EU Food Safety Almanac n o I t a m r o f n I 2009 Impressum EU Food Safety Almanac 2009 Published by: BfR-Press Office Editors: BfR/EFSA Focal Point No. of copies printed: 2000 The EU Food Safety Almanac is online available (www.bfr.bund.de) and will be updated regulary. Graphic: Kaiser Matthies, www.kaisermatthies.com Typesetting and Printing: Werbedruck Schreckhase, www.schreckhase.de Reprint allowed with permission of the editor. ISBN ISSN EU Food Safety Almanac Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung Federal Institute for Risk Assessment 2 Table of contents Preface 5 1. Consumer health protection and food safety 6 2. Food safety in the European Union 8 European Commission 9 Council of the European Union 9 European Parliament 9 European Food Safety Authority 10 Food and Veterinary Office 10 Community Reference Laboratories 10 3. Food safety in the Member States 11 3.1. Austria 11 3.2. Belgium 14 3.3. Bulgaria 17 3.4. Cyprus 20 3.5. Czech Republic 22 3.6. Denmark 25 3.7. Estonia 28 3.8. Finland 31 3.9. France 34 3.10. Germany 37 3.11. Greece 40 3.12. Hungary 43 3.13. Ireland 46 3.14. Italy 49 3.15. Latvia 52 3.16. Lithuania 55 3.17. Luxembourg 58 3.18. Malta 61 3.19. Netherlands 64 3.20. Poland 67 3.21. Portugal 70 3.22. Romania 73 3.23. Slovakia 76 3.24. Slovenia 79 3.25. Spain 81 3.26. Sweden 84 3.27. United Kingdom 87 3 EU Food Safety Almanac 4. Food safety in neighbouring states 90 4.1. Iceland 90 4.2. Norway 92 4.3. Switzerland 95 5. List of abbreviations 98 4 Preface Food Safety in the EU: An Almanac Dear Readers, Food safety in the European Union is an impor- tant goal in the face of the increasingly rapid globalisation of the economy. The range of foods on offer in Europe is steadily growing. This, in turn, leads to an increase in the require- ments that have to be met by European coun- tries and the European Union when it comes to the scientific assessment, reduction and effec- tive communication of food risks. The EU Food Safety Almanac gives an overview This brochure does not claim to give a full of the competent public authorities and the description of the national structures but is structures of food and feed safety within the Eu- intentionally restricted to consumer protection ropean Union. The emphasis is on risk assess- as an object of legal protection. Other objects ment. This overview of the organisational links of legal protection like environmental protection, and cooperation within the European Union not animal welfare, health and safety at work are, only facilitates the search for European partners of course, equally important. However, in the but also avoids duplication of work. Likewise, it interests of transparency, the subject matter promotes the clear setting out of responsibilities. was restricted to the main aspects. This brochure is intended for everyone inter- During the preparation of this EU-Almanac the ested in food safety structures and institutions, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment benefited in particular for experts from everyday practice from excellent and effective support from the like parliamentarians, the staff of food safety EFSA Focal Points and EFSA itself. I would like agencies, the specialist and general interest to express my sincere thanks for their contribu- press, consumer associations, the food industry tions. and science. Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel The EU Food Safety Almanac provides informa- BfR President tion on the 27 Member States of the European and German Representative on the Union as well as Iceland, Norway and Switzer- EFSA Advisory Forum land. 5 EU Food Safety Almanac 1. Consumer health protection and food safety Europe has common legal regulations that offer This led to a network of public authorities and European consumers a uniform level of protec- institutions in the field of food safety that is now tion. National regulations and risk assessments, the link between the national and European lev- on their own, no longer provide sufficient pro- els but also between the institutions themselves tection in a globalised world. European legis- in the Member States. lation was enacted, transposed into national provisions and supplemented in many cases. The goals of food safety and, by extension, of The European Commission’s White Paper on effective consumer protection are health protec- Food Safety in 2000 was the driver behind a tion, protection against deception and impartial new structure for food safety. It presented a new information for consumers. Without relieving concept for effective, comprehensive consumer companies and consumers of their responsibili- protection: the guarantee of food safety in all ties and their duty of care, state tasks include production and processing steps along the protecting consumers in the field of food safety supply chain “from farm to fork”. by means of risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. This then led to the establishment of the Eu- ropean Food Safety Authority (EFSA), an inde- The first step involves using scientific methods pendent centre of scientific excellence for risk to estimate a risk (risk assessment). The next assessment, and the extension of European step is for risk managers to decide on the risk food legislation. It also brought about institution- management measures. In addition to the scien- al restructuring culminating in the foundation of tific risk assessment, they also look for instance the Directorate General for Health and Consum- at social and economic aspects when evalu- er Protection within the European Commission. ating the suitability and effectiveness