OpenLobby.EU
Explore

The Protein Project

The association aims to improve the European agri-food system with a focus on accelerating protein diversification.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Catherine Geslain-Laneelle (Director Agriculture and Rural Development)

13 Jan 2026 · Feuille de route industrielle sur la féverole

Meeting with Gijs Schilthuis (Director Agriculture and Rural Development)

3 Nov 2025 · Industrial Roadmap for Fava Beans (food & feed)

Response to Food and Feed Safety Simplification Omnibus

14 Oct 2025

[Context of The Protein Project] In 2024-2025, we have set up a coalition of stakeholders from across the protein value chain. They together wrote a position paper on sustainable protein diversification, arguing that it is a critical framing to depolarise the debate and propose concrete solutions to improve the protein landscape. The paper is supported by 90+ organisations and can be found in the attached file.Through our bottom-up approach with farmers and coalition members, we have highlighted our view on the current state of the food and agricultural sector incl. 8 recommendations that the Commission should focus on to ensure sustainable protein diversification delivers maximum benefits for all. Please refer to the attached document for the full position. [Specific input related to this file] For this public consultation and policy file, it is important to recognise the importance of innovative plant-based and novel foods (see recommendation VI) and ensure R&D investments in this space, develop public-private partnerships and allow innovative foods to reach consumers more rapidly without compromising on health and safety standards. It is also essential to create a level playing field amongst proteins in Europe (recommendation VII). Fermentation-based proteins and foods are promising in terms of competitiveness and sustainability and therefore fall in the above category. We ask the European Commission to explore routes to accelerate the access to market of these technologies without compromising on health and safety standards. (e.g. increasing pre-submission support, increasing capacity of EFSA, ...) as well as providing a clear legal framework on the GMO qualification of fermentation-based foods. We advocate for a clear differentiation between food products made with use of GMOs in the process, or food products containing significant amounts of GMOs in the final product. [Openness for further collaboration] The Protein Project is functioning as a bridgebuilder within value chains, right now amongst others in the fava bean and fermentation sector, for both for food and feed applications. Although we have not yet agreed on a final position on these topics with our coalition partners, we'd be delighted to share more about our current insights and have conversations with the EC to discuss considerations for both feed and food in the light of this omnibus legislation. Lastly we would like to ask if a modular approval of the different aspects in this omnibus would be possible given the versatility of topics that has to be addressed.
Read full response

Meeting with Giulia Del Brenna (Head of Unit Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

31 Jul 2025 · Introduction to The Protein Project

Meeting with Pierre Bascou (Deputy Director-General Agriculture and Rural Development)

23 Jul 2025 · Exchange of views on the future of Proteins in the EU