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General Food Law Regulation

Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority
32002R0178 · official text on EUR-Lex

Articles

Chapter I SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS

• Article 1 — Aim and scope
• Article 2 — Definition of "food"
• Article 3 — Other definitions

Chapter II GENERAL FOOD LAW

• Article 4 — Scope

Section 1 GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FOOD LAW

• Article 5 — General objectives
• Article 6 — Risk analysis
• Article 7 — Precautionary principle
• Article 8 — Protection of consumers' interests

Section 2 PRINCIPLES OF TRANSPARENCY

• Article 9 — Public consultation
• Article 10 — Public information

Section 3 GENERAL OBLIGATIONS OF FOOD TRADE

• Article 11 — Food and feed imported into the Community
• Article 12 — Food and feed exported from the Community
• Article 13 — International standards

Section 4 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF FOOD LAW

• Article 14 — Food safety requirements
• Article 15 — Feed safety requirements
• Article 16 — Presentation
• Article 17 — Responsibilities
• Article 18 — Traceability
• Article 19 — Responsibilities for food: food business operators
• Article 20 — Responsibilities for feed: feed business operators
• Article 21 — Liability

Chapter III EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY

Section 1 MISSION AND TASKS

• Article 22 — Mission of the Authority
• Article 23 — Tasks of the Authority

Section 2 ORGANISATION

• Article 24 — Bodies of the Authority
• Article 25 — Management Board
• Article 26 — Executive Director
• Article 27 — Advisory Forum
• Article 28 — Scientific Committee and Scientific Panels

Section 3 OPERATION

• Article 29 — Scientific opinions
• Article 30 — Diverging scientific opinions
• Article 31 — Scientific and technical assistance
• Article 32 — Scientific studies
• Article 33 — Collection of data
• Article 34 — Identification of emerging risks
• Article 35 — Rapid alert system
• Article 36 — Networking of organisations operating in the fields within the Authority's mission

Section 4 INDEPENDENCE, TRANSPARENCY, CONFIDENTIALITY AND COMMUNICATION

• Article 37 — Independence
• Article 38 — Transparency
• Article 39 — Confidentiality
• Article 40 — Communications from the Authority
• Article 41 — Access to documents
• Article 42 — Consumers, producers and other interested parties

Section 5 FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

• Article 43 — Adoption of the Authority's budget
• Article 44 — Implementation of the Authority's budget
• Article 45 — Fees received by the Authority

Section 6 GENERAL PROVISIONS

• Article 46 — Legal personality and privileges
• Article 47 — Liability
• Article 48 — Staff
• Article 49 — Participation of third countries

Chapter IV RAPID ALERT SYSTEM, CRISIS MANAGEMENT AND EMERGENCIES

Section 1 RAPID ALERT SYSTEM

• Article 50 — Rapid alert system
• Article 51 — Implementing measures
• Article 52 — Confidentiality rules for the rapid alert system

Section 2 EMERGENCIES

• Article 53 — Emergency measures for food and feed of Community origin or imported from a third country
• Article 54 — Other emergency measures

Section 3 CRISIS MANAGEMENT

• Article 55 — General plan for crisis management
• Article 56 — Crisis unit
• Article 57 — Tasks of the crisis unit

Chapter V PROCEDURES AND FINAL PROVISIONS

Section 1 COMMITTEE AND MEDIATION PROCEDURES

• Article 58 — Committee
• Article 59 — Functions assigned to the Committee
• Article 60 — Mediation procedure

Section 2 FINAL PROVISIONS

• Article 61 — Review clause
• Article 62 — References to the European Food Safety Authority and to the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health
• Article 63 — Competence of the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products
• Article 64 — Commencement of the Authority's operation
• Article 65 — Entry into force