SAFE’s General Assembly 2026
23 June 2026
The 2026 General Assembly of SAFE was held on 23 June. It provided an opportunity to reflect on last year’s activities and highlights of SAFE and its members, marked by growth and increasing recognition at the European level. It brought together 16 members from 12 member states of the EU committed to promote sustainable, healthy, safe and inclusive food systems. The meeting was opened by Floriana Cimmarusti, Secretary General at SAFE alongside SAFE Board member Giulia Mauri and Loris di Pietrantonio from DG EMPL at the European Commission, who highlighted their trust in SAFE’s work.
SAFE team briefly presented its thirteen EU-funded projects as well as the ESF+ operating grant, with a large range of topics, from sustainability and food waste reduction to public health, consumer protection and innovation in novel foods. Luigi Tozzi, Deputy Director at SAFE presented SAFE’s advocacy efforts on main regulatory topics such as new genomic techniques, ultra-processed foods, microplastics, and eating disorders.
The role of new members was central throughout the Assembly, with CERDEN (Belgium), Huerteco (Spain), Heroes of Responsible Dining (Hungary) and Bioconsom’acteurs (France) who introduced themselves and presented their work. Their activities include research, campaigns on health, organic food and sustainable food, as well as education initiatives for vulnerable communities and children through workshops, school trainings and community engagement.
CEIP (Croatia) and EEKE (Greece) highlighted their ongoing collaboration with SAFE, particularly within projects such as Preventia, on the prevention of non-communicable diseases and the promotion of healthy lifestyles among vulnerable groups. Chiara Manzi presented her work on reformulating ultra-processed foods to make them healthier.
The General Assembly also opened a broader reflection on the role of civil society in the European Union. In a context where NGOs are increasingly facing scrutiny and pressure, this meeting reaffirmed the importance of advocacy organisations in representing the voices of citizens and supporting democracy.
Looking ahead, SAFE aims to strengthen member engagement, to expand its projects and to continue to influence the European food policy. Secretary General Floriana Cimmarusti called for collective action to amplify their impact and contribute to improve and protect European regulations.
