How is food safety covered in the new Accession Treaty?
Food safety is an integral part of the EU policy on consumer protection and health. Its “farm to table” approach must thus also be adopted by the accession countries. This is a significant challenge where progress has been made but further steps still have to be accomplished. Enlargement negotiations were concluded in Copenhagen in December 2002. The ten new Member States of 2004 signed the Treaty of Accession and the Act of Accession attached to it in Athens on 16 April 2003 and joined the EU in 1 May 2004. With this date the whole EU acquis (the existing body of EU law) became effective in the new Member States. Since 1 Junuary 2007 it is effective in Bulgaria and Romania as well. Food safety issues are spread over two areas of the accession negotiations: • Chapter 1 ” Free Movement of Goods” covers food legislation; • Chapter 7 “Agriculture” covers veterinary and phytosanitary issues, and animal nutrition. Food legislation includes general rules for hygiene and control, food labelli
