EU food supplement framework

Question for written answer  E-001032/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Eva Kaili (S&D)

Food supplements must comply with a series of EU laws, while their composition is still largely subject to national legislation, resulting in numerous trade barriers, even between EU Member States. The Food Supplements Directive (2002/46/EC) established harmonised rules for the labelling of food supplements and introduced specific rules for vitamins and minerals used as ingredients of food supplements. Nevertheless, the limited EU harmonisation of their compositional requirements has led to fragmentation due to national legislation differing considerably in terms of design, scope and content. Moreover, bricks and mortar as well as distance sales (e-shops) of food supplements to retail consumers does, subject to national regimes, pose a risk to fair competition and the level playing field across the single market.

According to Fortune Business Insights, Europe’s dietary supplements market was valued at USD 14.95 billion in 2019 and is projected to be worth USD 33.80 billion by 2027. This market growth is driven by the increasing demand for dietary supplements containing vitamins and minerals among Europeans.

In order to enable this market growth, what initiatives does the Commission plan to undertake to open up the single market to all EU dietary supplement businesses, thereby increasing competition, expanding the choice of products on offer to EU consumers and driving prices down?