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The Food Law is the central legal foundation for food legislation in Bulgaria. Infringement of food 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. However, the final decision on the legality of governmental measures rests with the courts.
Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 and national food laws are the central legal foundation for food legislation in Belgium. Infringement of food regulations can lead to measures under criminal law and consumer damage claims under civil law, whereby the final decision rests with the courts. In Belgium, several independent organisations are involved in the risk assessment of food and feed safety. However, there is no strict institutional separation of risk assessment and risk management. Risk assessments are published on the Internet unless there are statutory provisions that prohibit it.


In Bulgaria, an institutional separation of risk assessment and risk management has been in place since 2016.
== Federal Public Service for Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment ==
 
In January 2011, the Bulgarian Parliament, following a political decision, established a new public authority by adopting the Law on the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA). BFSA, within the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (MAFF), is responsible for the official control on safety of food and feed throughout the food chain. Together with the agency, a Risk Assessment Center was created.
Initially the RACFCH was established in 2011 and functioned within BFSA structure until 2016. Since 01 October 2016, following another political decision, the Law on RACFCH was adopted and the center was separated from the agency as an independent legal entity under MAFF. RACFCH is the main authority in Bulgaria engaged in risk assessment and risk communication related to the food chain. Its risk assessments and scientific opinions are published on the Internet unless there are statutory provisions that prohibit it.
 
MAFF is responsible for agricultural policy along the food chain. It prepares draft legislation related to food and feed safety and is responsible for implementing official controls of food and feed.
 
== Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry ==
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!Name
!Name
|Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry
|Federal Public Service for Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment
|-
|-
!Acronym
!Acronym
|MAFF
|FPSH
|-
|-
!Activities
!Activities
|
|
*Risk management
*Risk assessment
*Risk communication
*Risk communication
*EFSA CEN representative
*Risk management
*EFSA Focal Point
*EFSA Advisory Forum
*Codex Contact Point
*Codex Contact Point
*RASFF contact point
*WHO Food Safety and Nutrition Counterparts
*OIE
*EPPO
*IPPC
*ECHA Management Board
*ECDC Management Board
|-
|-
!Responsibilities
!Responsibilities
|[[File:AnimalFeed.png|Animal feed|link=Animal feed|25px]] [[File:BiologicalHazards.png|Biological hazards and zoonoses|link=Biological hazards and zoonoses|25px]] [[File:Contaminants.png|Contaminants|link=Contaminants|25px]] [[File:FoodSupplements.png|Food supplements|link=Food supplements|25px]] [[File:NovelFood.png|Novel foods|link=Novel foods|25px]] [[File:PlantProtection.png|Plant protection products or pesticides|link=Plant protection products or pesticides|25px]] [[File:ResiduesVeterinary.png|Residues of veterinary medicinal products|link=Residues of veterinary medicinal products|25px]]
|[[File:AnimalFeed.png|Animal feed|link=Animal feed|25px]] [[File:BiologicalHazards.png|Biological hazards and zoonoses|link=Biological hazards and zoonoses|25px]] [[File:Biotechnology.png|Biotechnology and genetic engineering|link=Biotechnology and genetic engineering|25px]] [[File:Contaminants.png|Contaminants|link=Contaminants|25px]] [[File:DrinkingWater.png|Drinking water|link=Drinking water|25px]] [[File:FoodSupplements.png|Food supplements|link=Food supplements|25px]] [[File:MineralWater.png|Mineral water|link=Mineral water|25px]] [[File:NovelFood.png|Novel foods|link=Novel foods|25px]] [[File:PlantProtection.png|Plant protection products or pesticides|link=Plant protection products or pesticides|25px]] [[File:ResiduesVeterinary.png|Residues of veterinary medicinal products|link=Residues of veterinary medicinal products|25px]]
|-
|-
!Location
!Location
|Sofia
|Brussels
|-
|-
!URL
!URL
|https://www.mzh.government.bg/en/
|http://www.health.belgium.be
|}
|}


Within the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (MAFF), the Agro-Food Chain Policy Directorate is responsible for the development, coordination and implementation of the state policy in the fields of quality and safety of food and feed, animal health, plant health and plant reproductive material, and border control on food chain safety. The Directorate is responsible for preparations and is involved in the development and coordination of draft legislative acts in the respective fields, coordination of control authorities within the Ministry, and in the coordination and preparation of a single multiannual national control plan in implementation of Regulation (EU) 2017/625. It also coordinates activities of the Ministry with the Ministry of Health, other agencies and branch organisations in the context of the quality and safety of food and feed, animal health, plant health and plant reproductive material, and border control along the food chain, and also coordinates activities between the Ministry and Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA). The Agro-Food Chain Policy Directorate is also responsible for market authorisation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It also serves as the national contact point in the Republic of Bulgaria for the following systems: Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), Administrative Assistance and Cooperation System (AAC), Food Fraud Network, the integrated computerised veterinary system called TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System), Plant Protection Products Application Management System (PPPAMS) of the European Commission, International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN), and maintains their functioning.
The Federal Public Service for Health (FPSH) is the federal authority responsible for policy and legislation in the area of food and feed safety, including novel foods, food supplements, chemical and microbiological contaminants, additives, enzymes, flavourings, processing aids, allergens, labelling and claims, dietetic products and food for special groups, food contact materials, bottled water, water used by food business operators, zoonoses, plant protection products and their residues, fertilisers, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and veterinary medicinal products.


