LAW-30806 Food Law

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

All the necessary information on law and governance will be provided in the course.
However it is useful if one or more of the following courses have been taken.
Legal Regulation and Management of Production Chains (LAW-12306); Food Quality Management (FQD-20306).

Continuation courses:

International and American Food Law; Food Safety Management (FHM-61312); Globalisation and Governance (LAW-30306); Internship Food Quality Management; Internship International Policy and Administration (LAW-70924/-70939); Internship Law and Governance (LAW-70424/-70439); Chinese Law on Food and Agriculture (LAW-56306).

Contents:

Regulation of food safety has become a major concern of governments, businesses and consumers alike. To address these concerns, food standards are increasingly being developed and applied at national, European and global levels. These standards deal with issues such as food safety, food quality, consumer protection and consumer information. They may be part of food safety regulation as such but also be part of international trade regulation.
The course is about the structure and content of food law in the European Union and its relationships with national and global food legislation. A central part of the course is about the architecture of the body of food law on the basis of the principles set forth in the General Food Law. Special topics are food hygiene and safety, novel foods (including GM foods), labelling, traceability, intellectual property rights, enforcement of food law, the role of WTO, FAO, WHO and Codex Alimentarius at the global level of food law and the interrelationship between the global level and the European level of food law.

Learning outcomes:

At the end of this course a student:
- is able to describe the multi-layered structure of food law and the role of different players involved at national, European and international level;
- knows the relationship between the aims of the players in the field of food law and the content of the law;
- knows the content and functioning of the core area of European food law;
- understands how law affects food safety and the position of interested parties;
- is able to find the relevant sources of European food law in a given case;
- is able to formulate a legal problem statement, and to conduct reasoning and analysis of food related cases.

Activities:

Depending on the number of participating students:
- lectures;
- working groups;
- presentations;
- discussions;
- excursion to food law relevant institutions in Brussels.

Examination:

Written exam, open or closed questions on knowledge or application of the theory and the law to real or imagined cases. The re-exam may, depending on the number of participants will be oral.

Literature:

Book and reader.