Management of food and feed crises : EU Commission updates its plan and procedures
On 19 February 2019, the Commission has adopted a Decision which updates its plan, dating from 2004, and procedures for crisis management in the field of safety of food and feed.
With a view to reinforce the protection of public health in the EU in case of a crisis linked to food or feed, this new General Plan first draws on the lessons learnt from crises in recent years, like E. coli in 2011 or fipronil in 2017, which have shown the need for enhanced coordination between the different authorities at the Union and national levels, as regards the management of cross-border incidents but also the communication around it. It also takes into account the conclusions of the REFIT evaluation of the GFL Regulation which had flagged in particular the need for a stronger focus on crisis preparedness. The Decision will allow, when necessary, the creation of a «Crisis Unit».