EU Food Law

  • 1st year
  • 1st semester
  • English

Objective of the Module

Legal issues concerning food quality and food safety are rapidly developing. Food standards are being developed and applied at the national level, at the European level and at global level (WTO, FAO, WHO, Codex Alimentarius). Many of these standards are of a technical nature and focus on food safety, food quality, and consumer protection and consumer information.
This course introduces the different players who are active in the field of food law. The main part of the course is devoted to the system and the content of food law in the European Union. Topics discussed are amongst others:

  • The functioning of the European Union and other international organisations;
  • the development of food law from the general principle of free movement of goods;
  • the new architecture of the body of food law by means of the new so-called General Food Law;
  • food labelling;
  • food hygiene and safety;
  • novel foods including genetically modified foods;
  • enforcement of food law; etc.

Content of the Module

  1. hour: General introduction to law and legal methods
  2. hour: General introduction to law and legal methods
  3. hour: General introduction to European Union Law
  4. hour: General introduction to European Union Law
  5. hour: Food Law: development, crisis and transition
  6. hour: Food Law: development, crisis and transition
  7. hour: General principles of EU Food Law
  8. hour: General principles of EU Food Law
  9. hour: Composition of food products
  10. hour: Market authorization of food additives, novel foods and gmo’s
  11. hour: Food handling: hygiene (HACCP)
  12. hour: Food handling: hygiene (HACCP)
  13. hour: Food handling: traceability
  14. hour: Consumer information: labelling
  15. hour: Consumer information: claims
  16. hour: Enforcement of food law
  17. hour: Product liability law
  18. hour: The global level of food law: WTO, SPS, Codex Alimentarius
  19. hour: The global level of food law: WTO, SPS, Codex Alimentarius
  20. hour: Recapitulation

Examination method and requirements

Written examination or Individual assignment – project work

Compulsory Literature

  1. van der Meulen, B. and van der Velde, M., 2006. Food Safety Law in the European Union. An introduction, Wageningen Academic Publishers

Recommended Readings

  1. Legislation and case law mentioned in the lectures can be found at: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/RECH_menu.do?ihmlang=en.
  2. On the relevance of this course for Croatia: http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fvo/act_getPDF.cfm?PDF_ID=3034
  3. Ostali materijali na Internetu vezano uz prehrambeno i EU zakonodavstvo