23rd FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR EUROPE
NICOSIA, CYPRUS, 29-31 MAY 2002

Statement by Mr Leif Helge Kongshaug, State Secretary for Agriculture in Norway
Agenda item 6 “Food Safety and Quality” - Results from the FAO/WHO Pan-European conference, Budapest, February 2002

Honourable Ministers,
Mr Director General,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen!

The Budapest Conference provided us with a set of important recommendations based on fruitful discussions in an ambience of great interest and enthusiasm. Norway welcomes and supports net-working and collaboration among countries in the field of food security and food safety. We also appreciate the indirect influence this has on international- and intra-European trade in safe food.

Food safety in relation to the handling and production of foodstuffs from farm to table requires enhanced cooperation between health, agricultural, and fishery authorities, as well as with the food producing sector and consumers. The BSE-crisis and the dioxin affair underline the importance of seeing the food chain as an integrated whole. They also underscore the importance of cooperation across national borders.

Mr Chairman,

Norway fully endorses the recommendation of the Budapest conference regarding regional cooperation in policy and science development. Furthermore, we support the idea that risk assessment should be efficient, independent, open and transparent. We also believe that minority options should be mentioned in risk assessment reports, and that the degree of uncertainty should be represented.

Norway strongly supports the methodologies presented for anticipating and identifying emerging risks at an early stage. The BSE-crisis, the outbreak of foot- and mouth disease and the radioactive contamination after the Chernobyl accident all serve to emphasise this and the ensuing necessity for international cooperation and continuous capacity building in this field.

I also believe that the FAO, the WHO and the EC should assist in capacity building in countries with special needs within the pan-European context

Mr Chairman

The overall approach to European food safety must be to improve and harmonize the transparency and reliability of European food chains. This is necessary in order to increase and to strengthen consumer confidence in food products. We also encourage the development of strong and independent consumer organizations. In the development of policies we base ourselves upon efficient and independent risk assessments whilst trying to incorporate consumer aspects if possible.

In January 2004, Norway merges three directorates into on Food Safety Directorate. The idea is to establish an efficient, transparent, precautionary and prevention-oriented food safety and quality system along the entire food chain. The Food Safety Directorate will be placed under the Ministry of Agriculture. In addition the current Directorate of Fisheries will be re-established as a Seafood Directorate under the Ministry of Fisheries. One single food law will replace five laws currently regulating safe food and be placed under the Ministry of Health. A new independent and transparent risk assessment committee will be established to further improve risk assessment.

Mr Chairman

Recent figures show that 85% of Norwegian consumers have great confidence in the Norwegian Food Control Authorities. It is important for us to maintain and further strengthen their confidence in food products and the food industry. This autumn, my ministry together with the ministries of fisheries, of health and of children and family affairs will launch a three-year project with consumer panels in 7 out of 19 counties. The objective of the project is to gain a new understanding of public ideas in the field of food safety. We also wish to encourage further consumer involvement in the shaping of food safety policies.

The conclusions and advice given by the panels will be addressed to the Norwegian authorities, and made public by media and on the internet. The panels may also address topics on food safety of their own interest. Through the establishment of these consumer panels, the authorities will have to allow for consumers to influence policy-making more directly.

Allow me, Mr Chairman, to thank our hosts for organising this Round Table discussion on this particular topic that I find both important and relevant in our regional context.

Thank you for your attention.