The European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA) is to hold a meeting and its first global conference in Brussels in September to discuss the future of the European sports nutrition industry at a crucial time for the sector.
As the European Commission finalises its report on the future regulation of sports nutrition products in the coming months, and a resolution to the legislative debate surrounding the industry approaches, both members and non-members are being invited to the ESSNA conference which will take place in Brussels on 9-10 September.
The conference will be a forum for representatives of Europe’s leading sports nutrition firms to discuss issues such as the shape of legislation affecting the sports nutrition sector in the run up to the Commission’s report, which will have vast implications for the industry and its consumers. American businesses which currently export to Europe, or which anticipate doing so in the near future, are also expected to attend.
The conference will also include presentations on the challenges that the sector will face in July 2016, when the current framework directive regulating the industry is repealed, as well as a panel discussion on anti-doping in the industry, a roundtable discussion on the industry’s concerns about the regulatory framework, and networking opportunities for participants. An agenda with details of speakers, who will include Dora Szentpaly-Kleis, policy officer at the Commission’s DG SANTE, among others, is attached, and can be accessed on the website (www.essna.com).
ESSNA chair, Dr Adam Carey, said: “The debate about the best way to regulate sports nutrition products has lasted for over ten years and we are now at a pivotal point in the evolution of our industry. There is no better time to gather together to discuss the future of our sector and to ensure further growth in what is an already thriving sector.”
“The debate about the best way to regulate sports nutrition products has lasted for over ten years and we are now at a pivotal point”
ESSNA’s Director of Strateg, Chris Whitehouse, added: “In constructive dialogue with legislators and regulators in the institutions of the European Union and its 28 Member States, ESSNA has delivered a paradigm shift in the reputation of the sports nutrition sector and in perceptions of the best way in which to regulate its products. We’re particularly pleased by our very close working relationship with Commission officials and are delighted that they will be addressing the conference and discussing key issues with ESSNA members.”
• The conference is free to attend but spaces are limited. It will be held at the Stanhope Hotel, Rue du Commerce 9, Brussels. To register or for more information visit (http://www.essna.com/category/events/) or contact Samuel Blainey on [email protected]k
