By adopting its White Paper on Food Safety last January, the Commission defined the main aspects of its future policy and adopted a ambitious legislative programme for its achievement. The new, comprehensive and integrated approach on food safety promoted by the White Paper will involve all the departments of the Commission directly or indirectly concerned with food safety. I assure you that, being the Commissioner responsible for the Internal Market, I shall play my part in ensuring that we meet our ambitious objectives. Since its entry into force in 1958, the EC Treaty has provided that the protection of public health may legitimately be invoked by a Member State as a derogation from the principle of the free movement of foodstuffs in order to justify measures aimed at preventing a dangerous product or substance being commercialised on its territory. I mentioned before the issue of confidence.
European citizens deserve to be treated intelligently.
They rightly demand clear, independent and honest information about what they eat. The rules of the common market, inspired by the principle of proportionality, have always trusted, to a large extent, the capacity of the consumer to take his own decisions. That is why emphasis has always been put on the importance of labelling products which are on the market as a reasonable and proportionate protective measure. That said, the consumer should appreciate that there is no such thing as zero risk. I do not believe that waving the flag of food safety when it is not justified or necessary serves the interest of the consumer.