Friday, October 24, 2014

EU Food Law Handbook

The EU Food Law Handbook edited by Bernd van der Meulen was published in September 2014. Bernd van der Meulen is respected scholar in EU food law, and he includes an outstanding ensemble of knowledgeable experts, like Martin Holle (Nutrition Policy in the European Union), Cecilia Kuhn and Francesco Montanari (Importing food into the EU), and others.

From the introduction: "This ‘EU Food Law Handbook’ presents the most significant elements of these legal developments with contributions from a highly qualified team of academics and practitioners. Their analysis is based on a shared vision of the structure and content of EU food law. The book takes the perspective of food law embedded within general EU law. It highlights the consequences of this combination and provides insights into both substantive and procedural food law.

"Taking the General Food Law as a focal point, this handbook analyses and explains the institutional, substantive and procedural elements of EU food law. Principles are discussed as well as specific rules addressing food as a product, the processes related to food and communication about food to consumers through labelling. These rules define requirements on subjects like market authorisation for food additives, novel foods and genetically modified foods, food hygiene, tracking & tracing, withdrawal & recall. The powers of public authorities to enforce food law and to deal with incidents are outlined. Attention is given to the international context (WTO, Codex Alimentarius) as well as to private standards.

"In addition to the systematic analysis, the book includes selected topics such as nutrition and health policy, special foods, food import requirements, food contact materials, intellectual property and animal feed.

“The ‘EU Food Law Handbook’ is produced in co-operation with the European Institute for Food Law. It is relevant for practitioners and academics both with and without a background in law. It is ideal for education purposes.”

The EU Food Law Handbook can be purchased here.

Tuesday, October 07, 2014

Ukraine adopts new food legislation to align with the EU

On September 15, 2014, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko signed Law No. 1602 VII on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine related to Food Products.   The law establishes a new wording for the Law of Ukraine on the Safety and Quality of Food. Ukraine Law No. 1602 VII appears intended to align Ukraine’s food legislation with the food law of the EU.

On 16 September 16, 2014, the Parliaments of the EU and Ukraine ratified the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (EUAA). The new Ukraine food law appears relevant in the light of the EUAA, Article 474, which provides that the Ukraine will carry-out a gradual approximation of its legislation to EU law.
 
Article 1 of the Law on Food Safety contains provisions on the safety of food, traceability; risk analysis (defined as a process consisting of three interconnected components: risk assessment, risk management and risk communication), the system of hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP), food supplements,  and novel foods.

Thursday, October 02, 2014

New Publication by the WTO: The History and Future of the World Trade Organization



The History and Future of the World Trade Organization is a comprehensive account of the economic, political and legal issues surrounding the creation of the WTO and its evolution. Fully illustrated with color and black-and-white photos dating back to the early days of trade negotiations, the publication reviews the WTO's achievements as well as the challenges faced by the organization, and identifies the key questions that WTO members need to address in the future.

