EU Food Law

About

Legal issues concerning food quality and food safety are rapidly developing. Food standards are being developed and applied at the national level, at the EU level and at global level (WTO, FAO, WHO, Codex Alimentarius), but also by private parties. Many of these standards are of a technical nature and focus on food safety, food quality, 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 21st Century architecture of the body of food law by means of the so-called General Food Law;
•food labelling;
•food safety and hygiene;
•novel foods including genetically modified foods;
•enforcement of food law;

Target group

Master students

Course aim

The aim is to give the student an in-depth understanding of the regulation of the food sector in the European Union

At the end of this course a student:

Knowledge:

- knows the relationship between the aims of the players in the field of food law and the content of the law;

- knows the content and functioning of the core area of EU food law;

- understands how law affects food safety and the position of interested parties;

Skills:

- is able to describe the multi-layered structure of food law and the role of different players involved at national, European and international level;

- is able to find the relevant sources of EU food law in a given case;

Competences:

- is able to formulate a legal problem statement, and to conduct legal reasoning and analysis of food related cases;

- is able to perform an analysis of the legal dimension of food related issues

Fee info