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I was delighted to accept Margareta's invitation to give some introductory remarks at today's seminar. May I welcome all participants from Candidate Countries and I hope that you will find today's proceedings useful in terms of gaining insights into our implementation of the wide range of measures set out in the White Paper on Food Safety.
Enlargement is one of the key priorities of the Commission. It is hugely important for a host of reasons geo-political, social and economic. I am personally committed to ensuring that enlargement happens successfully and as quickly as possible.
My own work involves many issues that are crucial to the success of enlargement, none more so that food safety.
Food safety has a high priority in the European Union. The Commission's White Paper on Food Safety of January 2000 addressed existing weaknesses and consumer fears and proposed a substantial number of actions based on the "farm to table" approach.
In order to restore and strengthen consumer confidence, it underlined the need for a review of existing EU requirements in the field of food safety as well as for the establishment of the European Food Authority. The underlying objective is to deliver a high level of public health and consumer protection throughout the Union.
A safe food chain from farm to fork, correctly regulated and effectively controlled is the road to building this confidence. Food businesses have their role to play in this regard, as ultimately it is the responsibility of every business to ensure the safety of the foods they produce, manufacture or sell.
The Commission is committed to ensuring that European consumers have access to the safest food supply in the world. I am personally determined to establish a comprehensive legal framework with effective and open organisational structures so that we can rebuild the fragile confidence in our food supply.
Food safety has to be the driving force in the regulation of the food supply. In addition our legislation must be modern and flexible enough to regulate a highly technologically advanced European food industry while at the same time provide sufficient safeguards in smaller more traditional food businesses. Not only do we have to consider the food law itself but also we have to ensure that our procedures are efficient.
For example where we have approval mechanisms for products, the scientific assessments must be carried out thoroughly and comprehensively, and without undue delay.
Where food safety is assured we must not needlessly block industrial innovation, through over bureaucratic requirements.
One of the key building blocks for an effective food safety regime in the Union is our legislation laying down the general principles and requirements of food law and establishing the European Food Authority. We published our proposals in this regard last November and since then they have been subject to intense scrutiny in the Council and the European Parliament.
I am delighted to say that the legislation is making speedy progress. Let me compliment the efforts of the Swedish Presidency for the extremely hard work they are putting in to advance the legislation.
Given the rate of progress, I am confident that we will be in a position to establish the Authority from the beginning of next year.
Food safety plays an important role in the accession preparations. The Commission's Enlargement Strategy Paper of November 2000 underlined that "in the area of food safety the candidates need to ensure coherent transposition, implementation and controls throughout the whole food chain".
In order to ensure the coherence of the accession preparations in the food safety area, I have asked each of the candidate countries, complementary to the on-going accession negotiations, to draw up a Food Safety Strategy. This document should outline the plans for transposition and implementation as well as for co-ordination between the administrative and enforcement services responsible for food safety.
In the Common Positions on Agriculture of June 2000, the EU underlined that the preparations for enlargement with regard to food safety have direct implications for the functioning of the internal market and the preservation of consumer confidence with regard to all products of animal and plant origin.
Against this background, all concerned must ensure that enlargement will in no way result in a reduction of the present levels of food safety. It is important that consumers feel confident that enlargement will not lead to any weakening in the standards of food control and that safe food will circulate freely in the enlarged Union.
The food safety acquis covers a large number of legislative acts that are often broad in scope and demanding in terms of transposition, implementation and enforcement. It is therefore of crucial importance to ensure that the acquis is fully transposed into national legislation and administrative structures and procedures are strengthened and reformed in good time before accession.
Although progress has already been made in this respect it is clear that substantial efforts are still needed in all Candidate Countries.
In addition to the efforts to achieve compliance with present EU requirements, the Candidate Countries need to take into account that the food safety acquis is a fast moving target that is continuously developing. On the basis of our White Paper on Food Safety a substantial number of initiatives are under preparation in order to guarantee a high level of food safety.
For example, the food safety acquis is developing quickly in the fight against BSE. It will be necessary during the accession preparations that candidate countries achieve full compliance as regards BSE related measures, such as, inspection, testing, and removal of Specified Risk Materials (SRM) and restrictions on the use of Meat and Bone Meal (MBM).
It is clear that the food safety area represents a major challenge in the accession preparations. The Community will be insisting that the candidate countries ensure coherent transposition, implementation and controls throughout the whole food chain so that food safety is not compromised. A high level of food safety in the whole of the enlarged Union is crucial for the functioning of the internal market and for the preservation of consumer confidence.
The candidate countries still need to devote major efforts in the food safety area in order to achieve full compliance with EU requirements as regards transposition, implementation and enforcement of legislation.
Particular efforts will be needed with regard to such areas as the internal market control system, external border controls, public health requirements for establishments for animal products and animal welfare.
Candidate countries must also ensure that inspection systems and laboratories are upgraded and sufficiently equipped and staffed with fully qualified personnel. In addition, the candidate countries must have the capacity to adapt to future changes of the acquis in the field of food safety, which can be expected to develop substantially in the coming years.
All efforts must be made to ensure that the available preaccession instruments are fully used to support this process. The monitoring of the progress made and problems encountered during this process will become an increasingly important element of the accession negotiations.
Consolidating food safety standards across an enlarged EU is crucial to make enlargement a success.