Commissioner Kyriakides to open conference tomorrow on Official Controls, Plant Health and the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed’s 40th anniversary

Tomorrow, 13 December 2019, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides will give the opening address at the “Smarter rules for safer food and plant health” conference, which will mark the entry into application of the new EU legislation on official controls along the agri-food chain and on the protection of plants. The event will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). Ahead of the conference, Commissioner Stella Kyriakides,said: “Enhanced controls along the food chain are key instruments to ensure the quality and safety of the food our citizens eat. Our work on food safety will also have important impacts on the health and well-being of our citizens and will play a key role for the successful delivery on many of our health priorities. Strong rules and controls will also help us to deliver on the objectives of the new ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy that I will present as part of the European Green Deal.” With its broader scope and new IT based tools, the legislation will provide for a modernised, integrated and efficient system to intercept risks related to public health, plant health, animal health and welfare. After an overview of the new Official controls regulation in the morning, the conference will focus on enforcement, plant health protection, Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, and global trade in the afternoon.