Food Safety Coordination Unit
The Ministry of Agriculture, in accordance with the Strategy to Ensure Food Safety in the Czech Republic (Strategy) has established in 2002 the Food Safety Coordination Unit. The Coordination Unit is a permanent advisory and initiating body of the Minister of Agriculture in the sphere of the food safety.
The Food Safety Coordination Unit is responsible to the Minister of Agriculture for its activity. It manages, coordinates and monitors tasks arising from the Strategy and other activities in the field of the food safety in accordance with relevant laws and regulations referred to in the Strategy.
The function of the Food Safety Coordination Unit is performed by the Food Safety Department. The Food Safety Department is one of the departments of the Food Authority, which began its work on 1 April 2005.
Members of the Food Safety Coordination Unit are:
- Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture (in the positions of a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman),
- Representatives of the concerned central government organs,
- Representatives of the national supervisory authorities: the Czech Agricultural and Food Inspection Authority, the State Veterinary Administration of the Czech Republic, the State Phytosanitary Administration and the Central Institute for Supervising and Tasting in Agriculture;
- Representatives of producers of food ingredients and food producers: the Agricultural Chamber of the Czech Republic, the Federation of the Food and Drink Industries of the Czech Republic (Food Chamber)
- Representatives of consumer and business organizations.
Meetings may be attended by the Chairs of the Scientific Committees as guests.
The Food Safety Coordination Unit performs the following functions: It is an advisory body of the Ministry of Agriculture; It coordinates activities in the area of food safety; ensures cooperation between the state supervision, scientific production, consumer and the public administration; works in cooperation with EFSA and the national food safety agencies in the EU Member States.