History and achievements

FEFANA was founded in 1963 by the national associations of the feed additive industry in five European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands). The association’s early mission was to observe and follow-up on the European Economic Community (EEC) that was created six years earlier with the Treaty of Rome. At that time, the key driver of what was to become the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), was assuring the availability of affordable food for European consumers by increasing farming productivity. It was recognised that animal nutrition, including feed additives, played an important role in productivity, animal health and welfare and, ultimately, the quality of animal-derived products for the consumer.

By 1990, the association had grown to 12 members, including the founding members and Denmark, the United Kingdom, Spain, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland. The Secretariat was moved from Bonn in Germany to Brussels in Belgium.

In 2000, FEFANA became one of the sectorial members of CEFIC (the European Chemical Industry Council) until 2004 when it re-established itself as a self-standing European association. Companies became direct members, while the association also maintained a strong national representation network through integrated National Platforms in EU and EFTA member countries. FEFANA’s new set-up enabled members, and in particular SMEs to better cope with legislative requirements and, through FEFANA, to actively participate in the legislative process.

FEFANA has consolidated its pivotal role as a key stakeholder in the EU feed and food chain. The organisation is a reliable partner and significant contributor to managing and addressing important challenges at EU and international level.

The EU legislative framework

A major milestone in FEFANA’s recent history was the creation of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 on additives for use in animal nutrition. FEFANA contributed technical expertise during the development of this important regulation, which was a recast of Directive 70/524/EEC. Our objective was to maintain a level-playing-field for the industry, to allow FEFANA members to strive for innovation in a predictable regulatory environment.

Over the past two decades, several changes have been introduced into the EU legislative framework on specialty feed ingredients and the connected risk assessments carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). FEFANA has played an active role in these developments while also providing guidance to FEFANA members throughout. Indeed, matters related to the implementation and harmonization of EU animal feed rules remain a major task for FEFANA today.

Authorisation of feed additives

Regulation 1831/2003 created a particular challenge due to the required re-authorisation of feed additives that were already on the EU market at the time when the legislation came into force. In 2007, FEFANA took on the responsibility of organising and managing the process of re-authorisation of non-holder (generic) feed additives through setting-up 11 consortia covering more than 1000 feed additives. While the process of re-authorisation for some of these feed additives is still running today, FEFANA’s work has successfully preserved the EU market availability of feed additives that are key to a safe and sustainable feed chain.

In 2020, FEFANA reconfirmed its commitment to the required renewal of EU authorisations after 10 years. The organisation established several collaboration platforms for the renewal of authorisations for non-holder specific feed additives (including those previously re-authorised under FEFANA Consortia). The platforms allow companies, with a shared interest in retaining authorisation of particular feed additives, to collaborate effectively.

EFSA rules and procedures for the risk assessment of feed additives

The EFSA assessment of the safety and efficacy of feed additives has evolved considerably over the past two decades. FEFANA had a leading and coordinating role representing the feed chain in dialogue on the update of several guidance documents on feed additives with EFSA. The association also actively provided input into the development of practical arrangements of the implementation of the Regulation (EU) 2019/1381 on the transparency and sustainability of the EU risk assessment in the food chain with EFSA. Providing guidance to member companies on the practical application of EFSA’s approach on transparency rules remains one of the on-going priorities of FEFANA today.

FAMI-QS – the Quality and Safety System for Specialty Feed Ingredients and their Mixtures

The creation of FAMI-QS in 2004, which was recognised in the Community Guide to Good Practice three years later, was a major achievement of FEFANA. The FAMI-QS Code addresses the safety, quality and regulatory compliance of specialty feed ingredients and their mixtures by minimising product safety risks, enabling operators to implement the objectives of Regulation (EC) No 183/2005 laying down requirements for feed hygiene, and providing measures to ensure that other feed safety regulatory requirements are met. Today, the FAMI-QS code is implemented internationally with a worldwide network of certification bodies.

FEFANA tools for feed chain operators and other stakeholders

According to the needs expressed by FEFANA members and other stakeholders in the feed chain, FEFANA has developed, and made publicly available via its website, tools on:

• Substances classification: to help feed business operators and the competent control authorities in EU Member States to apply a consistent approach for the classification of substances. The tool assists in the differentiation between feed additives (as defined in the Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 and its amendments) and feed materials (as defined in Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 on the placing on the market and use of feed, and its amendments).
• Mixtures classification: to support the effective implementation of Regulation (EC) No 2015/327 on the requirements for the placing on the market and conditions of use of additives consisting of preparations (feed additive preparations). The tool helps operators and authorities to agree on the classification of the different types of feed mixtures marketed in the EU (feed additive preparations, premixtures, compound feed).
• EU Code of Practice on voluntary labelling particulars (claims): to ensure alignment and a shared approach related to the advertising of feed additives and premixtures for both Feed Business Operators (FBOs) and authorities, fostering transparency, fair competition, and predictability.
• GHS/CLP classification of substances: to support the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of substances and mixtures (the so-called “CLP Regulation”). The tool is intended to aid feed business operators to apply common classifications.

FEFANA events and trainings

Through a series of workshops and webinars, FEFANA has established itself as a powerful platform for industry debate and discussion with authorities and other stakeholders. The organisation has deepened debate on important topics, such as upcoming changes to the EU’s legal framework and/or policy environment, while striving for a proportionate regulatory environment. FEFANA’s regular trainings, covering an introduction to EU feed legislation, offer an opportunity for FEFANA members, in particular newcomers but not exclusively, to receive an overview of the most relevant EU legislation and related FEFANA activities in a user-friendly, educational manner.

