Food Law

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Action Plan on Food Safety
NO	Action	Objective	Ref. in White Paper	Adoption by Commission	Adoption by Council/Parliament
I. Priority measures
1.	Proposal for setting up a European Food Authority	To set up an independent European Food Authority.	29	September 2000	December 2001
2.	Proposal for laying down procedures in matters of food safety	To introduce a comprehensive safeguard measure covering the whole food chain, including feed. To establish a comprehensive Rapid Alert System covering all feed and food emergencies with harmonised requirements and procedures, including third countries on the basis of reciprocity.	80,18	September 2000	December 2001
3.	Proposal for a General Food Law	To establish food safety as the primary objective of EU food To increase transparency, consistency and legal security.	67	September 2000	December 2001
4.	Proposal for a Regulation on official food and feed safety controls	To establish a Community framework for official controls on all food and feed safety aspects along the feed and food chain by: - merging and completing existing rules for national controls and Community controls and inspections within the EU, at the borders and in third countries. - integrating existing monitoring and surveillance systems so as to establish a comprehensive and effective food safety monitoring and surveillance system from farm to table. - establishing a framework for organising consolidated annual programs for controls of foodstuffs. - merging existing Community rules on mutual assistance and administrative co-operation. - creating a Community approach towards a financial support for official controls.	Ch. 6	December 2000	December 2001
5.	Proposal for a Regulation on feed	To establish animal and public health as the primary objective of EU feed legislation To lay down common principles underlying feed legislation (in particular: scientific basis, responsibility of producers and critical control points (HACCP), traceability, efficient controls and enforcement). To recast all existing measures on feedingstuffs so as to create a comprehensive legislative tool increasing transparency, consistency and legal security.	69	December 2001	December 2002
6.	Proposal for a Regulation on novel feed	To put into plan a centralised system for the authorisation of use in animal nutrition of non conventional products, in particular of GMOs and GMO derived feedstuffs.	69	September 2000	December 2001
7.	Amendment to the Annex of Directive 96/25/EC on the circulation of feed materials	To amend the definitions of feed materials listed in the Annex to Decision 96/25/EC, particularly with regard to oils and fats and animal products	69	September 2000	-
8.	Proposal for a Regulation on hygiene To recast horizontal and vertical Directives on hygiene of food of plant and animal origin.	To clarify responsibility of food operators and to introduce the systematic implementation of HACCP. To apply hygiene rules at all levels of the food chain, including primary production.	72	June 2000	June 2002
9(a).	Amendment to Decision 98/272/EC on epidemio-surveillance of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs)	To reinforce TSE surveillance including a study on mandatory testing (rapid post-mortem test) on targeted groups of cattle.	71	March 2000	-
9(b).	Amendment to Decision 98/272/EC on epidemio-surveillance of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs)	To reinforce TSE surveillance in small ruminants	71	September 2000	-
10.	Decision on the Member State and third country residue programmes	To ensure efficacy of residue testing in Member States and third countries.	74	December 2000	-
11.	Proposal for amending Directive 89/107/EEC on food additives	To confer implementing powers for maintaining the lists of permitted food additives and to lay down specific provisions in respect of enzymes	77	December 2000	December 2001
12.	Proposal for amending Directive 95/2/EC on food additives other than colours and sweeteners	To update and revise the list of food additives other than colours and sweeteners	77	December 2000	December 2001
13.	Proposal for amending Directive 88/388/EEC on flavourings for use in foodstuffs	To clarify the scope and update definitions, to set maximum limits for toxic substances and to confer implementing powers to the Commission	77	December 2000	December 2001
14.	Proposal for amending Regulation 258/97 on novel foods and novel food ingredients	To make the necessary adaptations in the light of the conclusions of the report on the implementation of the Regulation and in accordance with the new regulatory framework of Directive 90/220/EEC	76	December 2001	December 2002
15.	Regulation on the labelling of GMO-free foodstuffs	To give operators the possibility to use labelling claims referring to the absence of use of genetic engineering techniques for the production of foodstuffs	76 103	September 2000	-
16.	Proposal for amending Directive 79/112/EEC on the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs	To remove the possibility not to indicate the components of compound ingredients forming less than 25 % of the final product and lay down a list of allergenic substances	100	December 2000	December 2001
17(a).	Proposals for Commission Directives to fix maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticides in food and agricultural commodities	To fix MRLs for pesticides residues for, inter alia: 36 pesticides with existing open positions in the residues directives that will automatically go to zero in July 2000 unless the Commission adopts other values	74	Continuous process	-
