2004/478/EC:COMMISSION DECISION of 29 April 2004 concerning the adoption of a general plan for food/feed crisis management
Date: 2004-04-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU office or agency, animal nutrition, foodstuff, foodstuffs legislation, health risk, human nutrition

30.4.2004 

EN 

Official Journal of the European Union 

L 160/98 

___ 

COMMISSION DECISION 

of  29 April 2004 

concerning the adoption of a general plan for food/feed crisis management 

(2004/478/EC) 

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, 

Having  regard  to  Regulation  (EC)  No  178/2002  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, 
establishing  the  European  Food  Safety  Authority  and  laying  down  procedures  in  matters  of 
food safety, and in particular Article 55 thereof,  

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

Article 55 of the above-mentioned Regulation 178/2002 provides that the Commission 
shall  draw  up,  in  close  cooperation  with  the  European  Food  Safety  Authority, 
hereinafter referred to as “the Authority”, and the Member States, a general plan for 
crisis management in the field of the safety of food and feed.  

The draft general plan has been the subject of consultations with the Authority and has 
been discussed in detail with the Member States through the Standing Committee on 
the Food Chain and Animal Health,  

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:  

The  general  plan  for  food/feed  crisis  management,  provided  for  in  Article  55  of  Regulation 
(EC) No 178/2002 and set out in the Annex, is hereby established. 

Article 1 

This Decision shall enter into force on the first day of the month following its publication in 
the Official Journal of the European Union. 

Article 2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Done at Brussels,  29 April 2004. 

For the Commission 
David BYRNE 
Member of the Commission 

 
 
 
GENERAL PLAN FOR FOOD/FEED CRISIS MANAGEMENT  

ANNEX  

1. 

SCOPE OF THE GENERAL PLAN FOR FOOD/FEED CRISIS MANAGEMENT 

Section 3 of Chapter IV of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 envisages new methods of 
risk management in the field of food and feed: the setting-up by the Commission of a 
crisis unit in which the Authority participates and the adoption of a general plan for 
food/feed  crisis  management  specifying,  in  particular,  the  practical  procedures 
necessary  to  manage  a  crisis.  The  general  plan  for  food/feed  crisis  management  is 
hereinafter referred to as the “general plan”. 

The three articles of section 3 are interconnected:  

Article 55 provides for the drawing up by the Commission, in close cooperation with 
the  Authority  and  the  Member  States,  of  a  general  plan  for  food/feed  crisis 
management  which  specifies  the  crisis  situations  and  the  practical  procedures 
necessary  for  managing  a  crisis,  including  the  principles  of  transparency  to  be 
applied and a communication strategy. 

Article 56 provides for the constitution of a crisis unit by the Commission. 

Article 57 specifies the tasks of the crisis unit.  

In  particular,  according  to  Article  55,  the  general  plan  shall  specify  the  types  of 
situation  involving  direct  or  indirect  risks  to  human  health  deriving  from  food  and 
feed which are unlikely to be prevented, eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level 
by provisions in place or by way of the application of Articles 53 and 54. 

In addition, Article 56 provides that the Commission shall set up a crisis unit "when 
it  identifies  a  situation  involving  a  serious  direct  or  indirect  risk  to  human  health 
deriving from food or feed and the risk cannot be prevented, eliminated or reduced 
by existing provisions or cannot be managed adequately solely by way of application 
of Articles 53 and 54". 

Therefore, the general plan specifies: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

the crisis situations; 

the procedure leading to the application of the general plan; 

the establishment of a network of crisis coordinators; 

the practical procedures for managing a crisis; 

the role of the crisis unit; 

the  practical  functioning  of  the  crisis  unit  (composition,  means  of  operation, 
actions); 

– 

the link between the crisis unit and the decision-making process; 

– 

– 

– 

– 

the resolution of the crisis; 

the management procedures in the event of a potentially serious risk; 

the communication strategy; 

the principles for transparency.  

The  management  procedures  established  by  the  general  plan  will  constitute 
guidelines applicable to the Member States, the Authority and the Commission.  

2. 

CRISIS SITUATIONS  

2.1. 

Crisis situations involving a serious direct or indirect risk to human health 

The crisis situations are those where critical factors are involved at such a level that 
the Commission considers that the management of the risk in question deriving from 
food  or  feed  will  be  of  such  complexity  that  it  cannot  be  managed  adequately  by 
existing provisions or solely by way of application of Articles 53 and 54. 

