PAN Welcomes EU Protein Action Plan and Calls for Stronger Ambition on Plant Proteins for Human Consumption
Federica Amiconi, PAN International’s EU Public Affairs Officer, weighs in on why the EU Protein Action Plan matters for public health, protein diversification and healthier, more sustainable diets across Europe.
PAN International welcomes the European Commission’s EU Protein Action Plan as an important step toward a more resilient, sustainable and health-promoting food system in Europe.
To deliver on this potential, the Action Plan must support both sides of the transition: increasing sustainable European production of plant proteins, while also creating food environments that make healthy, plant-rich diets more accessible, affordable and appealing.
An Action Plan born of necessity
The Commission's Action Plan responds to a structural vulnerability at the heart of the EU's food system: heavy reliance on protein imports from a small number of source countries. This dependence not only exposes the bloc's agri-food system to global market shocks, but also constrains efforts to de-risk supply chains and slows progress on the broader sustainability transition.
The need for diversification is clear. A large share of EU protein demand is linked to the livestock sector, while human protein consumption also remains heavily weighted toward animal-based sources. According to the Action Plan, 64% of protein consumed by people in the EU is animal-based. This points to a clear opportunity to rebalance protein consumption while maintaining adequate nutrition.
Yet legumes and pulses remain underused in European diets, despite their role as affordable, fibre-rich, nutrient-dense sources of plant protein. For PAN, this is one of the most important public-health opportunities in the Action Plan: protein diversification should not only reduce import dependency, but also help more people access dietary patterns associated with better health and lower environmental impact.
The link between diet, health and sustainability
PAN particularly welcomes the Action Plan’s recognition that protein diversification is not only an agricultural or trade issue, but also a public-health opportunity. Increasing the availability and uptake of legumes, pulses and other healthy plant-based foods can support more balanced diets, strengthen demand for European plant-protein value chains, and contribute to climate and environmental goals.
This matters because food choices are shaped by the environments in which people live, shop, work, learn and receive care. Public policy therefore has a central role to play in making healthier and more sustainable choices easier in practice.
Among the key actions PAN welcomes are commitments to:
strengthen the role of public procurement and food services in creating demand for healthy, sustainable, plant-based protein options;
support EU promotion campaigns that highlight the health, sustainability and affordability benefits of pulses and legumes;
raise awareness of pulses in educational establishments through the EU School Scheme, helping children become familiar with their taste, appearance and nutritional benefits;
improve transparency and trust through marketing standards for protein crops, including origin labelling.
Recognising innovation and diversification
PAN also welcomes the Action Plan’s recognition that protein diversification will require a range of complementary approaches, including plant-based foods and drinks, fermentation-derived ingredients and algae-based options.
However, innovation should be guided by clear public-interest principles. New products and technologies must be assessed not only for market potential, but also for nutritional quality, affordability, safety, sustainability, transparency and public trust.
This approach is consistent with the European Environment Agency’s recent analysis, which frames protein diversification as a gradual rebalancing of Europe’s protein supply and consumption patterns, not an immediate replacement of livestock production. The same analysis notes that plant-based proteins currently offer the most immediate environmental benefits, while emerging pathways may play a complementary role as evidence, infrastructure and public acceptance develop.
The Action Plan also underscores the opportunities diversification presents for farmers and rural communities, with new value chains opening up for both feed and food markets.
For PAN, this transition should also actively involve the healthcare and public-health communities. Health professionals can play an important role in communicating the evidence behind healthy, plant-rich dietary patterns, including practical guidance on legumes, pulses, nuts, whole grains and other plant-based foods as part of nutritious and culturally appropriate diets.
Where the Action Plan falls short
While the Action Plan sets a clear quantified target to raise the share of EU-grown protein from oilseeds and protein crops used in animal feed from 25.8% to 35% by 2035, it does not set a comparable target for plant proteins grown for human consumption.
This is a missed opportunity with important implications for public health. Clearer targets for protein crops intended for human consumption would help support more diversified diets, increase the availability of healthy plant-based protein sources, and contribute to dietary patterns associated with better cardiovascular and metabolic health.
In addition, many of the measures proposed to support food consumption shifts remain largely voluntary and are left to national discretion. Taxation and public procurement standards, in particular, are framed as options for Member States to consider, rather than commitments at EU level.
Policy coherence as the path forward
The Action Plan rightly stresses the importance of policy coherence. A successful protein transition will require alignment between the Common Agricultural Policy, research and innovation, environmental and climate policy, public procurement, trade, health policy and private-sector action.
PAN encourages the Commission and Member States to ensure that health is not treated as a secondary benefit, but as a core objective of protein diversification. This means linking agricultural support, food environments, dietary guidelines, public meals and health professional education to the same goal: making healthy, sustainable dietary patterns easier to adopt across Europe.
PAN's Commitment
PAN International stands ready to support the Commission, Member States, civil society partners and the public-health community in translating the Action Plan into practice.
We will continue to communicate the scientific evidence on healthy, plant-rich diets; support health professionals with practical education on legumes, pulses and other plant-based foods; and advocate for food environments that make nutritious, sustainable choices more accessible across Europe.