SWD(2013)516 - Fitness check of the Food chain - State of play and next steps - Main contents
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 5.12.2013 SWD(2013) 516 final
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT
A FITNESS CHECK OF THE FOOD CHAIN
State of play and next steps
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT
A FITNESS CHECK OF THE FOOD CHAIN State of play and next steps
Disclaimer
This Staff Working Document has been elaborated by Commission services reflecting the state of play and on-going discussions and decision-making processes. Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use to which information contained in this publication may be put, nor for any errors which may appear despite careful preparation and checking. This publication does not necessarily reflect the view or the position of the European Commission.
Executive summary
In October 2010, the Commission initiated the ‘fitness check’ exercise which aims to review an entire body of legislation in a certain policy area with the purpose of identifying excessive burdens, overlaps, gaps, inconsistencies and/or obsolete measures. The food chain was identified as one of four pilot projects. This fitness check provides the groundwork for the Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT) which was introduced at the end of 2012. It serves as both an overall assessment by establishing the state of play and, at the same time, as initial mapping exercise outlining the next steps. Laying this groundwork was challenging given the complexity and heterogeneity of the food chain policy area. The first step was to assess the impact of smart regulation objectives on the main policy areas. The second step was to map the whole body of legislation on the basis of four priority objectives and to identify how well it delivers smart regulation objectives. This forms the substance of this document. The results of this mapping exercise lead to the next step, which includes extensive consultation with the interested public and stakeholders. It will focus on the basic legislative framework as part of the REFIT programme.
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