Experience  has  shown  that  situations  involving  risks  are  normally  managed 
appropriately using existing procedures. This means that the situations which should 
be  considered  to  be  crisis  situations  will  be  very  few  in  number,  not  to  say 
exceptional. 

These critical factors are, in particular, the following: 

the  situation  involves  a  serious  direct  or  indirect  risk  to  human  health  and/or  is 
perceived or publicised as such or can be perceived and/or publicised as such 

and 

the risk is spread or could be spread by a large part of the food chain  

and 

it  is  highly  likely  that  the  risk  will  spread  to  several  Member  States  and/or  non-
Community countries. 

The  general  plan  implies  the  setting  up  of  a  crisis  unit  where  the  direct  or  indirect 
risk involved is considered to be serious. The general plan will therefore include in 
almost all cases the setting up of a crisis unit. 

2.2. 

Crisis situations where there is a potentially serious risk 

It is important to provide in the plan for cases where the risk is potential but could 
evolve into a serious risk which is unlikely to be prevented, eliminated or reduced by 
existing provisions or solely by way of application of Articles 53 and 54. In this case, 
a  crisis  unit  will  not  be  set  up  but  adequate  provisions  should  be  made  to  ensure 
effective management of this type of situation. 

3. 

PROCEDURE LEADING TO THE APPLICATION OF THE GENERAL PLAN  

Information  possibly  leading  to  the  application  of  the  general  plan  for  food/feed 
crisis  management  and,  where  necessary,  to  the  setting  up  of  a  crisis  unit  may 
originate from:  

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

rapid alert notifications (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed); 

information  from  Member  States  (other  types  of  notifications,  information 
given in the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, etc.); 

information from the Authority; 

reports from the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO); 

information from the EU epidemiological network; 

information from non-Community countries or international bodies; 

any other source (consumer groups, industry, other stakeholders, media, etc.). 

When, on analysing the information concerning risks, the Commission takes the view 
that  the  conditions  established  in  sections  2.1  or  2.2  might  be  met,  it  shall  make 
preliminary contact with the Member State(s) concerned to examine the situation and 
with the Authority to request information on the risk involved. 

On the basis of the assessment of all relevant information available, the Commission 
shall determine whether the conditions set out in section 2.1 or section 2.2 have been 
met. 

4. 

ESTABLISHMENT OF A NETWORK OF CRISIS COORDINATORS 

Each  Member  State,  the  Authority  and  the  Commission  shall  designate  one  crisis 
coordinator  and  his/her  alternate  at  the  appropriate  level.  The  names  and  contact 
details  of  the  designated  coordinators  and  alternates  shall  be  notified  to  the 
Commission. 

Meetings of the coordinators shall be organised by the Commission shortly after their 
designation.  At  the  first  meeting,  the  Commission  shall  distribute  a  handbook 
providing a complete list of the coordinators and alternates and their contact details. 
The  handbook  shall  also  include  a  list  of  the  Community  Reference  Laboratories. 
Practical operating procedures will be discussed in order, for instance, to ensure that 
each  coordinator  can  be  contacted  at  short  notice  in  the  event  of  a  crisis  or  that 
effective cooperation is ensured on the risk communication strategy (see section 7). 
Stakeholders  shall  be  consulted  about  the  results  of  these  meetings  which  are  of 
interest to them. 

The practical procedures should ensure that action is taken quickly. Where necessary, 
they will be annexed to the general plan. 

5. 

PRACTICAL  PROCEDURES  FOR  THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  A  CRISIS  INVOLVING  A 
SERIOUS DIRECT OR INDIRECT RISK TO HUMAN HEALTH 

5.1. 

Establishment of the crisis unit 

When, on analysing the information concerning risks, the Commission takes the view 
that the conditions listed in section 2.1 might be met and, in particular, that the risk is 
likely  to  be  serious,  it  shall  make  preliminary  contact  with  the  Member  State(s) 
concerned to examine the situation and with the Authority to request information on 
the risk involved. 

On the basis of the assessment of all relevant information available, the Commission 
shall set up a crisis unit if the conditions mentioned in section 2.1 are considered to 
be met. 

The Commission shall immediately inform the Member States and the Authority that 
a crisis unit has been set up. 

