EU loses patience with UK over differences in irradiated food regulations

European Union officials have issued a second warning to the UK over its failure to come into line with rules governing imports of irradiated food from third countries.
The reprimand came from the Commission after it said the current UK rules on food irradiation were out of step with European law as laid out in Directive 1999/2/EC. The regulation sets out that EU countries can only accept food and food ingredients treated with irradiation from outside the bloc from processing plants that appear on an approved list drawn up by Brussels.
However, the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) said that it believed it was already complying with European law and that new regulations, due to come into force at the end of next month, would resolve the situation entirely. A FSA spokesman stressed ther were no food safety implications.
The issue appears to have been caused by legal anomaly as the 1990 Food (Control of Irradiation) Regulations allow the UK to "recognise" food irradiation facilities in third countries (non-EU countries), even if they are not approved by the European Community. The UK has said it would not do this because “to do so would be in breach of Article 9 of Directive 1999/2/EC”, said a FSA consultation paper on the new UK law
While the Commission recognized the UK is working to address the issue, it appears its patience with the national government is wearing thin after sending an initial letter more than two years ago urging it to solve the problem. Officials in Brussels have now fired off a further warning shot in order to ensure swift compliance.
Aporte: Alejandra Lavín
Fuente: FoodProductionDaily.com