The importance of risk analysis in EC food law

Abstract

This thesis is entitled 'The Importance of Risk Analysis in EC Food Law.' This work will start off by giving a brief introduction to food law. This was felt necessary, considering that the thesis will focus on the principle of risk analysis in the ambit of food law. Risk analysis is composed of three components, being risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. All these three are defined in detail in the first Chapter, whilst the second Chapter outlines the requirements necessary for effective implementation of risk analysis and any obstacles which may have to be faced during such implementation. No legal study would be complete without an analysis of the relevant legislation which has shaped risk analysis. This is done in Chapter 3, whereby the White Paper of 2000, leading up to the Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 will be discussed. The Maltese Food Safety Act and Regulation (EC) 882/2004 will also be briefly analysed with regards to the legal powers which they give to MSs to enable them to implement the law effectively. Chapter 4 introduces the reader to the research methodology used to carry out questionnaires on the subject, and the results achieved. Finally, this work ends by trying to reach a conclusion on the relevance and importance of risk analysis in food law. It tries to see whether this principle is truly an important and essential one in the ambit of food safety, whilst analysing any shortcomings which exist locally, and makes recommendations on how the situation can be ameliorated.