Djeca kao potrošači

CHILDREN ARE CONSUMERS TOO !!!

(OPEN LETTER)

 Dear Sir,

 On the occasion of the 25^th anniversary of the World and the 10^th anniversary of the European Consumer Rights Day marked by the campaign

 “STOP THE MARKETING OF UNHEALTHY FOOD TO CHILDREN”

we invite you to join us in an action to create the necessary preconditions for healthy nutrition and development of young generations in the Republic of Croatia. Proceeding from the statement the US president J.F. Kennedy gave 46 years ago:

“Consumers, by definition, include us all.

Including me as the US President.

They are the largest economic group affected by almost every public and private economic decision.

They are the most important group whose views are often not heard.

The consumer voice must be heard.”

all of us, who are designated by the National Consumer Protection Programme in the Republic of Croatia as the ones responsible for consumer protection, should always bear in mind the following facts:

• children are consumers too!!!

• children have the right to choose freely!!!

• children have the right to be informed of what they eat!!!

• nowadays, children are the basic target group for a great number of marketing campaigns, including children food marketing!!!

• a great number of children all over the world are in danger of obesity!!

Taking into consideration the above facts and the fact that children, pre-school and early-school aged, in particular, are insufficiently consumer-informed, we as the ones responsible for consumer protection in the Republic of Croatia should devote our full attention to health and proper nutrition of our young generations:

• during manufacture of children’s food

• during labelling of children’s food

• in choosing children’s food

• in advertising children’s food

We should start implementing the guidelines from the White Paper on Food Safety by BEUC (European Consumers’ Organization) this very day and get involved in their campaign and the global campaign of Consumers International.

An instructive example of such responsibility is the “Spring Menus for Primary School Pupils in the City of Zagreb” Project presented not a month ago by the City Office for Education of the City of Zagreb, which is only the beginning and an example how a well-thought campaign based on active partnership can be used by all of us responsible for consumer protection in our dealings with food manufacturers, traders, advertising agencies and inspection services.

Best regards

IlijaRkman, MSc

President of “Potrošač”

Croatian Union of Consumer Protection Organizations

Enclosed:

Letter “International Code on the Marketing of Unhealthy Food to Children” which all associations, members of the Consumers International send to their national ministries of health and social welfare.

 _____________________

«CONSUMER»

CROATIAN UNION OF CONSUMER PROTECTION ORGANIZATIONS

(collective member of Consumers International)

Ilica 48/I, 10000 Zagreb

phone: 01 48 35 889; phone/fax: 01 48 35 888;

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web-site: www.potrosac.hr

MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE

Attn. Minister

DARKO MILINOVIĆ, MD, MSc

Zagreb, 14 March 2008

Cc.

• OMBUDSMAN FOR CHILDREN

• MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

• MINISTRY OF ECONOMY, LABOUR AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

• STATE INSPECTORATE

• MEDIA COUNCIL

• MEDIA