Commission launches White Paper on Food Safety, January 2000

On 12 January the European Commission adopted a White Paper on Food Safety, which sets out an 84-point Action Plan for Food Safety and proposes that the EU should set up a European Food Authority.

At the same time, the Commission announced that responsibility for all food safety matters will be transferred to Commissioner David Byrne, head of the Health and Consumer Protection DG. He had previously shared responsibility with Enterprise Commissioner Erkki Liikanen - who will still be consulted where proposals for food legislation impinge on the interests of enterprise and competitiveness (see footnote to Press Release (Commission) IP/00/20, 12.01.00, which gives general details of the White paper).

In a separate development on the same day, the UK Department of Health announced who will manage the UK's new Food Standards Agency (DOH Press Release 2000/0018, 12.01.00). The appointment of a scientist as Chairman of the FSA was immediately criticised by the Consumers' Association for not sending the right message to consumers (Press Release Consumers' Association challenges Chair of Food Standards Agency on UK food safety).

Background to the White Paper

The White Paper on Food Safety (COM (1999) 719) has its origins in two 1997 publications: the Green Paper on the general principles of food law in the European Union (COM (97) 176), and a Commission Communication on Consumer health and food safety(COM (97) 183).

The SCADplus database contains a summary of the Green Paper and the website of the Health and Consumer Protection DG includes the Consumer Committee's comments on it. The European Parliament has also produced a Report on the Green Paper (A4-0009/98).

The Commission's Communication (summarised in Press Release IP/97/360) was intended to introduce a “proper food policy” as announced by President Jacques Santer in a speech to the European Parliament, during its Debate on the Report by the Committee of Inquiry into BSE (SPEECH/97/39, 19 February 1997).

A general introduction to food safety issues can be found in Background Briefing 32: Consumer policy / food safety, published by the European Commission Representation in the United Kingdom (updated January 1999).

Contents of the White Paper

The White Paper addresses food safety issues under five main headings:

1. A European Food Authority
The Paper envisages the establishment of an independent, transparent and scientifically excellent European Food Authority (EFA), whose tasks would comprise:

• establishing levels of risk
• gathering and analysing information
• communicating with consumers, scientists and national agencies
• operating the Rapid Alert System for Foodstuffs

The following timetable is proposed for establishing the European Food Authority:

• publication of White Paper: 12 January 2000
• consultation period: end of April 2000
• Commission proposal: September 2000
• enabling legislation: December 2001
• European Food Authority starts operations: 2002

No level of funding is indicated, nor is a location for the new body mentioned; a bid to host the EFA has been launched by Finland.

2. Food Safety Legislation
A 'farm to table' legal framework, comprising 84 proposed measures, would cover: animal feed, animal health and welfare, hygiene, contaminants and residues, novel food, additives, flavourings, packaging and irradiation.

Food safety principles would be embodied in a General Food Law, covering:

• responsibility of feed manufacturers, farmers and food operators
• traceability of feed, food and its ingredients
• risk analysis
• application of the precautionary principle

3. Control of implementation of legislation
To ensure that all parts of the food production chain are controlled, the White Paper proposes a Community framework of national control systems. The framework would have three core elements:

• Operational criteria set up at EU level (Community-level control is currently managed by the Dublin-based Food and Veterinary Office, within the Health and Consumer Protection DG).
• Community control guidelines
• enhanced administrative co-operation in the development and operation of control

4. Consumer Information
Information is seen as critical in improving consumer confidence in food safety.

5. International dimension
As the world's largest importer / exporter of food products, the EU's efforts to improve food safety will need to be effectively presented and explained to other countries.

Reactions and further background information sources

Remarks made by Commissioner Byrne at the launch of the White Paper give additional background to the initiative (Press Release (Council) SPEECH/00/5, 12.01.00).

Responses to the White Paper from consumer groups and the media have not been particularly positive. The European Consumers' Organisation, BEUC, outlined its own views on what the Commission's priorities should be (Press Release EU Food Safety White Paper 11.01.00). The UK-based Consumers' Association stressed the need for the European Food Authority to be given sufficient power to safeguard consumer interests (Press Release Food Safety should be European Priority say Consumers Association 12.01.00). The Financial Times also identified power as an issue and highlighted obstacles to reform (EU: The politics of food safety, 12.01.00). The Guardian was even less enthusiastic, declaring that the new Authority “is a sideshow” (Making food safer: Brussels can bring little to the party 11.01.00).

The BEUC website contains a number of relevant Position Papers, including:
	24.11.99:	Sources of Potential Dangers to Food - Intervention by Jim Murray, to the Hearing on 'Dangers to Food Safety' before the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy, under the chairmanship of Mrs Caroline Jackson, MEP
	5.11.99:	How safe is our food? - How safe is our meat?
	27.07.99:	Safe food - a basic consumer right. Lessons to be learned from the Belgian Dioxin scandal

In the UK, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food website gives further details about the Food Standards Agency.

Further information within European Sources Online:

European Sources Online: European Voice:
	9.12.99:	Action on food safety vital to boost public's faith in EU
	9.12.99:	Commission plans radical overhaul of food safety laws
European Sources Online: In Focus:
	25.10.99:	Export of British beef and the use of sludge in animal feed, November 1999
Further information can be seen in: (long-term access to these links cannot be guaranteed)
BBC News Online:
	12.01.00:	European food safety plan unveiled
	17.03.99:	Special report: Food under the microscope
European Sources Online: Financial Times:
	12.01.00:	EU: Brussels plans to restore food confidence
	13.01.00:	EU: Brussels unveils food safety plan
	13.01.00:	EU: Three-year plan to fulfil bold agenda for food
International Herald Tribune:
	11.01.00:	EU Plans Watchdog for Food Safety

Eric Davies
KnowEurope Researcher
Compiled: 16 January 2000

On 12 January 2000 the European Commission adopted a White Paper on Food Safety, which sets out an 84-point Action Plan for Food Safety and proposes that the EU should set up a European Food Authority.