Address by the Minister of Health, Mr Giorgos Pamboridis,
at the opening of the “Risk
Analysis Framework” workshop
Dear Member of the Management Board of EFSA,
Dear Executive Director of EFSA,
Distinguished guests from EFSA and the European Neighbouring
Programme countries,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to Cyprus and to the “Risk
Analysis Framework” workshop that is co-organised by EFSA and the National Food
Safety Council.
Food safety is of global concern. The changing patterns of food,
agricultural production and lifestyle; the emergence of new technologies,
processes and new contaminants, as well as the globalization of food trade and
climatic changes call Governments, Food Organizations and Agencies to take
greater responsibility for food safety and consumer protection. The new global
environment places considerable obligations on both importing and exporting
countries to strengthen their food control system and to implement and enforce
risk-based food safety strategies on harmonized regulations. These, however, are
of little value without effective complements by risk assessors.
The establishment of EFSA 13 years ago as the EU Authority in charge
of Risk Assessment is a landmark in the EU history. EFSA, as the scientific
basis for EU legislation, secures high standards in the control of food, feed
and nutrition safety, acting at the same time as a watchdog for animal health
and plant protection. I am glad to acknowledge that EFSA’s establishment has
played a substantial role in underpinning food safety in the EU while reflecting
independency and transparency in its procedures and processes and diligence in
performing its tasks.
Consumer health protection and prevention of health risks is a prime
issue for the Ministry of Health and to this end, Cyprus is working in close
cooperation with EFSA. Instituting the Cyprus National Food Safety Council in
2004, Cyprus has
succeeded in establishing a robust food safety control system based on EU
legislation which led in submitting to the RASFF system 327 Notifications for
the period 2009 to 2014. 245 of them
were submitted by Cyprus’ Public Health Services. During the same period, nearly
18 thousand border controls applied for foodstuffs, leading to 69 border
rejections. These remarkable figures, quite noticeable compared to Cyprus’ small
population, have placed Cyprus among the leading countries in RASFF notification
system.
To this end, Cyprus’ State General Lab has also established a risk
assessment unit and has developed its own risk assessment model so as to fully
utilize all analytical results produced and food consumption data to support
risk managers as well as policy makers and protect consumer
health.
Furthermore, through the grant and procurement schemes of EFSA,
Cyprus has succeeded in getting approximately half-a-million euros for
implementing seven projects coordinated by the State General Lab under the
Ministry of Health. Our efforts transcend EU borders since food safety is a
global issue. In 2010, Cyprus
co-organised with DG SANTES a training programme for 13 neighbouring third countries on EU legislation and implementation of food control
systems under the BTSF programme. The
acceleration and expansion of such training ventures to cover also risk
assessment is evidenced by the multitude of regional, bilateral and
multi-lateral trade relationships established between EU and third countries of
the Mediterranean region and the Asian continent.
Cyprus, due to its geographical position, is a neighbour to most of the countries in the ENP programme and can act as a
bridge for the co-operation between EU and the ENP countries. Due to its location, at most eastern border
of the EU, Cyprus can emerge -with the support of DG SANTES and EFSA - as an
established leader in effective food safety standards and regulations for the
EU, as the vanguard entity responsible for enhanced food safety at the borders
of EU and as a training centre for the neighbouring countries which have, for long, close ties with
Cyprus.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The presence of the EFSA Executive Director, Dr. Berhand Url, today
indicates the determination of EFSA to have a strong collaborative relationship
with risk manages and risk assessors, both at the EU and national level and
beyond the EU borders.
To this end, Cyprus will continue to offer its expertise and data to
EFSA in order for the role and achievements of EFSA to have a greater impact to
the globe. We all have ambitious visions. But to reach to tangible results in a
world facing many challenges and to ensure that safety and health standards are
not only duly taken into account but even improved, we should strengthen
ventures and promoting programmes that provide capacity-building assistance to
all stakeholders in the food chain and strengthen collaboration that will
further initiatives for harmonization.
I am confident that EFSA, with the support of all member states and
other countries outside the EU, will continue to contribute through scientific
work, protect humans, animals and the environment from risks associated with the
food chain, and keep consumers well-informed.
Thank you.
