CEEV welcomes the European Commission initiative to develop, under its leadership and together with the EU food supply chain, the “Code of Conduct for Responsible Business and Marketing Practices”. We acknowledge the important role the Code of Conduct can play in uniting EU food business operators behind a common aspirational path towards sustainable food systems.
Adhesion to the Code’s main objective
The triple approach towards sustainability – people, planet and profit – is at the heart of the European Union wine sector’s philosophy. Only by embracing the principles of sustainability, has the EU wine sector been able to maintain for centuries an activity that cannot be delocalised and to preserve its vineyards, rural areas and rural communities.
Along the necessary journey towards a more sustainable wine sector, the Code of Conduct can truly foster the wine companies’ commitment to tangibly improve and communicate on their sustainability performance. CEEV is therefore committed to tangibly contribute to the environmental, health, economic and social sustainability of the EU wine system and value chain.
CEEV Pledge to the Code of Conduct
CEEV’s Pledge to the Code of Conduct is built up around four specific sectoral commitments:
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Commitment 1: Provide digital information to consumer by means of an e-label Platform.
CEEV has actively contributed to the creation of a digital platform now called U-label by Scantrust. Accessible to all wine and aromatized wine companies, this platform promotes and facilitates the process of providing consumers with digital transparent information such as the list of ingredients, nutritional declaration, characteristics and sustainability of wine products, and information on responsible wine consumption, thereby enabling them to make informed choices.
By scanning the QR-code printed on the label of a bottle, consumers will be directly led to the e-label of such product, providing relevant information in their own language (thanks to geo-localisation).
Directly linked to food consumption patterns for healthy and sustainable diets, this commitment aims at better empowering European consumers to improve food consumption patterns in the EU and create a food environment that helps consumers choose healthy and sustainable diets.
Commitment 2: Promote consumer’s awareness of healthy, balanced and sustainable diets through the Wine in Moderation program
CEEV contributes to the fight against harmful consumption of alcohol by supporting the implementation of the Wine in Moderation program, which aims at embedding moderate wine consumption as part of a healthy, balanced and sustainable lifestyle.
As part of the Wine in Moderation program, and to promote healthy and sustainable food service practices, the implementation of the “Wine Communication Standards” (a self- and co-regulatory initiative) strengthens and intensifies responsible wine advertising and shapes commercial communications for wine products in a way that guides the consumers towards moderate and responsible consumption patterns and away from harmful consumption.
Started in 2008, this ongoing commitment of the EU wine sector in relation to food consumption patterns for healthy and sustainable diets mobilises all the actors of the wine supply chain to create a food environment that makes it easier to choose healthy and sustainable diets.
Commitment 3: Promote sustainable production practices
Sustainability is a key priority for the European wine sector and has become a central focus at CEEV at the light of the latest EU strategies and action plans and consumers expectations. In this framework, CEEV supports the implementation of more sustainable production systems to improve the carbon footprint of wine production (including current emissions) in the European Union and contribute to a climate-neutral food chain in Europe by 2050.
CEEV also encourages wine companies to take up robust sustainability certification schemes, backed by external audits, in relation to their Corporate Social Responsibility and their social, economic, and environmental performance.
This commitment aims at promoting the improvement of sustainability within internal processes, operations and organisation and throughout the supply chain, in synergy with primary producers and other actors.
Commitment 4: Reinforce the resilience and competitiveness of the full wine supply chain
By strengthening supply chain relations, fostering the creation of partnerships, and encouraging the transfer of know-how, CEEV supports the resilience and competitiveness of all EU wine operators.
CEEV also supports and promotes the development of research and innovation programmes on wine sustainability and disseminate their results.
To help improve the resilience and competitiveness of the wine supply chain, CEEV is committed to identifying relevant pre-competitive research and innovation programs and support them through dissemination activities. It also supports wine companies in embracing digital solutions and modern technologies.
This commitment is directly linked to the improvement of sustainability throughout the supply chain, in synergy with primary producers and other actors. It aims at supporting a sustainable value creation in the European food (wine) supply chain through partnerships.