The decision to set up a crisis unit will mean that sections 5, 7 and 8 of the general 
plan apply to all the parties concerned (Commission, Authority, Member States). 

5.2. 

Role of the crisis unit  

The crisis unit shall be responsible for gathering and evaluating all the relevant data 
and identifying the options available for managing the crisis. 

It shall also have the role of informing the public about the risks in question and the 
measures taken in this regard. 

The crisis unit is an additional tool for ensuring that crises are managed effectively 
by  ensuring  better  coordination  and  by  taking  action  quickly.  Consequently,  all 
members  of  the  crisis  unit  shall  have  to  cooperate  in  order  to  collect  and  share  all 
available relevant information; they shall also work together on the evaluation of the 
data collected and identify appropriate risk management options. The members of the 
crisis  unit  shall  also  cooperate  on  communication  and  identify  the  best  ways  of 
informing the public in a transparent way. 

However, the crisis unit is not responsible for adopting decisions on the management 
of risk or for implementing legislation (control aspects). 

Its operational methods will not replace the procedures used in the framework of the 
Commission’s or the Member States’ or the Authority’s own competence. 

As  a  consequence,  crisis  management  decisions  shall  be  adopted  according  to 
specific procedures already in place (in particular, comitology procedures). 

Each Member State shall continue to be responsible for the management of official 
controls on its territory. The specific procedures they have put in place to coordinate 
the  necessary  urgent  controls  in  situations  of  crisis  will  remain.  The  Health  and 
Consumer  Protection  Directorate-General  shall  be  responsible  for  sending  urgent 
missions from the FVO, if necessary. 

Similarly, the Authority shall continue to be responsible for managing the procedures 
for  providing  a  scientific  opinion  in  the  event  of  a  request  for  an  urgent  scientific 
opinion from the Scientific Committee or one of its scientific panels. 

5.3. 

Practical operation of the crisis unit 

Composition  

The crisis unit shall be composed of the crisis coordinators (or their alternates) from 
the  Commission  and  the  Authority,  the  crisis  coordinator(s)  of  the  Member  States 
directly  concerned  and  other  representatives  of  the  Commission,  the  Authority  and 
the  Member  State(s)  directly  concerned.  The  Authority  shall  provide  the  necessary 
scientific and technical assistance. 

The  purpose  of  the  crisis  unit  will  be  to  facilitate  rapid  and  efficient  action.  Its 
members will be involved in regular and emergency meetings of the crisis unit and 
will need to demonstrate a high degree of expertise and commitment. They will have 
to be able to take on a number of responsibilities, which means that it is necessary to 
designate people with a high level of responsibility in the food/feed sector.  

The crisis unit may consider that the expertise of other public or private persons is 
necessary for the management of the crisis and may request the permanent or ad hoc 
assistance  of  these  persons.  For  example,  experts  from  the  Community  or  national 
reference  laboratories  may  be  requested  to  take  part  in  the  crisis  unit  when  their 
expertise as regards laboratory analyses is needed. 

The persons responsible in the Commission and in the Authority for communication 
on food and feed safety shall be associated with the work of the crisis unit.  

Practical procedures for the operation of the crisis unit 

The Commission's crisis coordinator (or his/her alternate) shall chair the crisis unit. 
The Chair shall, in particular, ensure the link between the work of the crisis unit 
and  the  decision-making  process.  He/she  shall  be  assisted  by  the  appropriate 
technical expert(s) of the competent Unit(s) concerned in the Commission. 

The Chair shall ensure the smooth operation of the crisis unit and the distribution of 
tasks amongst members, taking into account their competence. 

As soon as possible after it has been decided to set up a crisis unit, the Chair shall 
invite the Authority's coordinator and the coordinators of the Member States directly 
affected  by  the  crisis  to  a  first  meeting  of  the  crisis  unit.  Coordinators  may  be 
accompanied by a limited number of persons. The Chair may specify a limit for the 
maximum number of accompanying persons. 

The  Authority's  coordinator  and  the  Member  States'  coordinators  involved  in  the 
crisis  unit  must  ensure  adequate  participation  in  the  meetings  of  the  crisis  unit  in 
terms  of  availability,  expertise  and  level  of  responsibility.  In  concrete  terms  it  will 
mean that the crisis coordinator or his/her alternate will attend all meetings and will 
be accompanied by the relevant persons. 

