Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Olivér Várhelyi, in a written answer on 28 July 2026, signalled that voluntary operational tools such as the Healthy Meal Standard (HMS) can support EU nutrition objectives without creating additional regulatory burden, while stressing that nutrition policy remains a national competence. The answer, responding to a question by S&D MEP Biljana Borzan, confirms that the Commission sees a role for governance-based frameworks that strengthen accountability in institutional meal planning, procurement and allergen management, but stops short of any formal EU endorsement or recognition mechanism.
Várhelyi noted that the EU already supports local governments through the Joint Research Centre's criteria for sustainable public procurement for food, catering and vending machines, and that voluntary initiatives like HMS can complement regulatory initiatives. He pointed to the EU Best Practice Portal on Public Health and the joint action PreventNCD, funded with EUR 76 million from the EU4Health programme, as existing channels for sharing and transferring best practices on healthy eating in schools and community settings. The answer reiterates that implementation of such frameworks remains with Member States, as nutrition and healthy diets are their competence.
The answer contains no concrete proposals for new EU-level recognition or certification of the HMS, nor any timeline for further action. It frames the HMS as a non-regulatory approach that Member States may consider relevant from a consumer protection and child health perspective. The Commission's position aligns with its broader approach under the Farm to Fork Strategy and the European Child Guarantee, but does not signal any shift toward EU-wide standardisation of institutional nutrition governance.
For public institutions such as schools and hospitals, the answer provides political backing for voluntary adoption of the HMS, but no EU-level incentives or harmonisation. For food service providers, the lack of EU recognition means continued reliance on diverse national procurement criteria. For consumer and child health advocates, the answer acknowledges the implementation gap but offers no new EU tools to close it. For Member States, the answer reaffirms their autonomy in nutrition policy, which may be welcomed by those wary of EU overreach but leaves the burden of action on national and local governments.