7.  Challenges already encountered by EU  Large diverse cultural grouping  Consumer safety does not impede creativity

8.  Treaty of Rome 1957  No consumer protection or public health aspect  Article 3 – elimination of barriers to trade

9.  Early EU Food Law - market integration, then:  BSE crisis in early 1990’s.  Belgian dioxin scare in 2000.  Spanish pomace oil recall in 2001

10.  Shortcoming became clear in July 2002:  European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed  Similar issues faced by Chinese Authorities  Increasing middle class consumer market

11.  EU Regulation 178/2002  Right of consumers to safe food  Accurate and honest information  Regulation based on risk analysis  Establishes “the Precautionary Principle”

12.  Imposes rules to ensure traceability  Responsibility for compliance on business  Fit for consumption and not injurious to health  Estd: Rapid Alert System for Food & Feed (RASFF)

13.  Large scale food production or  Niche “high value-added” luxury food products  Ireland best suited to the latter  Can also export know-how and experience

14.  EU food law ever expanding  Moving from food safety to nutritional quality  Innovation and design of compliant food products  Ireland is a world leader

15. Risk Management: The Fastest Cars have the Best Brakes.

16.  Thank You  Contact: Flor McCarthy  www.mccarthy.ie  e-mail: flor@mccarthy.ie  Phone: 023 888 00 88