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General Principles of Food Law - Legislation

Below you will find the main EU Regulation on the general principles of food law, its amendments and implementing measures. You can also access the national legislation that gives effect to these rules.

EU legislation

Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 (OJ L31, p1, 1.02.2002) of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety.

Amended by

Regulation (EC) No 1642/2003 (OJ L245, p4, 29.09.2003) of 22 July 2003 amending Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 575/2006 (OJ L100, p3, 08.04.2006) of 7 April 2006 as regards the number and names of the permanent Scientific Panels of the European Food Safety Authority.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 202/2008 (OJ L 60, p17, 05.03.2008) of 4 March 2008 as regards the number and names of the Scientific Panels of the European Food Safety Authority.
   
Regulation (EU) No 652/2014 (NO LONGER IN FORCE) (OJ L 189, p1, 27.06.2014) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 laying down provisions for the management of expenditure relating to the food chain, animal health and animal welfare, and relating to plant health and plant reproductive material, amending Council Directives 98/56/EC, 2000/29/EC and 2008/90/EC, Regulations (EC) No 178/2002, (EC) No 882/2004 and (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Decisions 66/399/EEC, 76/894/EEC and 2009/470/EC.

Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/228 (OJ L 35, p10, 10.02.2017) of 9 February 2017 amending Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 as regards the names and the areas of competence of the scientific panels of the European Food Safety Authority.

Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (OJ L 117, p1, 05.05.2017) of the European parliament and of the council of 5 April 2017 on medical devices, amending Directive 2001/83/EC, Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 and Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and repealing Council Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC.
  
Regulation (EU) 2019/1243 (OJ L 198, p241, 25.07.2019) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 adapting a number of legal acts providing for the use of the regulatory procedure with scrutiny to Articles 290 and 291 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Consolidated Version of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 (as at 1 July 2022)

Regulation (EU) 2019/1381 (OJ L 231, p1, 06.09.2019) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on the transparency and sustainability of the EU risk assessment in the food chain and amending Regulations (EC) No 178/2002, (EC) No 1829/2003, (EC) No 1831/2003, (EC) No 2065/2003, (EC) No 1935/2004, (EC) No 1331/2008, (EC) No 1107/2009, (EU) 2015/2283 and Directive 2001/18/EC.

Implemented by

Commission Regulation (EC) No 2230/2004 (OJ L 379, p64, 24.12.2004) of 23 December 2004 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 with regard to the network of organisations operating in the fields within the European Food Safety Authority’s mission

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 931/2011 (OJ L 242, p2, 20.09.2011) of 19 September 2011 on the traceability requirements set by Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council for food of animal origin

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 208/2013 (OJ L 68, p 16-18, 12.03.2013) of 11 March 2013 on traceability requirements for sprouts and seeds intended for the production of sprouts

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/300 (OJ L 50, p 55-65, 21.02.2019) of 19 February 2019 establishing a general plan for crisis management in the field of the safety of food and feed

National legislation

For food businesses supervised by the Health Services Executive (HSE)

European Communities (General Food Law) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 747 of 2007)

Amended by:

European Communities (General Food Law) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 498 of 2010)
European Communities (General Food Law) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 500 of 2011)
European Communities (General Food Law) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 473 of 2012)
European Communities (General Food Law) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 383 of 2013)
 

For food businesses supervised by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM), the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) or local authorities

European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 22 of 2020)