The Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are key players in the food sector, especially in rural areas, and have significant potential for growth. Most SMEs are family run businesses with strong links to their customers and a commitment to high standards. EU legislation (The Hygiene Package) includes provisions for flexible application of requirements in SMEs. These flexibility measures can only be applied when the objectives of the legislation are fully met and therefore food safety is not compromised. The application of these measures can have an immediate and positive effect on the competitiveness and employment potential of SMEs. The FVO carried out a series of visits to evaluate the implementation of flexibility rules in small establishments and an overview report was published in 2010 (see 'Read more' below). The report concludes that there was an uneven implementation of flexibility across the different Member States (MS). Some MS had been very proactive in this area while others had not provided the framework for SMEs to avail of flexibility possibilities. However, in some MS, examples of good practice were identified. The European Commission is committed to assist MS in the implementation and dissemination of flexibility measures. In 2013, the FVO organised a workshop on flexibility with the participation of all MS. Great interest was shown by the MS in the introduction and developing of flexibility. The Commission and the FVO continue to promote the application of flexibility provisions. The most recent FVO contributions in this area have been presentations and discussions in the following venues: • Conference on hygiene and flexibility for small producers: Milan, EXPO (June 2015). • Manchester AVESA conference (May 2015) The FVO will participate in the following events: • Italian Society of Preventive Veterinary Medicine: The principles of flexibility of the Hygiene Package applied to small farms and food enterprises (20 November 2015 Perugia, Italy) • Symposium of flexibility and derogations of European Food Safety Legislation 29 October 2015-Bilbao-Spain • Nordic Food Conference: 26-27 January 2016-Copenhagen-Denmark • Piedmont Region – Regional Veterinary Service conference on HACCP and flexibility (11 March 2016 Ivrea, Italy) If you would like further information please contact us on: SANTE-CONSULT-F2@ec.europa.eu