Public money carries public responsibility – including for public health.
In the context of the ongoing revision of the EU Public Procurement Directives, EPHA joins 16 other members of the EU Food Policy Coalition in an open letter to Commissioners Stéphane Séjourné, Christophe Hansen, and Oliver Varhelyi calling for the recognition of food as a strategic sector.
Public procurement is one of the most powerful levers available to governments to support the transition towards healthier and more sustainable food systems. Millions of meals are served every day in schools, hospitals and public institutions across Europe using public funds. These purchasing decisions shape food environments and influence what people eat.
When used strategically, public procurement can deliver multiple public benefits at once: improving diet quality and population health, supporting sustainable farming practices, strengthening local food economies, and reducing long-term healthcare costs through prevention. Evidence shows that many public health prevention measures generate multiple euros in economic return for every €1 invested. Yet current procurement rules still too often prioritise the lowest price over long-term public value.
The letter calls on the European Commission to ensure that the upcoming revision of the Public Procurement Directives enables food procurement to fully deliver on these objectives. This includes introducing mandatory minimum criteria for sustainability and nutritional quality, strengthening the best value principle over lowest price, and recognising food procurement as a key policy instrument for advancing public health, environmental sustainability, and social equity.