Simpler food legislation needed says EU report

While the harmonisation of the EU's food laws is supported by industry, legislation should be simplified to make it easier for small businesses to compete, according to a European Commission report.

The 328-page report, released by the Commission at an industry conference last week, forecasts that the competitiveness of the EU food sector will continue to decline relative to other regions unless specific actions are taken by governments and industry.

One of these areas is the simplifying of food legislation, say the three independent researchers who were commissioned to complete the analysis.