The Authority shall be responsible for providing scientific and technical assistance if 
necessary,  in  particular  regarding  the  state  of  scientific  knowledge  (collection  and 
evaluation of all relevant scientific information in relation to the risk in question). 

The  crisis  unit  shall  be  responsible  for  maintaining  close  contact  with  the 
stakeholders concerned, in particular when information has to be shared. 

Means of operation  

The Commission shall staff the secretariat for the meetings of the crisis unit (minutes 
etc.) and place at the disposal of the crisis unit all the human and material resources 
necessary  for  its  smooth  operation  (in  particular,  meeting  rooms,  means  of 
communication, etc.). 

The crisis unit will use the technical arrangements in place for the RASFF network to 
communicate or disseminate information, particularly requests for information to the 
Member State(s) and the information submitted by them. 

Action taken by the crisis unit 

In  accordance  with  Article  57  referred  to  above,  the  crisis  unit  shall  take  the 
following action: 

– 

Action in relation to the collection of relevant scientific data and all scientific 
information making it possible to manage the risk in question as effectively as 
possible. In particular:  

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

sharing of the scientific information available to the different members of 
the crisis unit; 

where  necessary,  members  will  be  required  to  collect  more  scientific 
information; 

where  necessary,  coordination  of  the  action  taken  to  make  up  for 
scientific shortcomings; 

where  necessary,  members  will  be  required  to  contact  international 
organisations, the stakeholders concerned and non-Community countries 
to ensure that all relevant information is made available and shared; 

where  necessary,  the  crisis  unit  may  call  upon  the  assistance  of  the 
Community Reference Laboratories. 

The allocation of tasks on the collection of scientific data shall take into account the 
specific  expertise  of  the  Authority  and  the  mechanisms  for  sharing  scientific  data 
already set up by the Authority on these issues (Authority’s networks). 

The  allocation  of  tasks  on  the  collection  of  scientific  data  may  also  include,  where 
necessary, the assistance of other networks managed by the Commission, such as the 
Rapid  Alert  and  Response  System  (EWRS)  in  the  field  of  human  illnesses  or  the 
ADNS in the field of animal health or the networks operating in the area of research 
and managed by DG Research. 

– 

Action  relating  to  the  collection  of  other  relevant  data  (data  other  than  the 
scientific data referred to above). In particular: 

– 

– 

– 

sharing  of  all  other  relevant  data  available  (results  of  official  controls, 
results  of  analyses  performed  by  official  control  laboratories,  data 
obtained from non-Community countries, etc.); 

where  necessary,  tasks  shall  be  allocated  to  members  with  a  view  to 
collecting more data; 

where  necessary,  tasks  shall  be  allocated  to  members  with  a  view  to 
contacting  international  organisations,  the  stakeholders  concerned  and 
non-Community countries to ensure that all relevant information is made 
available and shared. 

– 

Action relating to the evaluation of the information available. In particular: 

– 

– 

– 

sharing  of  the  evaluations  already  performed  by  the  members,  in 
particular the Authority, or evaluations otherwise available; 

organisation of the risk assessment, taking into account the specific role 
of the Authority in providing scientific and technical support to the crisis 
unit, without prejudice to the possibility of requesting a formal scientific 
opinion from the Authority; 

where  necessary,  use  of  the  technical  support  of  the  Community 
Reference Laboratories on analytical aspects. 

– 

Action  relating  to  the  identification  of  the  options  available  for  preventing, 
eliminating  or  reducing  to  an  acceptable  level  the  risk  to  human  health  and 
updating of these options on the basis of the new information available and the 
development of the situation. In particular: 

– 

– 

the members of the crisis unit shall work together to identify the options 
available; 

they shall produce a common paper on the options available;  this paper 
should include, for each option, a justification for the identification of the 
option,  in  particular  the  main  results  of  the  evaluation  of  the  data 
available. 

– 

Action relating to the organisation of the communication to the public on the 
risks involved and the measures taken. 

This matter is explored in more detail in section 7. 

For  all  kinds  of  action  taken,  the  crisis  unit  may  request  the  permanent  or  ad  hoc 
assistance of specific persons when their expertise is considered necessary. 

5.4. 

