The European Commission’s top priority is to protect both public and animal health, and to ensure that food is safe from farm to fork. To that end, since 1989 the Commission has introduced a comprehensive and stringent series of measures to manage the risk of BSE which apply throughout the EU.
Since September 1999, the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers (DG SANCO) has been responsible for these harmonised TSE measures by drafting the TSE legislation based on scientific evidence to protect consumer and animal health and to ensure the safety of food and feed. The adoption of these TSE measures in the comitology procedure is possible only after favourable vote of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH) representing all the Member States. In the framework of SCFCAH also other current issues related to TSEs can be discussed. See topic Legislation for more information.
In order to control the correct implementation of TSE legislation the Food and Veterinary Office, FVO of the Commission carries out inspections both in the Member States and in third countries. See topic Inspections and controls for more information.
The TSE Roadmap
The Commission published the TSE Roadmap in July 2005. It is a reflection paper providing an outline of possible future changes to EU measures on BSE in the short and medium term (2005-2009) and in the long term (2009-2014). Most of these measures foreseen in the short and medium term have already been adopted by the Commission.
On 16 July 2010 the Commission adopted a Communication to the European Parliament and the Council, which outlines areas where future possible changes to EU TSE-related measures could be made. The document –"
The TSE Road Map 2
– A strategy paper on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies for 2010-2015" – underlines that any amendment should maintain the EU's high level of protection of human and animal health and of food safety and should be backed by solid science. The Road Map is a reflection paper that opens up dialogue on the issue.
In addition, the Commission has prepared a Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the TSE Roadmap 2.
Questions and Answers on TSE Roadmap
To accompany the TSE Roadmap, the Commission also published in July 2005 a set of Questions and Answers on the TSE Roadmap (MEMO/05/263).
These questions and answers relate mainly to the measures of the short and medium term (2005-2009).
Work Programme on TSE
The Work programme on TSE has been adopted in November 2006, see archives.
in July 2005. It is a reflection paper providing an outline of possible future changes to EU measures on BSE in the short and medium term (2005-2009) and in the long term (2009-2014). Most of these measures foreseen in the short and medium term have already been adopted by the Commission.
