EU Food law principles
Bernd van der Meulen (2018)
The safe food principle. A critical reflection on the key concept of EU food safety law
European Institute for Food Law working paper 2018/08
The most fundamental notion underlying the reform of EU food safety law has been codified in Article 14(1) of Regulation (EC) 178/2002: food shall not be placed on the market if it is unsafe. This notion has been elaborated in most of the rest of EU food law, first and foremost in the other paragraphs of Article 14. This paper analyses Article 14 and argues in favour of a text-conform interpretation.
Daniela Polinski Bernd van der Meulen (2019)
Unfit for Human Consumption. The elusive element in the EU food safety concept of Article 14 GFL
European Institute for Food Law working paper 2019/01
According to Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) 178/2002 ‘the General Food Law,’ unsafe food, the core concept in EU food safety law, encompasses food that is injurious to health as well as food unfit for human consumption. This paper reports on an empirical study of interpretations in several EU Member States of the concept unfit for human consumption and its relation to injuriousness to health. It appears that a broad spectrum of conditions and situations is brought under this concept. Interpretations among Member States vary considerably. Substantive, procedural and communicational non-compliances may be found under the concept. Also, not otherwise regulated conditions may lead to the classification of food as unfit for human consumption.
The paper argues in favour of a return to the initial approach of the European Commission in its proposal for what is now the General Food Law. Food should only be classified as unfit for consumption if it is likely to be injurious to health due to conditions such as indicated in Article 14(5) of the General Food Law. In case of non-compliance with other provisions of food law, Member States can enforce. A detour via classification of the non-complying food as unfit for consumption is not needed to this end.
Bernd van der Meulen (2014)
La Base Del Derecho Alimentario Europeo: Una Reflexión Crítica Sobre El Concepto De Alimento No Seguro (Spanish)
Wageningen Working Paper in Law and Governance 2014/07
La noción más importante, tras diez años de la reforma de la legislación relativa a la seguridad alimentaria de la Unión Europea, se codifica en el Artículo 14(1) del Reglamento (CE) 178/2002: No se comercializarán los alimentos que no sean seguros. En la mayoría de las disposiciones de la legislación alimentaria de la UE se desarrolla esta noción, principalmente en los párrafos que siguen al artículo 14. Esta contribución analiza el Artículo 14 y razona su interpretación de acuerdo con el texto.
Bernd van der Meulen (2018)
The safe food principle. A critical reflection on the key concept of EU food safety law
European Institute for Food Law working paper 2018/08
The most fundamental notion underlying the reform of EU food safety law has been codified in Article 14(1) of Regulation (EC) 178/2002: food shall not be placed on the market if it is unsafe. This notion has been elaborated in most of the rest of EU food law, first and foremost in the other paragraphs of Article 14. This paper analyses Article 14 and argues in favour of a text-conform interpretation.
Daniela Polinski Bernd van der Meulen (2019)
Unfit for Human Consumption. The elusive element in the EU food safety concept of Article 14 GFL
European Institute for Food Law working paper 2019/01
According to Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) 178/2002 ‘the General Food Law,’ unsafe food, the core concept in EU food safety law, encompasses food that is injurious to health as well as food unfit for human consumption. This paper reports on an empirical study of interpretations in several EU Member States of the concept unfit for human consumption and its relation to injuriousness to health. It appears that a broad spectrum of conditions and situations is brought under this concept. Interpretations among Member States vary considerably. Substantive, procedural and communicational non-compliances may be found under the concept. Also, not otherwise regulated conditions may lead to the classification of food as unfit for human consumption.
The paper argues in favour of a return to the initial approach of the European Commission in its proposal for what is now the General Food Law. Food should only be classified as unfit for consumption if it is likely to be injurious to health due to conditions such as indicated in Article 14(5) of the General Food Law. In case of non-compliance with other provisions of food law, Member States can enforce. A detour via classification of the non-complying food as unfit for consumption is not needed to this end.
Bernd van der Meulen (2014)
La Base Del Derecho Alimentario Europeo: Una Reflexión Crítica Sobre El Concepto De Alimento No Seguro (Spanish)
Wageningen Working Paper in Law and Governance 2014/07
La noción más importante, tras diez años de la reforma de la legislación relativa a la seguridad alimentaria de la Unión Europea, se codifica en el Artículo 14(1) del Reglamento (CE) 178/2002: No se comercializarán los alimentos que no sean seguros. En la mayoría de las disposiciones de la legislación alimentaria de la UE se desarrolla esta noción, principalmente en los párrafos que siguen al artículo 14. Esta contribución analiza el Artículo 14 y razona su interpretación de acuerdo con el texto.