Today's Financial Times article is below.

Brussels warns on junk food: Industry given year to stop targeting children: Obesity 'a European problem': Commission ready to legislate if no progress is made

by John Mason and George Parker

The food industry has been given a year to stop advertising junk food to children and improve product labelling or face legislation in the European Union.

Markos Kyprianou, EU health and consumer affairs commissioner, warned in a Financial Times interview that urgent action was needed to tackle Europe's obesity problem, particularly among the young.

Mr Kyprianou believed self-regulation in the food industry was the quickest and most effective way to tackle the problem. But he warned the European Commission would resort to legislation if progress proved disappointing.

He said: "The signs from the industry are very encouraging, very positive. But if this doesn't produce satisfactory results, we will proceed to legislation."

The Commission can initiate legislation using rules covering the EU single market - under which it recently banned newspaper tobacco advertising - or on consumer protection grounds.

Brussels also wants to encourage initiatives to promote healthy lifestyles, involving national governments, the food industry and health bodies.

Mr Kyprianou said that until recently Europe "considered obesity to be a US problem . .. we made fun of Americans in a way. It is a European problem now".

A recent report showed the condition was a problem across Europe, worse in some southern countries normally associated with a healthy Mediterranean lifestyle than in the north. It found that 36 per cent of nine-year-olds in Italy were obese.

The CIAA, the food industry's umbrella group in Europe, said it was already working with the Commission to develop new proposals for more rigorous advertising and labelling regimes.

"There is a need for improvement but there is no magical solution for doing this in practical terms," it said, adding it would be pressing for self-regulation rather than legislation.

The US food industry is already changing its practices in response to pressure from health campaigners. Kraft Foods said last week it would stop marketing products such as popular Oreo biscuits directly to children.

Mr Kyprianou said he wanted other companies that sell products with high fat, sugar or salt content to follow suit. "I would like to see the industry not advertising directly to children any more," he said.

He also urged food manufacturers to adopt clearer labelling "more easily understood by a consumer who doesn't have a PhD in chemistry".

The Cypriot commissioner will announce in March a new "platform" with the food industry to agree the new self-regulatory standards, which he hoped would produce commitments by the end of this year or early next.

Initiatives are being discussed in the UK to cut television advertising of junk food directed at children.

A colour-coded labelling system has also been proposed although many in the industry have criticised this for being misleading and over-simple.

The obesity problem has been recognised by the UK industry for some years but manufacturers and retailers have still been surprised at the speed the issue has risen up the political agenda over the past 18 months. The industry backs voluntary reforms but has said progress is likely to be gradual.