PAN International Welcomes Food Inclusion in New EU Public Procurement Rules
PAN International welcomes the inclusion of food in the newly proposed EU Public Procurement rules, calling it an important step toward healthier, more sustainable public meals across the European Union.
The proposal marks a significant shift in how public food procurement can support public health, sustainability, and better value for citizens. Public procurement is one of the EU’s most powerful policy tools, representing a substantial share of public spending on services, works, and supplies each year.
Earlier this year, PAN actively participated in the public consultation on the revision of the rules, submitting detailed feedback on how public procurement can better support health-promoting and sustainable food environments.
PAN is encouraged to see several of its core advocacy asks reflected in the new proposal, including the introduction of a dedicated section on public food procurement within the Green Public Procurement Chapter. This is a meaningful development that can help Member States strengthen their approach to public meals in settings such as schools, hospitals, care facilities, and other public institutions.
“We are encouraged to see that many of the asks PAN brought forward during the public consultation have been taken into consideration in the proposed EU Public Procurement rules,” said Federica Amiconi, EU Public Affairs Officer at PAN International. “The inclusion of food is an important recognition that public meals can support health, sustainability and better value for citizens. PAN welcomes the move beyond lowest-price criteria, especially the inclusion of nutritional value, health effects, freshness and seasonality. As the proposal moves through the co-legislative process, we will continue advocating for stronger commitments to evidence-based nutritional standards and healthier, more sustainable public meals across Europe.”
The proposal also replaces the lowest price as the default award criterion with the best price-quality ratio. This is a major step forward, recognising that publicly procured food should not be assessed on cost alone, but on its broader value for health, quality, sustainability, and society.
PAN particularly welcomes the inclusion of criteria such as nutritional value, health effects, freshness, and seasonality of food. These additions reflect the need for public meals to align more closely with evidence-based nutritional standards and national food-based dietary guidelines.
Under the new text, public buyers will have greater scope to prioritise quality and sustainability when setting specifications, award criteria, or contract conditions. These considerations may include fair pay for farmers, organised food supply chains, organic production, geographical indications and other quality schemes, nutritional value and health effects, freshness and seasonality, and animal welfare.
By enabling public buyers to consider these wider criteria, the EU has taken an important step toward supporting both the health of its citizens and the sustainability of its agricultural systems.
However, PAN notes that the proposal does not yet go far enough. In particular, it falls short by not introducing minimum mandatory targets for plant-based and organic foods, or a clear obligation for publicly procured meals to align with national food-based dietary guidelines.
As the proposal now enters the co-legislative process between the European Parliament and the Council, PAN will continue working with public health actors, civil society, and EU policymakers to bring the voice of healthcare professionals into the discussion.
PAN will advocate for a final framework that ensures publicly procured meals across the EU prioritise evidence-based nutritional standards, public health, and sustainability over cost or convenience.
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