Link between the crisis unit and the decision-making process 

Action relating to crisis management 

The action relating to crisis management includes all action necessary for preventing, 
reducing  and  eliminating  the  risk  involved:  the  crisis  unit  will  be  responsible  for 
certain  types  of  action,  and  the  Commission  and/or  the  Member  States  for  others. 
The action taken will be without prejudice to the possibility set out in Article 53(2) 

for the Commission to adopt provisional measures in the event of emergencies, after 
consulting the Member States concerned and informing the other Member States. 

Step 1  

– 

The Commission shall convene the crisis unit as soon as possible after its 
creation. 

– 

The crisis unit shall take action as provided for in sections 5, 7 and 8.  

Step 2  

– 

– 

Step 3  

The  options  identified  by  the  crisis  unit  shall  be  transmitted  to  the 
Commission,  which  will  forward  them  immediately  to  the  Member 
States.  

The Commission shall prepare the measures to be taken where necessary. 
It may also request the Authority to provide an urgent scientific opinion, 
if a formal scientific opinion from the Authority is deemed necessary. 

–  Meeting  of  the  Standing  Committee  on  the  Food  Chain  and  Animal 
Health to examine and give an opinion on the measures proposed, where 
necessary. 

–  Where necessary, adoption of emergency measures, in particular, on the 
basis of the procedures provided for in Articles 53 and 54 of Regulation 
(EC) No 178/2002. 

– 

In  the  event  of  a  request  for  an  urgent  scientific  opinion,  the  Authority 
shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the opinion is delivered 
as soon as possible. 

Permanent action to be taken throughout the crisis 

– 

– 

– 

Throughout the crisis, the crisis unit shall continuously collect and evaluate the 
relevant  data  and  re-evaluate  the  options  available.  The  updated  options  shall 
be  transmitted  to  the  Commission  and  the  Member  States.  The  Commission 
may  prepare  amended  measures  and  submit  them  for  consideration  to  the 
Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. 

Throughout the crisis, the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal 
Health  shall  hold  regular  and  emergency  meetings  to  ensure  that  all  relevant 
information  is  shared,  in  particular  on  the  adoption  of  all  necessary  measures 
and on the follow-up of the implementation of the crisis management measures 
(reports  from  the  Member  States  concerned,  submitted  and  discussed  in  the 
Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health). 

On  the  basis  of  the  communication  strategy  indicated  in  section  7  and  in 
accordance with the principles of transparency in section 8, the crisis unit shall 
keep the public and the stakeholders informed throughout the crisis. 

Link between the crisis unit and the decision-making process 

– 

Practical  mechanisms  will  ensure  that  the  work  of  the  crisis  unit  and  the 
decision-making process are adequately connected. In particular, the Standing 
Committee  shall  be  regularly  updated  on  the  work  of  the  crisis  unit  and  the 
Authority  shall  be  invited  to  the  meetings  of  the  Standing  Committee.  The 
crisis unit shall be kept continuously informed about the measures taken as part 
of  the  decision-making  process  in  order  to  coordinate  the  information  on  this 
issue. 

5.5. 

Resolution of the crisis 

The above procedures will remain in place until the crisis unit is dissolved. When the 
Commission considers, after consulting the crisis unit and in close collaboration with 
the Member States through the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal 
Health, that the work of the crisis unit is completed because the risk has been brought 
under control, it may dissolve the crisis unit.  

5.6. 

Post-crisis assessment 

An overall post-crisis assessment, involving the stakeholders, shall be undertaken. A 
meeting  of  the  crisis  coordinators  shall  be  held  after  the  conclusion  of  a  crisis  in 
order  to  improve  the  operational  procedures  for  the  different  tools  used  in  crisis 
management, in light of the post-crisis assessment and on the basis of the experience 
gained.  

6. 

MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES IN THE EVENT OF A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS RISK 

When, on analysing the information concerning risks, the Commission takes the view 
that  the  conditions  listed  in  section  2.2  might  be  met,  it  shall  make  preliminary 
contact  with  the  Member  State(s)  concerned  to  examine  the  situation  and  with  the 
Authority to request information on the risk involved. 

On  the  basis  of  the  assessment  of  all  relevant  information  available  and  if  the 
Commission considers that the conditions established in section 2.2 have been met, 
the Commission shall immediately inform the Member States and the Authority that 
sections 6, 7 and 8 of the general plan are applicable. 