== Ministry of Health ==
The regulatory authority for veterinary medicinal products is the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP), which is the competent authority responsible for the supervision of the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines for human and veterinary use (including homeopathic medicines, herbal medicines, pharmacy-made and official preparations), of medical devices and accessories as well as raw materials for the preparation and production of medicines.
{| class="wikitable"
 
!Name
The FPSH is responsible for defining policy, drafting legislation, and authorizing products prior to marketing in the area of food and feed safety. According to the General Food Law, the tasks of the FPSH are based on risk analyses. Risk assessments and scientific opinions are carried out by the FPSH, Sciensano or the Belgian Superior Health Council (BSHC), depending on the topics. The BSHC acts as a link between government and the scientific world in the field of nutrition and food safety.
|Ministry of Health
|-
!Acronym
|MH
|-
!Activities
|
*Risk communication
*Risk management
|-
!Responsibilities
|[[File:Biotechnology.png|Biotechnology and genetic engineering|link=Biotechnology and genetic engineering|25px]] [[File:Contaminants.png|Contaminants|link=Contaminants|25px]] [[File:DrinkingWater.png|Drinking water|link=Drinking water|25px]] [[File:FoodSupplements.png|Food supplements|link=Food supplements|25px]] [[File:MineralWater.png|Mineral water|link=Mineral water|25px]] [[File:NovelFood.png|Novel foods|link=Novel foods|25px]] [[File:PlantProtection.png|Plant protection products or pesticides|link=Plant protection products or pesticides|25px]]
|-
!Location
|Sofia
|-
!URL
|http://www.mh.government.bg/en/
|}


The Ministry of Health (MH) is responsible for health policy and safety of bottled natural mineral, spring and table water (Directive 98/83/EC) and the investigation of foodborne outbreaks. In the area of food safety, MH is involved in drafting EU horizontal legislation and is responsible for the harmonisation of that legislation into national provisions as well as the coordination of inspection of control activities, which are carried out by Regional Health Inspectorates.  The national centres of public health under MH conduct risk assessment on issues related to human health.
The tasks and missions of the FPSH are also supported by stakeholder consultative platforms.


The portfolio of MH encompasses, amongst other things, novel foods, baby food, foods for special medical purposes, health claims, food supplements, GMOs, contaminants and residues of plant protection products and food contact materials. Two National Reference Laboratories are attached to the MH pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 882/2004 for GMOs and for food contact materials.
The FPSH follows an integrated and interconnected approach to health protection that is based on the “One Health” concept.


== NameOfInstitution ==
Other institutions provide the FPSH with scientific opinions on food safety: the Belgian Biosafety Advisory Council (BBAC), the Advisory Commission for Plant Preparations and, in specific cases, the Scientific Committee established at the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FAFSC), as well as external academic departments.
{| class="wikitable"
!Name
|NameOfInstitution
|-
!Acronym
|MEOW
|-
!Activities
|
*Risk communication
*Risk management
|-
!Responsibilities
|[[File:DrinkingWater.png|Drinking water|link=Drinking water|25px]]


|-
The FPSH provides funding for scientific research in the area of food safety, animal health and plant health. There are yearly calls for project proposals, with both a bottom-up (“free research”) and top-down (“targeted research”) approach.
!Location
|Sofia
|-
!URL
|https://www.moew.government.bg/en/
|}


The Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) deals with environmental policy and the management and protection of water.
The areas of missions and tasks of the FPSH extend beyond food safety, including to nutrition policy, breastfeeding policy, animal health, plant health, the environment, cosmetics, biocides, REACH, antibiotic resistance, tobacco, alcohol, human health, and others.