Tuesday, June 03, 2014

GMO Infographic from axismundionline


References:
AAAS (October 2012) Statement by the AAAS Board of Directors On Labeling of Genetically Modified Foods, Available online at: http://www.aaas.org/sites/default/files/AAAS_GM_statement.pdf (accessed 5th April 2014)
AMA (2001) Bioengineered (Genetically Engineered) Crops and Foods, Available online at:http://www.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/PolicyFinder/policyfiles/HnE/H-480.958.HTM (accessed 5thApril 2014)
WHO (2012) 20 questions on genetically modified foods. Available online at:http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/en/ (accessed 5th April 2014)
NAS (2004) Safety of Genetically Engineered Foods: Approaches to Assessing Unintended Health Effects. Available online at: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309092094 (accessed 5th April 2014)
RSM (2008) Genetically modified plants and human health, Available online at:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2408621/ (accessed 5th April 2014)
EC (2010) A decade of EU-funded GMO research. Available online at:http://ec.europa.eu/research/biosociety/pdf/a_decade_of_eu-funded_gmo_research.pdf (accessed 5th April 2014)
ACSH (2000) BIOTECHNOLOGY AND FOOD. Available online at:http://acsh.org/2000/09/biotechnology-and-food-second-edition/ (accessed 5th April 2014)
ASPB (Date Unknown) Statement on Plant Genetic Engineering. Available online at:http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/my.aspb.org/resource/group/6d461cb9-5b79-4571-a164-924fa40395a5/statements/genetic_engineering.pdf (accessed 5th April 2014)
ASCB (Date Unknown) ASCB Statement in Support of Research on Genetically Modified Organisms. Available online at: http://www.ascb.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=315&Itemid=31 (accessed 5th April 2014)
ASM (2000) Statement of the American Society for Microbiology on Genetically Modified Organisms Available online at: http://www.asm.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3656&Itemid=341 (accessed 5th April 2014)
CSSA (2001) CSSA PERSPECTIVE ON BIOTECHNOLOGY. Available online at:https://www.crops.org/files/science-policy/cssa-biotech-perspective.pdf (accessed 10th April 2014)
WSF (2005) Genetically Modified Crops and Plant Breeding. Available online at:http://www.worldseed.org/cms/medias/file/PositionPapers/OnSustainableAgriculture/Genetically_Modified_Crops_and_Plant_Breeding_20050601_(En).pdf(accessed 10th April 2014)
CAST (2005) Crop Biotechnology and the Future of Food: A Scientific Assessment. Available online at:https://www.cast-science.org/download.cfm?PublicationID=2922&File=1030a75513ab37030c8f7fb4d6a443729335TR (accessed 10th April 2014)
SIVB (2011) POSITION STATEMENT ON CROP GENETIC ENGINEERING. Available online at:http://www.sivb.org/publicPolicy_CropEngineering.asp (accessed 10th April 2014)
IAS () Position statement on biotechnology. Available online at:http://www.isaaa.org/kc/Publications/htm/articles/Position/isas.htm (accessed 10th April 2014)
FASS (date unknown) FASS Facts: On Biotech Crops – Impact on Meat, Milk and Eggs. Available online at: http://www.fass.org/geneticcrops.pdf (accessed 10th April 2014)
14 Italian Science Organisations (2004) Sicurezza alimentare e OGM: Consensus Document. Available online at: http://www.siga.unina.it/circolari/Consensus_ITA.pdf (accessed 10th April 2014)
SOT (2003) The Safety of Genetically Modified Foods Produced through Biotechnology. Available online at: http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/content/71/1/2.full (accessed 10th April 2014)
TWAS (2000) Transgenic Plants and World Agriculture. Available online at:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=9889 (accessed 10th April 2014)
FAS (2002) Les plantes génétiquement modifies. Available online at: http://www.academie-sciences.fr/activite/rapport/rst13_recspe.pdf (accessed 10th April 2014)
UDDADW (2006) InterAcademy Panel Initiative on Genetically Modified Organisms. Available online at:http://www.akademienunion.de/_files/memorandum_gentechnik/GMGeneFood.pdf (accessed 10th April 2014)
ISCU (2003) New Genetics, Food and Agriculture: Scientific Discoveries – Societal Dilemas. Available online at: http://www.icsu.org/publications/reports-and-reviews/new-genetics-food-and-agriculture-scientific-discoveries-societal-dilemas-2003 (accessed April 10th 2014)

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Horse meat again

New case of horse meat has been discovered in a Dutch slaughterhouse.


Thursday, January 23, 2014

TRENTO LAWTECH COMPARATIVE FOOD LAW SEMINAR 2014

THE INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE DIMENSION OF FOOD LAW

Location: University of Trento, Faculty of Law, Professor Room - Trento, via Rosmini
Date: Friday, February 21th, 2014
Time: 9.30-12.30

PROGRAM

Introduction
Umberto IzzoMatteo Ferrari (University of Trento)

Speakers
Neal Fortin (Professor and Director, Institute for Food Laws & Regulations, Michigan State University)
The Perils of Comparative Food Law:  The United States and the European Union

Martin Holle (Professor for Food Law and Administrative Law at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences)
The Consumer Paradigm in Food Law: Time for a Change?

Francesco Planchenstainer (Ph d, Cattolica University of Piacenza, Lawtech Trento)
Legal Responses to Food Safety Emergencies and Crises: A Comparative Assessment of U.S. and E.U. Law  

For more information, visit here

Thursday, January 09, 2014

10th International Workshop for Young Scholars (WISH) - ‘New Directions in EU and Global Risk Regulation'

The European Law Journal, HEC Paris and the Center for Research on Transnational Law (CTL), Peking University School of Transnational Law (PKUSTL), Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, are welcoming proposals for presentation at the 10th International Workshop for Young Scholars (WISH)/10ème Rencontre Internationale des Jeunes Chercheurs (RIJC). 

The topic is 'New Directions in EU and Global Risk Regulation: Regulatory Autonomy, Evidence-based Policymaking and International Regulatory Co-operation'. 

The 10th WISH will be held in Paris in December 2014 (date to be determined).

 

The 10th WISH builds on the success of the previous WISH held annually since 2002. It offers outstanding young scholars an opportunity to present their best research work in a professional academic setting to an audience of other young scholars and more senior academics. Selected revised versions of the papers may be published in a special issue of the European Law Journal or in a bilingual edited book (Bruylant, Brussels) destined for an international readership.
 
For more information, please click here. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Cliff Wirajendi at wirajendi@hec.fr