Agencia Española de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición
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SPANISH PRESIDENCY
PROGRAMME
The Spanish Presidency during the first semester of 2010 will inaugurate the new trio system envisaged in the Lisbon Treaty, aimed at assuring contacts and collaboration between consecutive Presidencies. This reinforced collaboration system becomes essential when it comes to give continuity and coherence to the projects developed within the EU framework and becomes plain in the preparation of a joint programme with a double significance: a strategic and an operational one. In this sense, we need to take into account that Spain will head the Trio, which is also made up by Belgium and Hungary. That is why these three countries have shared, discussed and reached a consensus over the planning of the actions to be developed during the first semester of 2010.
ACTIONS PLANNED
1. Promotion of actions to fight against health problems related to the nutrition, the overweight and the obesity.
Given the implications of obesity for health and its increasing escalation in the last few years, one of the strategic priorities of the Spanish Presidency will be to promote actions to fight against health problems related to the nutrition, the overweight and the obesity.
During the presidency, AESAN will work for a consensus on a document of Conclusions of the Council related to national initiatives to reduce the salt intake by consumers.
Regulatory Actions
- Regulation proposal about Novel Food
The new proposal was an actualization of Legislation 258/97 and was presented by the Commission at the Council and European Parliament on January 2008. On March 2009 the EP adopted 76 amendments and 30 of them had been incorporated by the Council. The new regulation is pending second lecture.
The last consensus work may take place at the end of the Spanish presidency.
- Future Regulation or Directive on foods stuffs intended for particular nutritional uses (Dietetic foods)
Council Directive 89/398/EEC of 3 May 1989, on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses and their amendments, was compiled by the European Parliament and Council as Directive 2009/39/EC, 6 May 2009, on foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses. The Commission, following internal work to identify which elements do and do not work in the currently applicable text, has prepared a document prior to the impact assessment. The document highlights the identified problems and their possible solutions with the aim of passing a new Regulation or Directive. The Commission has asked the Member States' opinion and will then complete an impact assessment before deciding which action to take.
Throughout the duration of the Presidency, progress taking place within the EU will be monitored in order to promote the work on the future regulation.
- Proposed European Parliament and Council regulation on nutritional information provided to the consumer
On 6 February 2008, the European Commission informed the Council of a draft Regulation regarding food information provided to consumers. This proposal consolidates and updates two areas of legislation having to do with labelling: the general legislation on labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs, regulated by Directive 2000/13/EC, and the legislation on nutrition labelling of foodstuffs, regulated by Directive 90/496/EEC.
The difficulty of the topics being discussed and the lack of agreement on many points relevant to the proposal mean that further discussion of this matter at the European Council level will be necessary during the Spanish Presidency.
Regulating general labelling of foodstuffs is the domain of the Spanish Institute of Consumer Affairs (INC), while regulating nutrition labelling belongs to the scope of work of AESAN (Spanish agency for food safety and nutrition), therefore the INC will be the Organization presiding over meetings in the Council of the European Union.
AESAN MEETINGS DURING THE SPANISH PRESIDENCY OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL
1. Meetings of the European food safety authority (EFSA) in Spain to address the Spanish presidency of the Council:
1.1 Science supporting Risk Surveillance of Imports
10 february, Seville, Spain.
In this meeting, the EFSA will invite different international organisations to strengthen and analyse risk evaluation methods and techniques for foodstuffs imported through European inspection posts.
1.2. Meeting of the Advisory Forum of the European food safety Authotity
11-12 february, Seville, Spain.
This meeting is organised by EFSA (European Food Safety Authority). The Advisory Forum brings together food safety authorities from the 27 Member States, and it is a key player in coordinating food risk assessment in the European Union.
1.3. Management board meeting
18 march, Toledo, Spain
This Board is an independent Body whose members are appointed to act in the public interest and do not represent any government, organisation or sector. The 15-member Board sets EFSA's budget, approves the annual work programme and is responsible for ensuring that EFSA works effectively and co-operates successfully with partner organisations across the EU and beyond.
1.4 Focal points meeting
5-6 may, Madrid, Spain
Focal Points act as the interface between EFSA and national food safety authorities in the EU Member States. Focal Points ensure the exchange of scientific information among competent authorities in Member States and between Member States and EFSA. EFSA exchanges information with Focal Points on a regular basis and usually meets with them three times per year. This will be the first time that one of this meetings will take place in Spain with the occasion of Spanish presidency.
1.5 Meeting of EFSA's Advisory Forum working group on communications
26-27 May. International Room, Spanish Ministry of Health and Social Policy.
This meeting will deal with aspects related to designing cooperation strategies among the different Member States when handling situations having to do with risk communication.
2. Workshop on food supplements
8 March, Spanish Ministry of Health and Social Policy, Madrid, Spain
The purpose of this meeting is to promote the approximation of criteria for managing food supplements, share the approaches different Member States have adopted for implementing Directive 2002/46/EC, discuss the use of other legislative instruments for managing food supplements and define the impact of Regulation 764/2008 on marketing food supplements made from substances other than vitamins and minerals.
3. Meeting of the high level group on nutrition and physical activity
16 June, IFEMA Conference Centre, Madrid, Spain.
Promoting healthy habits in the population, especially among children and young people, is one of the key objectives of the Spanish Ministry of Health and Social Policy as a means of ensuring a healthier life and preventing obesity-related disease. To this end, the NAOS Strategy was launched in 2005. It encompasses a large and diverse range of programmes, interventions, campaigns, publications and activities in all areas of society, in conjunction with public and private institutions of all kinds. On European Union scale, these issues are contemplated in a high-level group that coordinates European strategies in this area and which is chaired by the Commission. At this meeting, the new MSPS Strategic Plan on nutrition, obesity and overweight for 2010-2015 will be presented to the group. This plan sets out to continue and promote activities already undertaken by the NAOS strategy (strategy for nutrition, physical activity and obesity prevention).
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS SESSIONS DURING THE SPANISH PRESIDENCY
AESAN as the Presidency during the Codex Alimentarius Sessions (Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme) that will be held in the semester
The European Union, as a full member of Codex Alimentarius, has helped to reinforce coherence between the standards, guidelines or recommendations and other provisions adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, ensuring that, during their preparation, negotiation and adoption, the primary health and other interests of the European Union and its Member States are taken into consideration.
Throughout the Spanish presidency 10 sessions of the Codex Alimentarius will take place: the Commission of the Codex in Geneve (Switzerland) and the nine subsidiary bodies (Milk and milk Products, Food Import and Export Inspection, Method of Analysis and Sampling, Food Additives, General Principles, Food Contaminants, Pesticide Residues, Food Labelling) in different places around the world (New Zealand, Australia, Hungary, China, France, Turkey, Canada). The coordination meetings ( 11 ) will be held in Brussels and on-the-spot, whenever necessary throughout the meetings. In these meetings the Spanish presidency will conduct the work to elaborate consensus declarations that will be pronounce on behalf of the European Union or on behalf of the European Union and its Member States during the sessions.
See the events planned during the Spanish Presidency
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