As the side event of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council 2021, this online conference was a high-level event on food policy organised between two partner projects, The Science & Technology in childhood Obesity Policy (STOP) and Joint Action Best Practices in Nutrition (JA Best-ReMaP). The conference’s goal was to support the translation of research knowledge to support policy decision-making and leverage the projects’ innovative and complementary approaches to curb the rise in child and adolescent obesity.
key statements of the conference
conference agenda
DAY 1, 17th November 2021
STOP – Science and Technology in childhood Obesity Policy
Third Childhood Obesity Stakeholder Conference and Dialogues
Morning sessions |
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| 08.30 – 09.00 | Registration of participants |
| 09.00 – 09.20 | Welcome to the third STOP conference and stakeholders dialogues Speakers: – Janez Poklukar, Minister, Ministry of Health Slovenia – VIDEO – mag. Aleš Irgolič, State Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food – VIDEO |
| 09.20 – 9.35 | Presentation of the STOP project main scientific outcomes – VIDEO Speaker: Franco Sassi, ICL |
| 9.35 – 10.15 | STOP state of the art Speakers: – Oliver Robinson ICL (STOP WP3) – VIDEO – Gregor Starc, UL-FS (STOP WP7) – VIDEO – Josep A. Tur, University of the Balearic Islands, CIBEROBN – VIDEO Moderator: Franco Sassi, ICL |
| 10.15 – 10.45 | Food reformulation – scientific STOP outcomes and knowledge transfer recommendations to JA Best-ReMaP Speakers: – Mathilde Gressier and Harry Tang, Imperial College London – VIDEO – Stefanie Vandevijvere, Sciensano Belgium – VIDEO Comments: Jean-Luc Volatier, ANSES (JA Best-ReMaP) – VIDEO |
| 10.45 – 11.15 | Coffee break |
| 11.15 – 11.45 | Marketing foods to children – scientific STOP outcomes and knowledge transfer recommendations to JA Best-ReMaP – VIDEO Speaker: Karen Watson, ICL Comments: Ursula O’Dwyer (JA Best-ReMaP) |
| 11.45 – 12.15 | Preliminary results of the second STOP stakeholders survey – VIDEO Speakers: – Mojca Gabrijelčič, NIJZ – Luka Kronegger, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences |
| 12.15 – 13.30 | Lunch break |
Afternoon sessions |
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| 13.30 – 15.00 | Interactive stakeholder discussion on STOP policies and approaches to address childhood obesity – three dialogues – Food marketing – Food reformulation – Environments to support physical activity |
| 15.00 – 15.15 | Coffee break |
| 15.15 – 16.00 | Knowledge transfer processes – relevance in obesity prevention; promotion of policies/measures, supporting healthy nutrition and PA (TBD) – VIDEO Speaker: Diane T. Finegood, SFU |
| 16.00 – 16.45 | Plenary research roundtable: avenues for future cross-collaboration – VIDEO Speakers: – Sassi, ICL, STOP scientific coordinator – Knut-Inge Klep, FHI, CO-CREATE scientific coordinator – Wolfgang Ahrens, University of Bremen, PEN scientific coordinator – Mojca Gabrijelčič, NIJZ, JA Best-ReMaP scientific coordinator Moderator: Francesco Branca, WHO HQ |
| 16.45 – 17.00 | Conference wrap-up of Day 1 – VIDEO Speakers: – Franco Sassi, ICL – Mojca Gabrijelčič, NIJZ |
DAY 2, 18th November 2021
JA Best-ReMaP – The Joint Action on implementation of validated best practices in nutrition
(Reformulation, Marketing, and public Procurements)
Mid-term Conference
Morning sessions |
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| 9.00 – 9.30 | Registration of participants |
| 9.30 – 10.00 | Strategic speech – VIDEO Speaker: Stefan Schreck, Adviser for Stakeholder Relations and adviser to Director, DG SANTE |