Sustainability: the contribution of specialty feed ingredients to sustainable feed and food production

FEFANA has worked for many years on this important topic. Today, with the European Green Deal and its Farm to Fork Strategy, sustainability is of ever-growing importance to business, policy makers and the society-at-large. Working with its partners, FEFANA has delivered the outcome of a series of scientific projects demonstrating how specialty feed ingredients can reduce the environmental impacts of the feed chain. FEFANA is constantly active in all relevant EU policy debates and ready to discuss the technical aspects of assessing the environmental footprint of specialty feed ingredients and feed (including the PEF – Product Environmental Footprint, LCA – Life Cycle Assessment, and communicating the benefits of such ingredients along the feed chain.) In early 2020, FEFANA successfully advocated for the recognition and inclusion of this important aspect in the EU action plan related to the implementation of the Farm to Fork Strategy; calling for the modernisation of the feed additive regulation (Reg. 1831/2003).

International Cooperation for the Convergence of Technical Requirements for the Assessment of Feed Ingredients (ICCF)

FEFANA was one of the founding members of the ICCF, which aims to develop and establish common guidance that covers the technical requirements for the assessment of feed ingredients, including new uses of existing feed ingredients. The initiative brings together feed regulators and industry feed associations to work collaboratively in developing international guidance documents covering various aspects and is a response to meeting the growing global demand of animal products, with a keen focus on sustainability and safety.

Some key challenges ahead

The Specialty Feed Ingredients Industry needs a proportionate and predictable EU regulatory framework which fosters innovation and competitiveness for the industry in a global market.

The modernisation of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 on additives for use in animal nutrition started with a fit-for-purpose evaluation in 2017. The Farm to Fork strategy recognises the need for modernising EU rules on feed additives in the context of achieving the Green Deal objectives. From the perspective of FEFANA and other feed chain stakeholders, the revision is badly needed to unlock the great potential of specialty feed ingredients in helping achieve the objectives of the Green Deal and its Farm-to Fork strategy by addressing the increasing loss of competitiveness of the EU industry caused by disproportionate time and resource intensive authorisation procedures.

FEFANA has pointed out the obstacles for bringing innovative products to the EU market, especially for SMEs, predominantly due to an extremely cumbersome and costly (non-safety related) efficacy assessment. There is also a real risk of losing the availability of feed additives for the EU feed chain that contribute to safe and sustainable feed, because currently the authorisation period is limited to 10 years; a measure that is inconsistent with other areas of the EU food law. A revised regulation must also establish the protection of investment for those companies investing considerable resources in an authorisation (generic / non-holder). It must resolve the problem of excessive costs due to current product labelling requirements that are out of step with today’s modern communication tools and contradictory to the EU’s high-level digitalisation objective.

FEFANA continues to work with authorities and other stakeholders to unlock the currently suspended process. It will provide the technical input needed for a successful outcome of the revision, which will play a pivotal role in defining the EU regulatory environment for feed additives for decades to come.

The revision of Regulation (EC) No 429/2008 of 25 April 2008 on detailed rules for the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 as regards the preparation and the presentation of applications and the assessment and the authorisation of feed additives, is also of paramount importance to our industry. This regulation sets the parameters for the requirements and resource allocations related to the dossiers that are required for EFSA’s risk assessment. FEFANA has dedicated significant effort on developing proposals aimed at facilitating the application process which reduces the burden while ensuring the EU’s high feed and food safety standards.

FEFANA is engaged in several crucial areas, where ongoing and upcoming changes may have significant implications for the feed additives industry. This includes the EU feed additive regulation, and the up-coming horizontal EU legislative framework for sustainable food system(s), a flagship of the European Green Deal and its Farm-to-Fork Strategy. Moreover, attention is drawn to the implications of changes in other areas covered by the Green Deal and beyond. FEFANA remains dedicated to collaborating with partner associations to tackle cross-sectorial issues, ensuring our members are well-informed and ready to adapt to evolving requirements.

FEFANA is one of the founding members of the European Livestock Voice, a multi-stakeholder group of like-minded partners in the livestock food chain. The group’s members have decided to unite for the first time to balance the debate around a sector that plays such an essential role in Europe’s rich heritage and future. Indeed, there is an ever-increasing need to counter anti-livestock campaigns in alliance with other EU partners. FEFANA will continue to actively defend a science- and fact-based approach towards the development of EU policies and legislation.

FEFANA’s commitment to the future of the Specialty Feed Ingredients industry

FEFANA will continue to promote the growing recognition of the sustainability-related benefits of feed additives as well as the importance of the specialty feed ingredients industry as a key strategic sector for the EU and beyond.

FEFANA is committed to its mission, which is to drive and promote the EU Specialty Feed Ingredient industry’s activities and interests in a global market, and to provide support and guidance to its members in the transition to a more sustainable future economy.

FEFANA will continue to work and deliver for the Specialty Feed Ingredients industry to make an even greater contribution to sustainable animal nutrition through the supply of innovative, safe, and cost-effective specialty feed ingredients to assure food security while minimising environmental impact, prioritising animal health and welfare at every step of the way.