly, EU Specialty Food Ingredients calls on the Commission to maintain its dedication to the sustainable transformation of the agri-food supply chain while paying attention to the competitiveness of all the actors involved.

The food and drink manufacturing sector is a vital component of the EU agri-food ecosystem. With an annual turnover of approximately 1.2 trillion euros and holding the position as the world’s leading exporter of Processed Agricultural Products, it stands as the largest manufacturing industry within the EU; an achievement significantly dependent on specialty ingredients. As part of the broader food & drink sector, the specialty food ingredients sector leads innovation, delivering technological and nutritional benefits to processed foods and offering effective solutions for specific dietary requirements through the application of advanced technologies aligned with global sustainability objectives.

Thus, EU Specialty Food Ingredients reiterates the key messages outlined in its previous pledge and offers some new key recommendations to be taken into account in relevant EU strategies and initiatives, namely the Competitiveness Compass, the Clean Industrial Deal, as conditions to achieve the legislative proposals and initiatives identified in the 2025 Commission work programme to achieve competitive, innovative, resilient, and sustainable EU food systems.

Read the full recommendations here.