Product Environmental Footprint

The European Green Deal with its Circular Economy Action Plan and its Farm to Fork Strategy announced actions to empower consumers to make informed, healthy, and sustainable food choices, including an action to examine ways to harmonise voluntary green claims for food products.

Natural Mineral Waters Europe (formerly EFBW) welcomes the Commission’s intention to use the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology as a reference upon which to substantiate green claims in the EU. Indeed, compliance with the harmonised category rules developed in the context of the PEF will provide credible, and reliable information to consumers. Empowering consumers implies that the information conveyed to them is easy to understand as well as be supported by a harmonized scientific and regulatory framework across the EU.

NMWE is proud to have participated alongside other sectors and stakeholders, in the European Commission’s landmark initiative to develop the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology as a robust method to measure and communicate the environmental footprint of products.

In early 2014, NMWE responded to DG Environment’s call and volunteered to join the pilot phase on defining EU-harmonised category rules for the evaluation of the environmental footprint of food and non-food products. This led to the approval of Product Category Rules for Packed Waters in April 2018.

The methodology developed under the PEF project is a useful reference tool but will need to be a living methodology requiring regular updating and improvement in the light of data availability and scientific evidence.