The PLAC III project supported the Ministry of Health in further harmonising the legislation in the area of materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, which is part of negotiation chapter 12 (Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy).
The transposition and implementation of EU regulations in the area of materials and articles to come into contact with food was the topic of a workshop held in Belgrade on Wednesday, 27 November 2019. The workshop was opened by introductory remarks by Assistant Minister of Health, Mr Goran Stamenković and PLAC III project team leader, Mr Andrej Engelman. The workshop was attended by more than 70 participants – sanitary inspectors, representatives of public health institutes and offices, Provincial Health Secretariat, laboratories.
PLAC III project experts Mrs Tatjana Stamatović and Mr Bojan Vidović presented the relevant EU legislation, the activities they carried out within the project and the results achieved.
Mrs Tatjana Stamatović gave an overview of the legislative framework – the Law on Products for General Use and the novelty it introduced in the area of materials and articles that come into contact with food (FCM), as well as two EU regulations transposed into the Law. These are the Regulation on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food (Regulation EC 1935/2004) and the Regulation on good manufacturing practice for materials and articles intended to come into contact with food (Regulation EC 2023/2006). Among other things, regulations stipulate that materials and items must have a declaration of compliance, and must be traceable at all stages of the business; good manufacturing practice covers all sectors and all stages of the processing, production and distribution of materials that come into contact with food, except for the production of raw materials.
Mr Bojan Vidović presented the Draft Rulebook on Materials and Articles Intended to Come into Contact with Food, Including Products Intended for Infants and Children for Facilitation of Feeding and Breastfeeding, Calming and Sleeping, as well as Packaging for Food and Articles of General Use. The draft rulebook, harmonised with the relevant EU acquis, was developed as part of the expert support of the PLAC III project. He also presented Draft guidelines for proper implementation of official controls of FCM, as well as the experience of the Croatian Ministry of Health in this area. Vidović emphasised that it was necessary to appoint a national reference laboratory, adopt a multi-year plan of official controls and report to the European Commission.
In discussions with the participants, Assistant Minister of Health Goran Stamenković said that an increase in the number of sanitary inspectors was planned, and that after the adoption of the new Rulebook, it would be determined which entities would be entitled to perform controls. Mirjana Veljković of the Ministry of Health’s Inspection Sector said that monitoring would certainly involve public health institutes and offices.
