By 2050 the global population is set to reach 9 billion people and worldwide demand for food, feed and fibre is forecast to increase by 70%. To thrive in that context, economies will need to use natural resources in a far more efficient manner. The way we consume and produce will be key to Europe's success or failure in this process. This is why the Commission intends to revise the EU's Consumption and Production policies and has launched a public consultation that will remain open until 3 April.

 

As indicated in the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe adopted last September, if we want to be able to meet our needs and maintain the same level of well-being in the future, companies will have to produce more added value with fewer inputs, and consumers will have to adopt more sustainable consumption patterns for products and services. With that in mind, the European Commission is currently reviewing its Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) actions, to ensure that they are helping Europe use its resources more efficiently, and setting it on a course to long-term sustainability.

 

As part of a review of its SCP policy, the Commission has launched a large public consultation on its actions in four major areas. For the next nine weeks, views are being sought on different options for a more ambitious future SCP Policy. This web-based consultation is part of a broader process of reflection that will feed into policy initiatives that are scheduled for adoption before the end of 2012.

 

The public consultation invites all interested parties to share their views on the best ways to improve the EU's policies on Sustainable Consumption and Production in four areas, with the aim of providing targeted feedback on:

 

Policies regarding product design, recycling and waste management, etc;

 

Green Public Procurement (encouraging public bodies to favour ecologically friendly solutions);

 

Actions for improving the environmental performance of products (Product Environmental Footprint – PEF);

 

Actions for improving the environmental performance of organisations (Environmental Footprint of Organization – OEF).

 

The consultation is a broad overview of EU policies, and therefore involves some 50 questions. About half of these are for the general public and the remainder target more specialised stakeholder groups such as governments, industry associations and private companies.