One year of FMTE
A year ago, four of Europe’s leading food manufacturing technology companies came together to launch Food Manufacturing Technologies Europe (FMTE). Our aim was simple: to give the industry a unified voice in EU policymaking, at a moment when vital issues such as food security, water resilience and biotechnology had moved to the top of Europe’s agenda.
Twelve months on, here is what year one looked like.
Setting out where we stand
A core part of our first year was to bring the sector’s perspective to the EU’s most important policy files for food manufacturing technologies.
We started by setting out our vision. Our Policy Manifesto laid out our priorities for a competitive, resilient and sustainable food system in Europe, structured around three pillars:
Activate an enabling environment
Advance resource efficiency
Accelerate new food sources
We also developed our position on specific issues that matter most to our sector. In our position paper on the EU Water Resilience Strategy, we set out how water-efficient technologies in food processing can ease pressure on Europe's water resources. The paper highlights a striking imbalance: food manufacturing represents less than 2% of Europe's total water use, but holds 30 to 50% savings potential through technologies that already exist and can be deployed at scale, now.
On biotech, we contributed twice to the legislative debate: first to the public consultation on the EU Biotech Act, and then by joining a joint call on "Biotech Act II: a vital Act for biomanufacturing in Europe", outlining how biomanufacturing should be supported through regulation, infrastructure, and skills.
Engaging with EU institutions
Position papers are only a first step. What matters most is to reach the right people. Throughout the year, we engaged directly with key policymakers in the European Commission and the European Parliament. We also started building relationships with a broad range of stakeholders to foster exchange and collaboration.
In September last year, our Board members and Sherpas held a first series of high-level meetings with Pernille Weiss-Ehler (Cabinet of Commissioner Jessika Roswall), Claire Bury (Deputy Director-General, DG SANTE), and Vilija Sysaite (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné). Discussions covered food contact materials, chemicals policy, biotech, food waste, and water resilience. As a young organization, we were pleased to see the interest in our industry and the good feedback received on our messages.
In February, we met with Antonella Rossetti, Cabinet Member of Agriculture and Food Commissioner Hansen, to discuss the contribution of Europe’s food manufacturing technologies industry to a more resilient, competitive and sustainable food system. More recently, our Board representative Eline Suijlen represented us at the European Commission’s Working Group on Water and Droughts in Barcelona.
These engagements complement the regular work of our working bodies, which meet on a regular basis to feed FMTE’s advocacy work and align on strategy and policy priorities.
A growing organisation
We were founded by Alfa Laval, Krones, SPX FLOW and Tetra Pak, four companies whose combined expertise spans most of the food manufacturing technologies value chain.
FMTE’s launch attracted interest. In February, under the leadership of our new President Ola Elmqvist (Tetra Pak), who succeeded founding President Charles Brand, we welcomed two new members: Vickers Oils, a UK-based specialty lubricants manufacturer with deep food-grade expertise, and Endress+Hauser, a global leader in process measurement and automation. With other applications are in the pipeline, FMTE will continue to broaden its representation across the industry.
Looking ahead
We intend to keep the same pace going forward. Year two will see us deepen our policy work, further grow our organisation, and continue making the case for food manufacturing technologies as a key contributor to Europe’s industrial competitiveness, food security, and sustainability goals. We are just getting started!
Interested in joining FMTE or learning more about our policy positions? Membership enquiries can be addressed to directorgeneral@fmte.org. Read our latest position papers on our News page.