Every business, whatever its size, is encouraged to set up a crisis taskforce and to establish a contingency/continuity plan to ensure the protection of its personnel and the maintenance of its activities. EFFAT and FoodDrinkEurope agree that Social Dialogue as well as the involvement of health and safety representatives should be promoted even more during this emergency time.
EFFAT and FoodDrinkEurope have come together, as recognised EU Social Partners in the food manufacturing sector, to agree on these Guidelines which have been developed to support their members in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak.
EFFAT and FoodDrinkEurope encourage their members to jointly discuss and promote these guidelines at company level.
The aim of this joint document is to identify minimum standards to be applied in food businesses during this period of emergency. The adoption of even more effective and tailored measures is of course encouraged. These Guidelines cannot be used to lower the level of health protection already applicable as a consequence of the measures established by the authorities in each country or agreed at national sectoral and/or at company level to deal with the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak.