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Members of the European
Parliament's Development Committee reacted with a mixture of
shock and outrage as they heard a string of differing excuses
offered by Nestlé to explain its absence from a Public
Hearing on corporate responsibility, which took place in Brussels
on 22nd November.
At the Hearing, The
Network for Consumer Protection in Pakistan, a member of the
International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), presented damning
evidence of baby food marketing malpractice, including documentary
evidence of bribes paid to doctors and sales targets set for
staff (Network presentation).
UNICEF's Legal Officer also commented on Nestlé's incorrect
interpretation of the marketing requirements adopted by the
World Health Assembly (UNICEF
presentation).
Tracey Wagner-Rizvi,
Campaigns Coordinator at The Network, told the Committee how
she had used EU regulations to report violations concerning
labels on Nestlé products exported from the Netherlands,
but the European Commission had taken no action. Richard Howitt
MEP, who organised the Hearing, called for the Commission to
review the procedures to make them effective. The Network also
launched Masking the Truth, a critique of an audit commissioned
by Nestlé. Ms Wagner-Rizvi said: "In short, the
audit is a whitewash. The company should answer these charges
and address the real issues. Why are they not prepared to do
so?"
Richard Howitt MEP,
told the Independent
newspaper (23rd November 2000) that Nestlé and Adidas,
which also refused to send a representative to participate in
the Hearing into its activities, had shown: "utter contempt
for a properly constituted public hearing. Not to attend reveals
a combination of arrogance and distance which has set their
cause back."
Mr. Sunil Sihna,
of Emerging Market Economics, presented the audit he had prepared
as a consultant for Nestlé and suggested that MEPs might
also like to question Lord Nazir Ahmed, who had been proposed
as an alternative speaker for the Nestlé slot. A consultant
from the Shandwick public relations company, who accompanied
Mr. Sihna, was seen to lobby journalists.
Mike Brady, Campaigns
and Networking Coordinator at Baby Milk Action said: "Last
year Nestlé Chairman, Helmut Maucher, told his shareholders
that he welcomed the hearing and Nestlé has made statements
calling for cooperation 'to further the implementation of the
WHO Code.' By refusing to address the real issues in a transparent
and democratic forum, Nestlé has revealed that these
are hollow statements for public consumption. Meanwhile the
marketing malpractice continues, contributing to the unnecessary
death and suffering of infants around the world."
Also see: The Guardian
23
November 2000.
Notes for editors
- For further information
contact Mike Brady or Patti Rundall at Baby Milk Action, 23
St. Andrew's Street, Cambridge, CB2 3AX. Tel: (01223) 464420.
Fax: (01223) 464417. E-mail: info@babymilkaction.org
- The European
Parliament Development and Cooperation Committee report under
which the hearing was called is entitled: EU standards
for European Enterprises operating in developing countries:
towards a European Code of Conduct. It was adopted by
the Parliament on 15th January 1999. Richard Howitt MEP, who
steered the report through Parliament and has organised the
hearings, can be contacted for further information on: + 32
2 284 5477
- For further details
and for pictures for publication visit the "codewatch"
and "resources"
sections of Baby Milk Action's website. The Network and Baby
Milk Action are both members of the International Baby Food
Action Network (IBFAN).
- The International
Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes was adopted
by the World Health Assembly in 1981 as a "minimum requirement"
to be implemented by Member States "in its entirety."
Subsequent Resolutions have addressed questions of interpretation
and changes in marketing practices and scientific knowledge.
European Union Council Resolution 92/C 172/01 "on
the marketing of breastmilk substitutes in third countries
by Community-based manufacturers" references the
International Code.
- The Parliamentary
Hearing aimed to address: "marketing of infant formula
in developing countries according to the WHO rules and European
Council resolution... the operation and effectiveness of companies'
own voluntary code of conduct will also be of interest to
Committee members." Nestlé's decision to boycott
the event exposes the call it made in a letter sent to Baby
Milk Action by Nestlé Vice-President, Niels Christiansen,
on 4th October 2000, which stated: "I realise that
it may be difficult for you to envisage Baby Milk Action and
Nestlé working together to further the implementation
of the WHO Code, or that you could have greater success in
reaching your objectives by participating in agreed-upon processes
which allow verification of allegations under the watchful
eye of national governments. Rather than devoting continued
resources in trying to maintain a public confrontation, let's
use them, instead, to work together with WHO and governments,
as the Code calls for, to develop verifiable processes of
monitoring." According to one of the excuses explaining
Nestlé's absence, it objected to the presence of IBFAN
and UNICEF at the hearing.
- Stockton Borough
Council invited Baby Milk Action and Nestlé to present
their cases to an special Council meeting on 11th September
2000 after questions arose over the ethics of accepting funding
from Nestlé for a town centre initiative. Nestlé
pulled out of the meeting. The Council stated: "This
was to avoid an open debate which they felt would have led
to controversy, and the potential negative publicity for both
themselves and the town centre. Although Nestlé are
still prepared to look favourably on investing... this could
not be done without going through the formal democratic process
of hearing both sides of the argument." (See Baby
Milk Action press release 1st
September 2000).
- According to
UNICEF, reversing the decline in breastfeeding could save
the lives of 1.5 million infants around the world every year.
In Pakistan, 26% of the population does not have access to
safe water and 53% do not have access to adequate sanitation.
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