As soon as possible after it has been decided to apply this section of the general plan, 
the Commission shall take the following action: 

–  Establish appropriate contact with the Member State(s) directly concerned and the 
Authority  to  request  activation  of  their  internal  system  for  crisis  management. 
Where  necessary,  the  mechanisms  for  sharing  scientific  data  developed  by  the 
Authority in the event of emergencies (Authority’s networks) should be activated. 

–  Where necessary, request activation of the competent laboratories and sharing of 

their analytical results. 

–  Establish appropriate contact or hold meetings with the Member State(s) directly 
concerned  and  the  Authority  in  order  to  ensure  that  all  relevant  information  is 
shared (scientific data, control data, etc.).  

–  Take  action  as  regards  communication  (see  section  7).  The  principles  of 

transparency mentioned in section 8 shall apply.  

This action will continue to be taken until the risk has been assessed more fully. If 
the  risk  is  considered  to  be  serious  and  if  the  Commission  considers  that  the 
conditions set out in section 2.1 have been met, a crisis unit shall be set up and the 
procedures provided for in sections 5, 7 and 8 shall apply.  

If  the  risk  is  not  considered  to  be  serious,  the  existing  normal  provisions  for  the 
management of risk shall apply. 

7. 

COMMUNICATION STRATEGY  

The crisis unit shall develop its communication strategy in line with the case in hand 
in order to keep the public informed about the risk and the measures taken. 

This communication strategy shall cover the content of the message and the timing of 
the communication on the problems in question, including appropriate arrangements 
for its release. 

The  strategy  shall  take  account  of  the  specific  competence  and  responsibilities  of 
each  of  the  unit's  members  when  it  comes  to  communicating  with  the  public  in  a 
coordinated,  consistent  and  transparent  way.  To  this  end,  provision  is  made  for  the 
following procedures: 

– 

– 

– 

The  person  responsible  in  the  Commission  for  communication  on  food  and 
feed  safety  and  the  person  responsible  in  the  Authority  for  communication 
shall be associated with the work of the crisis unit. 

The Member States directly concerned by the crisis, and hence members of the 
crisis unit, shall do all that they can to ensure that their communication policy 
is consistent with the communication strategy coordinated by the crisis unit. 

In the same way, the Member States which are not members of the crisis unit 
shall be associated with the strategy coordinated by the crisis unit through their 
crisis management coordinators in order to ensure consistency as regards risk 
communication. 

The  strategy  adopted  by  the  crisis  unit  shall  involve  making  use  of  whichever 
channels  of  communication  are  appropriate  for  the  cases  which  arise  with  the 
European Parliament and with the non-Community countries and parties concerned. 

The  communication  strategy  developed  by  the  crisis  unit  shall  include  making 
appropriate preliminary contact with stakeholders where necessary and, in particular, 
when information is released in relation to a specific commercial brand or name. 

The  communication  strategy  shall  take  account  of  the  specific  role  played  by  the 
organisations representing stakeholders at European level in relaying information. 

The  communication  strategy  will  include  establishing  appropriate  coordinated 
contacts with the non-Community countries concerned in order to provide them with 
clear,  precise  and  coherent  information.  The  communication  strategy  shall  also 
include  transmitting  appropriate  information  to  non-Community  countries  to  warn 
them that the crisis has been resolved. 

The  communication  strategy  shall  ensure  that  the  communication  process  is 
transparent, in accordance with the principles set out in section 8. 

When information is communicated as defined in section 6 of the general plan, the 
necessary  coherence  of  the  communication  needs  also  to  be  ensured.  The  contacts 
and  meetings  provided  for  in  this  section  shall  cover,  where  necessary,  a 
communication strategy to be developed in line with section 7. 

8. 

PRINCIPLES OF TRANSPARENCY  

When  the  crisis  unit  issues  a  communication,  it  shall  take  great  care  to  ensure 
transparency in accordance with the principles for public information provided for in 
Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002.  

The  general  confidentiality  rules  will  continue  to  apply.  Furthermore,  the  specific 
confidentiality rules provided for in Article 52 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 will 
apply to the exchange of information carried out under the RASFF.  

When the crisis unit communicates the results of work carried out by the Authority 
on  its  behalf,  the  principles  of  transparency  and  confidentiality  provided  for  in 
Articles 38 and 39 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 with regard to the results of the 
Authority’s work will apply.