By: Attila Kunszabó
From: University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest
The 18th meeting of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste took place on 27 November 2025 in Brussels and online, bringing together EU institutions, international organisations, Member States and stakeholder representatives to exchange updates on ongoing initiatives and emerging policy priorities. The session opened with remarks from Claire Bury (DG SANTE), followed by a series of presentations from UNEP, FAO, OECD, the Thünen Institute and several EU-funded research projects.
Throughout the day, participants were updated on global and EU-level efforts to reduce food loss and waste. UNEP reported on recent developments within the “Food is Never Waste” Coalition, emphasising the importance of coordinated international action and stronger monitoring systems. FAO presented its work on enhancing circularity in the food sector, highlighting how by-products and side-streams can be transformed into valuable resources. OECD contributed insights on improving data quality and policy evaluation practices, underscoring that reliable and comparable data is becoming an essential pillar for designing effective food waste interventions. In a complementary vein, the Thünen Institute introduced the Collaboration Initiative on Food Loss and Waste launched under the MACS-G20 framework, offering new opportunities for cooperation and knowledge exchange at the global level.
The Commission also provided an update on the revision of the Waste Framework Directive, outlining elements relevant to food waste prevention and reporting. Later in the meeting, the LOWINFOOD and CHORIZO Horizon projects shared their latest research findings, including behavioural insights, supply chain innovations and practical approaches to reducing waste across different stages of the food system. The Hungarian Food Bank Association offered an interesting perspective on how social norms influence corporate decisions regarding food donations, pointing to the need for policy measures that support both awareness and practical facilitation of surplus redistribution.
Two key messages emerged from the discussions. First, it is increasingly clear that improved data and evaluation will be central to future EU food waste policies, enabling Member States to meet reporting obligations and target actions more effectively. Second, the meeting demonstrated that collaboration is accelerating, with new partnerships and initiatives helping to align efforts and share best practices.
The Chair concluded the meeting with an update on the process of re-establishing the EU Platform, reaffirming the Commission’s intention to continue this collaborative forum. As policy frameworks evolve, the Platform remains a crucial space for dialogue, coordination and collective progress in reducing food loss and waste across Europe.