German-Tunisian cooperation in consumer protection
Joint press release by BfR and BVL
As part of a project to strengthen food safety and consumer health protection in Tunisia, the two Tunisian food safety authorities, represented by Dr. Mohamed Rabhi (Instance Nationale de la Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires, INSSPA) and Sonia Khayat (Agence Nationale d'Evaluation du Risque, ANCSEP/ANER) visit the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) from May 16th to 20th. They are accompanied by a delegation of professionals from their institutions and a representative of the Tunisian Ministry of Health. The aim of the delegation visit is to further intensify cooperation between the authorities in the field of consumer health protection.
Information from the BfR on German-Tunisian cooperation:
- https://www.bfr.bund.de/en/germany_and_tunisia___working_together_to_improve_food_safety-270582.html
Information from the BVL on German-Tunisian cooperation:
During their visit, the guests from our Tunisian partner organisations INSSPA and ANCSEP/ANER will gain practical insights into the official procedures and methods for strengthening food safety in Germany. This affords them the opportunity to visit the European and national reference laboratories of BfR and BVL, as well as the study kitchen in Berlin-Marienfelde, and to exchange opinions on questions of crisis management in the field of food safety during a visit to the BVL situation centre. "The separation of risk assessment and risk management was a result of the experiences with the BSE crisis, and has proven successful, helping to establish a high-quality food safety system in Germany," says BfR President Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel. "We support the Tunisian government with knowledge and experience in dealing with obstacles in order to build comparable state structures in consumer health protection."
"I am delighted to welcome our project partners to Berlin for the first time," emphasises BVL President Friedel Cramer. "We are pleased to advise and accompany our colleagues over the course of the next few years of the project in working out practical solutions for Tunisia. In fact, we can only achieve food safety together - and that's what this project is all about."
Further technical discussions on the official infrastructure and work processes in the field of food safety in Germany are planned before the end of the week, including with representatives of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Background
The BfR and the BVL cooperate at various levels with authorities in other countries. This international commitment allows them to pursue their mission of strengthening food safety sustainably in producer countries through partnerships and, in doing so, also guaranteeing a high level of consumer protection in Germany and Europe.
In 2019, a new food safety law came into force in Tunisia, which provides for the establishment of effective official structures for risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. Together, BfR and BVL support the Tunisian partners with the implementation of the new structures.
The project "Strengthening food safety and consumer health protection in Tunisia" is the first project based on the "Agreement on the integration of federal authorities of the BMEL in development cooperation projects". The purpose is to integrate the BMEL division within the BMZ's development cooperation. BMZ is financing the project with five million euros from funds of the "ONE WORLD - No Hunger" special initiative. The project has a term of five years: January 2021 to December 2025.
Press Release in French
About the BVL
The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) is an independent higher federal authority within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). The BVL contributes to food safety in a number of different ways. It issues approvals and coordinates monitoring programmes together with Germany's federal states. As part of the European rapid warning system, the BVL ensures the flow of information between the EU and the federal states in Germany.
About the BfR
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in Germany. The BfR advises the Federal Government and the States ('Laender') on questions of food, chemicals and product safety. The BfR conducts independent research on topics that are closely linked to its assessment tasks. The BfR employs around 1,150 people at three locations in Berlin.