Romania
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Law No. 150/2004 (with amendments) is the legal foundation for food and feed legislation in Romania. Infringement of food and feed regulations can lead to measures under criminal law and consumer damage claims under civil law, whereby the final decision rests with the courts. Government measures with regard to food safety are often based on scientific risk assessments.
In Romania there is no institutional separation of risk assessment and risk management. Not all risk assessments are published on the Internet.
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
| Name | Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development |
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| Acronym | MADR |
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| Location | Bucharest |
| URL | http://www.madr.ro/en/ |
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) deals with agricultural policy and food safety in Romania. It prepares draft legislation in the area of food and feed of non-animal origin, residues of plant protection products and cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). MADR also conducts risk assessments in these fields. Activities of MADR with regard to plant protection products are supported by the National Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of Health.
Two National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) are part of MADR pursuant to Regulation (EU) No. 2017/625.
Ministry of Health
| Name | Ministry of Health |
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| Acronym | MS |
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| Location | Bucharest |
| URL | http://www.ms.ro |
The Ministry of Health (MS) is responsible for health protection and partially for food safety in Romania. The MS prepares draft legislation in the field of food safety and is partially responsible for official controls in the area of food safety. The portfolio of the MS includes novel foods, food supplements, food for populations with special nutritional requirements, food additives, enzymes and flavourings, treatment of food with ionising irradiation, food contact materials as well as mineral water. The MS is also responsible for risk assessments in these areas.
National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority
| Name | National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority |
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| Acronym | ANSVSA |
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| Location | Bucharest |
| URL | http://www.ansvsa.ro |
The National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) is subordinated to the Romanian Government, under the coordination of the prime minister. The ANSVSA manages at national level all the matters in the food safety area – from raw materials to consumers’ issues. The ANSVSA is responsible for official controls, preparation of draft legislation as well as preparation of risk assessments in the following areas: food and feed safety, contaminants, residues of plant protection products, import and export of animals and plant products, traceability and labelling of genetically modified food and feed, zoonoses, veterinary medicinal products and their residues, animal health and welfare and antimicrobial resistance. There are 3 National Reference Institutes that are subordinated to ANSVSA: the Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, the Institute for Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health and the Institute for Control of Biological Products and Veterinary Medicines.
Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests
| Name | Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests |
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| Acronym | MMAP |
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| Location | Bucharest |
| URL | http://www.mmediu.ro/ |
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests (MMAP) deals with environmental policy and is the main competent authority for plant protection products and GMOs. The MMAP authorises and controls the use of GMOs and plant protection products and monitors their impact on the environment. In this area, the MMAP is supported by the National Protection Agency and the National Environmental Guard. Authorisation of plant protection products in Romania requires the approval of three ministries, the MADR, MS and MMAP. The MMAP is also responsible for the management of obsolete pesticides.
National Authority for Consumer Protection
| Name | National Authority for Consumer Protection |
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| Acronym | ANPC |
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| Location | Bucharest |
| URL | http://www.anpc.ro |
The National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC) monitors whether food, food advertising, and food labelling conforms to legal requirements. The ANPC also handles consumer complaints.
Regional and local levels
Romania has a unitary government structure with decentralised regional administration offices. The regional level (42 administrative districts) has certain autonomous competencies. The regional administration supervises the work of local authorities. All authorities (MADR, MS, ANSVSA, MMAP and ANPC) have regional offices that carry out inspections and control in the area of food and feed safety, plant protection and plant health as well as veterinary inspections.
Article 36 institutions
| Institutions involved in the EFSA network pursuant to Article 36 Reg. (EC) No. 178/2002 |
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