17(b).	Proposals for Commission Directives to fix maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticides in food and agricultural commodities	To set MRLs at zero for 8 pesticides that were excluded from Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC	74	June 2000	-
17(c).	Proposals for Commission Directives to fix maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticides in food and agricultural commodities	To set MRLs for new active substances included in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC	74	September 2000	-
18.	Communication on an action plan on nutrition policy	To develop a comprehensive and coherent nutrition policy	106	December 2000	-
II. Feedingstuffs
19.	Proposal for amending Directive 70/524/EEC concerning additives in feedingstuffs	To consolidate the Directive. To fix maximum residue limits for additives. To clarify certain aspects of the procedure (evaluation reports) and the authorisation (generic versus specific).	69	July 2001	December 2002
20.	Amendment to Decision 91/516/EEC on the list of ingredients the use of which is forbidden in compound feedingstuffs	To introduce the changes deemed necessary to the list of feed materials the use of which must be prohibited in compound feedingstuffs, with particular reference to certain by-products from fat processing.	69	June 2000	-
21.	Amendment to the Annex of Directive 1999/29/EC on the undesirable substances and products in animal nutrition	To fix the maximum limits of dioxins for oils and fats, and for other or all feed materials. To collect information on MRLs for other potential contaminants of feedingstuffs will also be fixed.	69	December 2000	-
22.	Proposal for amending Directive 96/25/EEC on the circulation of feed materials	Following reflection to decide whether an exclusive positive list of authorised feed materials should be established	69	December 2002	December 2003
23.	Proposal for amending Directive 95/53/EEC fixing the principles governing the organisation of official inspections in the field of animal nutrition	To foresee a legal basis for a safeguard clause in case of appearing or spreading hazards related to feedingstuffs likely to pose a risk to human health. To introduce an obligation for Member States to carry out a monitoring programme for contaminants in feedingstuffs. To introduce a Rapid Alert System for feed to be integrated in the Rapid Alert System for food. (to be integrated in action 2)	69	March 2000	March 2001
24.	Proposal for amending Directive 79/373/EEC on the marketing of compound feedingstuffs	To review current provisions for the labelling of compound feedingstuffs	69	January 2000	March 2001
25.	Proposal for amending Directive 95/69/EEC laying down the conditions and arrangements for approving and registration of certain establishments and intermediaries operating in the feedingstuffs sector	To introduce provisions for: – Approval or registration of manufacturers of compound feedingstuffs – Approval of manufacturers of certain feed materials – Improving traceability of feed materials and identification of critical points – Establishing a code for good manufacturing practice for animal feeding	69	December 2000	December 2001
III. Zoonoses
26.	Proposal for amending Directive 92/117/EEC on zoonoses	To improve monitoring and reporting system for diseases transmissible from animals to man and to reduce prevalence of specified zoonoses (e.g. salmonella)	70	June 2000	June 2002
27.	Decision on Member State and third country programmes for the control of zoonotic agents on animal products exported to the Community	To ensure that Member States implement adequate measures to control zoonotic agents To ensure that third country products are controlled to the same level as Community products	70	December 2002	-
IV. Animal health
28.	Proposal for a Regulation on animal health requirements for products of animal origin	To recast existing animal health rules for products of animal origin	70	June 2000	June 2002
29.	Increase budgetary allocation for actions provided for in Council Decision 90/424/EEC on expenditure in the veterinary field	To enable actions necessary to improve animal disease eradication (brucellosis, tuberculosis etc) To create a task force for monitoring disease eradication in the Member States	70	May 2000	December 2000
V. Animal by-products
30.	Proposal for amending Directives 90/667/EEC and 92/118/EEC on animal waste and derived products	To recast existing measures of animal by-products not destined for human consumption (meat and bone meal, rendered fats, manure etc.) To ensure that only animal by-products derived from animals declared fit for human consumption can enter the animal feed chain. To clarify responsibility of animal by-products operators To tighten up official control and to improve traceability	69	June 2000	December 2001
VI. BSE/TSE
31.	Decision on classification according to BSE status	Classification of individual countries in view of changes in BSE status (post-mortem tests)	71	June 2000	-
32.	Amendment to Decision 94/381 (feed ban) Decision on the removal of specified risk materials (SRMs) replacing Decision 97/534/EC.	To amend the Decision in the light of recent scientific opinions   To replace Decision 97/534/EC laying down the rules on the prohibition of the use of materials that present risks as regards TSEs. Amendment of the TSE framework proposal accordingly.	71	March 2000
