Food security and agricultural trade of the European Union

Abstract

This study attempts to interrelate two pillars of the European Union: food safety and the free movement of agricultural products both internal market and abroad. To achieve high levels of consumer protection, the EU has developed a comprehensive legislation which has evolved over time with the Common Agricultural Policy. The study exposes both the legal framework that ensures the food safety and the financial framework that allows its improvement. The study initial focus is on the principles and objectives of food safety and the general requirements of food trade in the internal market, followed by an analysis of the implications that potential exceptions to a general scheme or lack of harmonization in food safety can have on the internal trade. Regarding to foreign trade, food safety is considered to convey even greater implications (due to a variety of degrees in consumer protection) in the creation of barriers to agricultural trade between industrialized and developing countries. Because of this fact, this paper reviews deeply the WTO agreements, the sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) and the recommendations of the international standardization bodies such as the Codex Alimentarius Commission (FAO / WHO). The aim of all those measures is the harmonization of the laws, and at the same time to provide the same level of protection for all countries (based on scientific recommendations) to achieve a reduction in the existing barriers to international trade in agricultural products. The study concludes that this objective still is not reached, to the detriment of developing countries.