of the This meant that food safety was removed from proposed measures. As consumers can only the area of agricultural policy and assigned to take independent purchasing decisions when consumer and health policy. they have sufficient information at their disposal, transparent risk communication is a must for this In step with the changes on the EU level, several target group, too. In this way information about Member States undertook numerous reforms food safety is made available to the public at of their political-administrative structures on large in a suitable form. Other stakeholders the national level. In some Member States, for like scientific circles, political decision-makers, instance in Germany, the existing systems un- companies in the food chain, professional asso- derwent sweeping restructuring and new public ciations, NGOs and other public authorities are authorities and institutions were set up whilst included in this interactive exchange of opinions other Member States simply modified their es- and information. tablished regulatory structures. In particular in the accession states from Central and Eastern The institutional organisation of risk assess- Europe there proved to be a major need for ment, risk management and risk communication reform in order to bring their systems into line takes on different forms in the Member States. with EU legislation. The administrative twinning On the EU level risk assessment and risk com- projects conducted in this context also encom- munication are the task of EFSA whereas risk passed the administrative food safety structures. management, a political task, remains with the 6 of information between the EU Member States and the Euro- Risk Risk pean Commission in the field of management assessment risk-related food and feed. Basis: Decisions Basis: Scientific of the Executive findings However, a BfR study from 2004 revealed that the rapid and ef- ficient exchange of information Risk between the institutions respon- communication sible for consumer protection is Interactive exchange of information frequently difficult. This prompt- and opinions about risks ed the idea for an EU-Almanac. The project was announced by European Commission and the EU Council. In a the BfR President, Professor Dr. Dr. Hensel, at few Member States all three areas of activity are a meeting of the heads of the risk assessment kept together whereas others prefer a functional authorities within the EU. The goal of the Alma- or institutional division of labour. nac, a reference work, is to provide clear infor- mation on the current food safety structures in It has emerged that sufficient knowledge about the Member States and, in this way, to facilitate food safety and an exchange of information the speedier exchange of information, avoid between the various food safety institutions – on duplication of work, increase transparency and the global, Europe-wide and national levels – is promote effective consumer protection. becoming increasingly important for consumer protection. On the global level institutions like The EU-Almanac is an example of constructive the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Food cooperation between all the institutions respon- and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), which sible for food safety within the EU. Both EFSA publish the Codex Alimentarius, and the Inter- and its Focal Points in the EU are expressly national Standardisation Organisation (ISO) are thanked for their contributions to this EU Food involved. On the European level the European Safety Almanac. Commission, EFSA and the EU Member States engage in cooperation. In particular risk as- Kerstin Heike Kühne sessments and the Rapid Alert System for Food Klaus J. Henning and Feed (RASFF) ensure a steady exchange 7 EU Food Safety Almanac 2. Food safety in the European Union European Institutions in the field of food safety European level European Council of European Commission the European Parliament (EC) Union (CEU) (EP) European Food Food and Comm. Ref. Safety Authority Veterinary Laboratories (EFSA) Office (FVO) (CRLs) National level Parliaments, Ministries and Member State Authorities Simplified depiction of the organisation structure Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 and Regulation to ensure compliance with food and feed law. In (EC) No. 882/2004 are the central legal foun- particular, it specifies the establishment of Multi- dations for food legislation. Regulations apply Annual National Control Plans (MNCP) by the directly in all Member States of the European Member States and corresponding reporting Union (EU) without the Member States having to within the EU. enact national laws. Within the EU risk assessment is institutionally Regulation (EC) No. No. 178/2002 lays down separated from risk management. While risk the general principles and requirements of food assessment of food and feed is undertaken by law within the EU. It covers all stages of food the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), EU production and processing along the food chain, risk management is dealt with by the European “from farm to fork”. In addition it establishes and Commission (EC). Risk communication, the third specifies the remits of the European Food Safety component in the risk analysis framework, is a Authority (EFSA) and has created the Rapid Alert shared competence between risk assessors System for Food and Feed (RASFF) network. and managers. Risk assessments are, in princi- ple, published on the Internet. Regulation (EC) No. 882/2004 lays down the general principles of official controls performed 8