33.	Decision on the harmonisation of BSE rules for imports of live animals and products from third countries	To harmonise the BSE import rules for other third countries	71	September 2000	-
VII. Hygiene
34.	Report on the testing of residues in Member States and third countries	To evaluate the performance of national and third country residue programmes.	74	December 2000	-
35.	Modification of the Annex to Council Directive 96/23/EC on residue monitoring	To re-enforce the monitoring and detection of PCBs and dioxines in food of animal origin.	74	June 2000	-
36.	Proposal for a Decision to review the ante-and post -mortem procedures for animals and meat	To make ante- and post-mortem inspections risk based, and to review inspection methods applied at present	72	September 2001	December 2002
37.	Decision on microbiological standards on certain foods	To fix the maximum limits of undesirable micro-organisms in foodstuffs, after risk assessment.	72	December 2001	-
VIII. Contaminants
38	Amendment to Regulation No 194/97 setting maximum limits for certain contaminants	To set up limits for several contaminants : ochratoxin A, cadmium, lead, 3-MCPD, dioxin and, possibly, PCBs.	73	December 2000	-
IX. Food additives and flavourings
39.	Report on the intake of food additives	To provide an overview of the intake of food additives in the European Union	77	June 2000	-
40.	Proposal for amending Directive 94/35/EC on sweeteners	To update and revise the list of sweeteners for use in foodstuffs	77	December 2000	December 2001
41.	Amendment to Directives 95/31/EC, 95/45/EC and 96/77/EC on purity criteria for food additives (including sweeteners and colours)	To update and complete existing provisions. To introduce a general requirement for a new safety evaluation for permitted additives made from new sources or with new methods.	77	September 2000	-
42.	Amendment to Directive 81/712/EEC laying down Community methods of analysis for the respect of purity criteria	To replace existing provisions with a set of general principles and a reference to other similar provisions	77	June 2001	-
43.	Decision amending the Community register of flavouring substances used in or on foodstuffs	To update the register	77	December 2000	-
44.	Regulation establishing a programme for the evaluation of flavouring substances	To set priorities and time limits for evaluation	77	June 2000	-
45.	Proposal for a Regulation on additives used in flavourings	To lay down a list of additives authorised for use in flavourings	77	June 2001	December 2002
46.	Proposal for a Regulation on smoke flavourings	To lay down the conditions for the production of smoke flavourings	77	June 2001	December 2002
X. Materials in contact with food
47.	Proposal for amending Directive 89/109/EEC on food contact materials	To allow the update of specific Directives through regulatory procedure and to change or add provisions on the labelling of contact materials	78	December 2000	December 2001
48.	Amendment to Directive 90/128/EEC on food contact plastics	To update the list of authorised food contact plastics	78	December 2000	-
49.	Practical guide on food contact materials	To provide guidance on the application of Community provisions relating to contact materials	78	December 2000	-
XI. Novel foods/Genetically modified organisms
50.	Regulation clarifying the authorisation procedure for novel foods and novel food ingredients	To clarify and make more transparent the procedure laid down in Regulation 258/97 for the authorisation of novel foods and novel food ingredients	76	September 2000	-
51.	Report on the implementation of Regulation 258/97 on novel foods and novel foods ingredients	To examine the application of the "novel food" legislation and assess its impact on public health, consumer protection and information, and the functioning of the internal market	76	December 2001	-
52.	Regulation on the labelling of food containing or derived from genetically modified organisms	To further harmonise the provisions governing the labelling of food, additives and flavourings containing or derived from GMO material	76, 103	September 2000	-
XII. Irradiation of food
53.	Proposal for amending Directive 1999/3/EC on foods and food ingredients treated by irradiation	To complete the Community list of foods and food ingredients which may be treated with ionising radiation	79	December 2000	June 2002
54.	Decision establishing the list of irradiation facilities	Publication of the list of irradiation facilities authorised in the Member States and those in third countries which have been approved by the EU	79	December 2000	-
XIII. Dietetic foods/food supplements/fortified foods
55.	Directive on foods intended for intense muscular effort	To lay down specific provisions for foods intended to meet the expenditure of intense muscular effort, especially by sportsmen	105	December 2001	-
56.	Report on foods intended for persons suffering from diabetes	To assess the need for specific provisions for food for people with carbohydrate-metabolism disorders	105	December 2001	-
57.	Proposal for amending Directive 89/398/EEC on dietetic foods	To define the conditions for making the claims "low-sodium" or "sodium-free", and "gluten-free".	105	December 2001	December 2002
58.	Directive on purity criteria for nutritional substances in food for particular nutritional use	To lay down purity criteria for nutritional substances which are added to food for particular nutritional use or which are present in food supplements and foods to which nutrients are added	105	December 2002	-
59.	Directive on substances added for nutritional purposes in foods for particular nutritional uses	To establish a positive list of the various substances which may be added for nutritional purposes in foods for particular nutritional uses	105	June 2000	-
60.	Proposal for a Directive on food supplements	To lay down common criteria for marketing concentrated source of nutrients (vitamins and minerals)	105	March 2000	March 2001
61.	Proposal for a Directive on fortified foods	To lay down provisions for marketing foods to which nutrients such as vitamins and minerals have been added	105	September 2000	September 2001
62.	Amendment to Directive 91/321/EEC on infant formulae and follow-on formulae	To set up a list of pesticides not to be used in agricultural products intended for use in these formulae	105	November 2000	-
63.	Amendment to Directive 96/5/EEC on processed baby foods	To set up a list of pesticides not to be used in agricultural products intended for infants and young children	105	November 2000	-
64.	Amendment to Directive 80/777/EEC on mineral waters	To lay down a list of constituents of mineral waters and the conditions of use for the treatment of certain mineral waters with ozone enriched air	79	September 2000	-
XIV. Labelling of food
65.	Proposal for amending Directive 79/112/EEC on the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs	To specify the conditions under which "functional claims" and "nutritional claims" may be made	101	July 2001	July 2002
66.	Proposal for amending Directive on nutrition labelling	To bring the provisions on nutrition labelling into line with consumer needs and expectations	101	July 2001	July 2002
67.	Proposal for amending Directive on misleading advertising	To clarify the scope of the Directive with regard to claims concerning in particular food, health and the environment	102	December 2000	July 2002
XV. Pesticides
68.	Regulation on monitoring of pesticide residues in food	To improve co-ordination and quality of monitoring of pesticides in foods	74	March 2000	-
69.	Recommendation for a co-ordinated Community Monitoring Programme for pesticides residues in Foods for the year 2001	Recommendation for a co-ordinated Community Monitoring Programme for pesticides residues in Foods for the year 2001	74	December 2000	-
70.	Commission Decisions for pesticide active substances including in or excluding from Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC	Pesticides active substances evaluated in the framework of Directive 91/414/EEC need, after the evaluation to be either included in Annex I or withdrawn from the market.	74	Continuous process	-
71(a).	Regulation on the evaluation of existing pesticides active substances	To fix a priority list of substances for evaluation at Community level; to introduce a notification procedure for all remaining substances	74	December 2000	-
71(b).	Regulation on the evaluation of existing pesticides active substances	To lay out the ground rules for the final stage of the Community evaluation of active substances	74	September 2001	-
72.	Proposal for amending Directive 91/414/EEC	Inter alia, to – extend competence to include genetically modifies organisms, – allow a harmonised Community regime to charge fees for the evaluation of new pesticides active substances – develop a fast-track procedure for low-risk substances, – clarify problems relating to data protection, work-sharing, parallel imports, classification and labelling, borderlines with biocides legislation etc.	74	June 2002	June 2003
73(a).	Directive to develop and adopt the Annexes to Directive 91/414/EEC	To develop Community data requirements for non-GMO microbial plant protection products	74	December 2000	-
73(b).	Directive to develop and adopt the Annexes to Directive 91/414/EEC	To develop a harmonised set of risk and safety phrases	74	December 2001	-
73(c).	Directive to develop and adopt the Annexes to Directive 91/414/EEC	To establish uniform principles for assessment of safety of micro-organisms as plant protection products	74	December 2001	-
XVI. Nutrition
74.	Proposal for Council Recommendations on European dietary guidelines	To support the Member States in their development of nutrition policy at the national level To streamline the flow of information to enable consumers to make informed choices	107	December 2000	December 2001
XVII. Seeds
75.	Proposal for a Regulation concerning environmental risk assessment in respect of genetically modified plant varieties	To lay down the specific conditions for the conduct of the risk assessment applicable to genetically modified varieties of agricultural and vegetable plant species, as required under Council Directive 98/95/EC, as required under Council Directive 98/95/EC.	69 76	March 2001	March 2002
76.	Directives on environmental risk assessment and the assessment principles laid down in Regulation 258/97, in respect of genetically modified plant varieties	To provide for technical and scientific guidance for the conduct of the assessment applicable to genetically modified varieties of agricultural and vegetable plant species.	69 76	June 2001	-
77.	Directives amending the Annexes of the Directives on the marketing of seeds	To lay down the details of the labeHTML>