The Official Journal of the European Union publishes in its issue of 3 August 2010, Council Decision of 30 July 2010, establishing the High Level Forum for a Better Functioning Food Supply Chain. The Forum will assist the Commission with the development of industrial policy in the agro-food sector, and the provisions of this Decision will be applicable until 31 December 2012.

In order to assist the Commission, the High Level Forum for a Better Functioning Food Supply Chain will follow the recommendations of the High Level Group on the Competitiveness of the Agro-Food Industry established by Commission Decision 2008/359/EC on the one hand and, on the other hand, the implementation of the initiatives proposed by the Commission in its Communication ‘A better functioning food supply chain in Europe’.

The Commission may consult the Forum regarding any issue linked to the competitiveness and functioning of the food supply chain in the internal market, in order to draw up new recommendations in accordance with developments in the food supply chain.

The Forum will be composed of not more than 45 members belonging to authorities responsible for the food sector at ministerial level, businesses actively involved in the agro-food industry, as well as trade and distribution of agro-food products in the EU, associations and federations representing agriculture, the agro-food industry and the trade and distribution of agro- food products in the EU, non-governmental organisations with expertise in matters relating to the food supply chain. Members will be appointed for a one-year renewable term of office and shall remain in office until such time as they are replaced.

The Forum will be chaired by the Commission and produce an annual report on its activities, for the attention of the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament. Then, a preparatory group, named as the ‘sherpa group’, will prepare the debates, position papers and opinions with a view to producing the Forum's annual report.

According to the Decision, the Commission may convene working groups responsible for examining specific issues under a mandate established in agreement with the Forum or with the sherpa group. Such working groups will be dissolved as soon as their mandates are fulfilled. The Commission may ask experts, observers with specific competence in a subject or the European Parliament on the agenda to participate in the work of the Forum, or in the deliberations or work of the sherpa group or working groups.

The Forum, the sherpa group and the working groups will generally meet on Commission premises and the members of the Forum will comply with the professional secrecy obligations set out in the Treaties and in their implementing rules, and with the security rules of the Commission relating to the protection of EU classified information.