The relation between EU food safety policy, Codex Alimentarius and WTO
- 18.10.2021
- English Articles
- Dirk Lange
Peer reviewed / Congress lecture of 16 June 2021. The review of this article was carried out in the context of the congress invitation and on the basis of the subsequently submitted text version.
Evolution and current challenges1
Introduction
EU Food law has gone through different development phases. At the beginning, it was a rather patchy spill-over effect of the development of the internal market. In a reaction to the BSE crisis in the 1990s, a real EU food policy was born with its own overarching principles, in particular the one guaranteeing a high level of health protection, and institutions – separate bodies pursue risk management and risk assessment.
Most of the food we consume today do not depend on local production and do not have a seasonal character. The products of globalization constitute a substantial part of our diets. Taking imports and exports of food and agricultural products together, the EU is worldwide the biggest trader of these goods. These international links make food safety concerns a global concern, and “international trade without unjustified barriers”, which I would like to call “fair” trade in this essay, in “safe” food is therefore an inherent interest of the EU [1].
The question is who defines what is “fair” and “safe” in international trade. International organizations like the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) are entrusted to set international standards for “safe” food, and the World Trade Organization (WTO) with its Agreement on the application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), sets out principles for “fair” trade.
Abstract
If imports and exports of food and agricultural products are taken together, the European Union is the world's largest trader of these goods. International organizations such as the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) are entrusted with setting international standards for "safe" food, and the World Trade Organization WTO establishes principles for "fair" trade through its Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement). This paper traces the historical development of EU food law and outlines current and future challenges.
Keywords: globalization, world trade, food system, food law, food safety, consumer advice, consumer protection
____________________
1 This essay is based on the presentation at the online congress of the Working Group International Professional Policy (AKIBP) of the professional association Oecotrophologie e. V. (VDOE) on June 16, 2021.
