New set of EU food safety laws

New set of EU food safety laws

In mid-July 2000 David Byrne, the Commissioner whose responsibilities include consumer protection and food safety, made an important announcement concerning the reorganisation of EU food safety legislation. This announcement also follows as a development from the earlier publication of the White Paper on food safety(see above).

The reorganisation (described as the "most radical shake-up for 25 years")will replace the general food hygiene directive and 16 product-specific food safety directives with just five new directives.

The directives to be replaced are:

• 1.

  Directive 64/433/EEC (fresh meat);

• 2.

  Directive 71/118/EEC (poultry meat);

• 3.

  Directive 72/461/EEC (fresh meat);

• 4.

  Directive 77/96/EEC (trichina examination);

• 5.

  Directive 77/99/EEC (meat products);

• 6.

  Directive 80/215/EEC (meat products);

• 7.

  Directive 89/362/EEC (milking hygiene);

• 8.

  Directive 89/437EEC (egg products);

• 9.

  Directive 91/492/EEC (live bivalve molluscs);

• 10.

  Directive 91/493/EEC (fishery products);

• 11.

  Directive 91/494/EEC (poultry meat);

• 12.

  Directive 91/495/EEC (rabbit meat and farmed game meat);

• 13.

  Directive 92/45/EEC (game meat);

• 14.

  Directive 92/46/EEC (milk and milk products);

• 15.

  Directive 92/48/EEC (fishing vessels);

• 16.

  Directive 93/43/EC (foodstuffs in general); and

• 17.

  Directive 94/65/EC (minced meat).

The replacement measures will be as follows:

• 1.

  regulation on foodstuffs in general;

• 2.

  regulation setting specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin;

• 3.

  regulation setting detailed rules for the organisation of official controls on foods of animal origin;

• 4.

  regulation laying down animal health rules governing the production,marketing and importation of products of animal origin; and

• 5.

  directive to repeal or amend earlier directives whilst leaving implementing decisions in place.

The full text of the announcement is available on the EU's RAPID database at the following URL: http://europa.eu.int/en/comm/spp/rapid.htmlThe announcement was made on 17 July 2000 and thus the text can be found by limiting the search to this date. Alternatively, the text may be found by utilising the document number IP/00/791.

The new measures will be published in due course (as formal proposals) in the Official Journal of the European Communities "C" Series. As the formal proposals make their way through the EU legislative system they will each be considered by the Economic and Social Committee and by the Committee of the Regions – the opinions provided by each of these groups will also appear in the official journal in due course.

The measures will also be considered by the European Parliament and the outcomes reported via the Parliament's Web site. However, it should be noted that items 1-3 and 5 are proposed to be joint measures agreed by the Parliament and by the Council. Item 4 is proposed as a Council measure, although the Parliament will express an opinion which will be published in the official journal.

Eventually, the new measures will be fully agreed (perhaps after very significant amendments to the proposed text) and the final agreed wording will be published in the official journal "L" series.

Meanwhile, substantial drafts of the proposals have been produced –these are not available on the Internet but interested readers who wish to know the current status can contact the Food Standards Agency for copies and further information (send e-mail to: bob.moody@foodstandards.gsi.gov.ukor, in Scotland, to marie.kelly@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk).