A new report has found that the European Commission and Member States do not have the capacity to fully implement EU chemical hazard regulation in food.
The report, compiled by the European Court of Auditors, found that while the EU’s food safety consumer protection systems are theoretically stringent and “respected worldwide”, in practice authorities are frequently overstretched and unable to enforce EU chemical hazard regulation sufficiently. Janusz Wojciechowski, the member of the European Court of Auditors responsible for the report, said: “Food safety is a high priority for the EU – it affects all citizens and is closely linked to trade – but the current EU system faces a number of inconsistencies and challenges.”
Food safety policy in the EU is divided into three distinct categories, covering physical, chemical and biological hazards in food manufacture, preparation and distribution. The auditors’ report focused primarily on EU chemical hazard regulation pertaining to food safety. Auditors said that the legal framework concerning chemicals in food, plants, animals and animal feed is not yet complete and has not been implemented to the standards set out in the EU’s food production laws.
The European Food Safety Authority, which provides independent scientific advice and guidance on risks and safety issues within the EU food supply chain, was found by the audit to be experiencing a significant backlog in its work on chemicals in food. By extension, delays within the Food Safety Authority affect the functioning of the entire EU chemical hazard regulation system.
The report raised further concern over the fact that chemical controls and the enforcement of legislation vary between Member States; public bodies cannot perform a full complement of safety checks with the resources they are accorded, while communication and cooperation between public and private authorities enforcing EU chemical hazard regulation is minimal.
The European Court of Auditors has issued a series of recommendations to the European Commission, including amending legislation so it can be applied more consistently; encouraging further communication between public and private bodies implementing EU chemical hazard regulation; and providing Member States with further guidance on regulation enforcement.