| 10.00 – 10.20 | Keynote: STOP policy briefs in UN Food Summit and EU perspective – VIDEO Speaker: Francesco Branca, WHO HQ |
| 10.20– 10.35 | Presentation of the JA Best-ReMaP – VIDEO Speaker: Mojca Gabrijelčič, NIJZ |
| 10.35 – 11.20 | EU harmonised reformulation and processed food monitoring (WP5) Speakers: – Karine Vin, ANSES – VIDEO – Wolfgang Ahrens, University of Bremen – VIDEO – Evangelia (Eva) Grammatikaki, JRC – VIDEO – Isabelle Rollier, DG SANTE – VIDEO Moderation and comments: Stefanie Vandevijvere, Sciensano, STOP project representative – VIDEO |
| 11.20 – 11.45 | Coffee break |
| 11.45 – 12.30 | Best practices in reducing marketing of unhealthy food products to children and adolescents (WP6) – VIDEO Speakers: – Maria João Gregório, Ministry of Health Portugal – Kremlin Wickramasinghe, WHO Europe – Amandine Garde, University of Liverpool – Lubos Kukliš, European Platform of Regulatory Authorities (EPRA) Moderation and comments: Karen Watson, ICL, STOP project representative |
| 12.30 – 14.00 | Lunch break |
Afternoon sessions |
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| 14.00 – 14.45 | Public procurement of food in public institutions – a pilot EU approach (WP7) Speakers: – Natalija Rozman, NIJZ – VIDEO – Jana Ramuš, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia – VIDEO – Nikolai Pushkarev, EPHA, and Aileen Robertson, Metropolitan University CPH – VIDEO – Maja Marinček, Ministry of Public Administration of Slovenia – VIDEO Moderation and comments: Mojca Gabrijelčič, NIJZ and Betina Bergmann Madsen, Copenhagen Municipality – Public Food procurement |
| 14.45 – 15.00 | You(th): a driving force for change? – VIDEO Speaker: Knut-Inge Klepp, FHI |
| 15:00 – 15:15 | Coffee break |
| 15.15 – 16.45 | JA Best-ReMaP Plenary policy round table – VIDEO Speakers: – Stefan Schreck, Adviser for Stakeholder Relations and adviser to Director C, DG SANTE – Raluca Painter, DG REFORM – Daniela Lueth, Policy Officer, DG Research & Innovation, Bioeconomy & Food Systems – Wollgast Jan, DG JRC Joint Research Center – Karin Schindler, Ministry of Health Austria – Sirpa Sarlio, Ministry of Health Finland – Vesna Kerstin Petrič, Director of Public Health Directorate, Ministry of Health Slovenia Moderator: Caroline Costongs, EuroHealthNet |
| 16.45 – 17.00 | Conference wrap-up and conclusions – VIDEO Speakers: Vesna Kerstin Petrič, Public Health Directorate, Ministry of Health Slovenia Mojca Gabrijelčič, NIJZ |
The outcome of the two-day online conference was to make recommendations to national authorities and the European Commission on a sustainable plan for future policy action and stakeholder engagement to address the childhood obesity epidemic on EU level.
STOP convened key actors in the health and food sector to generate scientifically sound and policy-relevant evidence on the root causes of childhood obesity, with a focus on vulnerable and socially disadvantaged children and their families. The project aims to identify critical stages in childhood obesity interventions that can be most effective and efficient. JA Best-ReMaP works with member states to adapt, replicate and implement effective health interventions, based on best practices in the areas of food reformulation, food marketing and public procurement of healthy food in public settings.
Building on the second STOP Stakeholder Dialogues Conference, the project hosted its third Childhood Obesity Stakeholder Dialogue as an avenue to continue better understanding their perspective on project processes and outcomes. JA Best-ReMaP will identify promising policy measures with EU member states and European Commission representatives, leveraging on insights from the STOP stakeholder network.
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