Eurofound's representativeness studies are designed to allow the European Commission to identify the ‘management and labour’ whom it must consult under article 154 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). This series consists of studies of the representativeness of employer and worker organisations in various sectors.

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the Food and drink sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in the European sectoral social dialogue and their capacity to negotiate agreements. The aim of Eurofound’s studies on representativeness is to identify the relevant national and European social partner organisations in the field of industrial relations in the EU Member States. This study identifies EFFAT – representing employees – and FoodDrinkEurope – representing employers – as the representative European-level social partner organisations in the food and drink sector.

The report concludes among other outcomes that EFFAT is the only representative European trade union organisation for the food and drink sector, and FoodDrinkEurope is the most representative European employer organisation for the food and drink sector.