EU Code of Conduct for Responsible Business and Marketing Practices

The EU Pledge was launched in December 2007 as part of signatories’ commitment to the European Union Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, the multi-stakeholder forum set up by the European Commission in 2005 to encourage stakeholders to take initiatives aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles in Europe.

In July 2021, EU Pledge was submitted to the European Commission’s Code of Conduct on Responsible Business and Marketing Practices to work towards the Code’s objectives and targets, notably the Code’s indicative action to “apply responsible food marketing and advertising practices, e.g. by adhering to self- and co-regulatory initiatives and standards”.

The Code includes a set of 7 aspirational objectives, each with specific targets and a list of indicative, tangible and measurable actions, which actually contribute to a food environment that makes healthy and sustainable food choices easier.

In the context of the EU’s Code of Conduct, the EU Pledge commitment is owned by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), which also supports the programme.

In line with the Terms of Reference of the EU’s Code of Conduct, EU Pledge signatories are required to monitor and report on the implementation of their commitments. EU Pledge member companies have committed to carry out independent third-party compliance monitoring of the EU Pledge commitments.