== Bulgarian Food Safety Agency ==
== Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain ==
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!Name
!Name
|Bulgarian Food Safety Agency
|Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain
|-
|-
!Acronym
!Acronym
|BFSA
|FASFC
|-
|-
!Activities
!Activities
|
|
*Risk management
*Risk assessment
*Risk communication
*Risk communication
*Risk management
*RASFF contact point
*Multi-annual national control plan
|-
|-
!Responsibilities
!Responsibilities
|[[File:AnimalFeed.png|Animal feed|link=Animal feed|25px]] [[File:AnimalHealth.png|Animal health and welfare|link=Animal health and welfare|25px]] [[File:BiologicalHazards.png|Biological hazards and zoonoses|link=Biological hazards and zoonoses|25px]] [[File:Biotechnology.png|Biotechnology and genetic engineering|link=Biotechnology and genetic engineering|25px]] [[File:Contaminants.png|Contaminants|link=Contaminants|25px]] [[File:FoodContactMaterials.png|Food contact materials and packaging|link=Food contact materials and packaging|25px]] [[File:FoodIngredients.png|Food ingredients|link=Food ingredients|25px]] [[File:FoodSupplements.png|Food supplements|link=Food supplements|25px]] [[File:PlantHealth.png|Plant health|link=Plant health|25px]] [[File:PlantProtection.png|Plant protection products or pesticides|link=Plant protection products or pesticides|25px]] [[File:ResiduesVeterinary.png|Residues of veterinary medicinal products|link=Residues of veterinary medicinal products|25px]]
|[[File:AnimalFeed.png|Animal feed|link=Animal feed|25px]] [[File:BiologicalHazards.png|Biological hazards and zoonoses|link=Biological hazards and zoonoses|25px]] [[File:Biotechnology.png|Biotechnology and genetic engineering|link=Biotechnology and genetic engineering|25px]] [[File:Contaminants.png|Contaminants|link=Contaminants|25px]] [[File:DrinkingWater.png|Drinking water|link=Drinking water|25px]] [[File:FoodSupplements.png|Food supplements|link=Food supplements|25px]] [[File:MineralWater.png|Mineral water|link=Mineral water|25px]] [[File:NovelFood.png|Novel foods|link=Novel foods|25px]] [[File:PlantProtection.png|Plant protection products or pesticides|link=Plant protection products or pesticides|25px]] [[File:ResiduesVeterinary.png|Residues of veterinary medicinal products|link=Residues of veterinary medicinal products|25px]]
|-
|-
!Location
!Location
|Sofia
|Brussels
|-
|-
!URL
!URL’s
|http://www.babh.government.bg/en/
|http://www.afsca.be/home-en
http://www.favv-afsca.fgov.be/scientificcommittee/
|}
|}


The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) is a specialised body under MAFF that is responsible for the official controls of safety of food and feed throughout the food chain. BFSA incorporates the former National Veterinary Service, the former National Plant Protection Service, and the former National Grain and Feed Service, as well as the regional food health inspectors, who were responsible for the control of food of non-animal origin in the Regional Health Inspectorates (former Regional Inspectorates for Public Health Protection and Control) under MH and the quality compliance of fresh fruits and vegetables (under MAFF) with the European Commission standards for placing on the market.
The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) is the federal executive agency responsible for official controls and inspections as well as for the definition and enforcement of operational legislation related to official control of the food chain (from farm to fork). The agency carries out official controls of food, feed and its raw materials at all stages of the feed and food chain, including production, processing, storage, transport, trade, and import and export of food and its raw materials. The FASFC oversees all official controls on the basis of multi-annual national control plans. In addition, it is also responsible for the control of animal health and plant health.
 
BFSA is the competent government authority responsible for official controls in Bulgaria with respect to phytosanitary issues, plant protection products and fertilisers, veterinary activities, animal health and welfare, animal by-products not intended for human consumption, feedstuff, raw materials and foodstuff, with the exception of bottled natural mineral, spring and table water, materials and articles intended for contact with food, and the quality compliance of fresh fruits and vegetables with the European Commission standards for placing on the market. BFSA comprises 14 departments/directorates, which are aligned with the above-mentioned activities.


The agency’s central office is in Sofia. It also has 28 regional food safety directorates distributed across the country as well as five specialised structures: the National Diagnostic and Research Veterinary Institute, the Central Laboratory for Veterinary Control and Ecology, the Central Laboratory for Chemical Testing and Control, the Central Laboratory for Plant Quarantine, and the Central Laboratory for Qualification of Grain and Feed.
To fulfil its tasks, the FASFC is supported by two committees. The Advisory Committee includes all FASFC stakeholders and provides opinions on risk management matters. The Scientific Committee is responsible for independent risk assessments and provides scientific opinions on risks affecting the safety of the food chain in connection with the competencies of the FASFC.


== NameOfInstitution ==
== The Belgian Health Research Institute ==
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!Name
!Name
|Risk Assessment Center on Food Chain
|The Belgian Health Research Institute
|-
|-
!Acronym
!Acronym
|RACFCH
|SCIENSANO
|-
|-
!Activities
!Activities
|
|
*Risk assessment  
*Risk assessment
*Research
*Risk communication
*Risk communication
*EFSA Advisory Forum
*EFSA Focal Point
|-
|-
!Responsibilities
!Responsibilities
|[[File:AnimalFeed.png|Animal feed|link=Animal feed|25px]] [[File:AnimalHealth.png|Animal health and welfare|link=Animal health and welfare|25px]] [[File:BiologicalHazards.png|Biological hazards and zoonoses|link=Biological hazards and zoonoses|25px]] [[File:EmergingRisk.png|Emerging risk|link=Emerging risk|25px]] [[File:FoodContactMaterials.png|Food contact materials and packaging|link=Food contact materials and packaging|25px]] [[File:FoodIngredients.png|Food ingredients|link=Food ingredients|25px]] [[File:FoodSupplements.png|Food supplements|link=Food supplements|25px]] [[File:NovelFood.png|Novel foods|link=Novel foods|25px]] [[File:Nutrition.png|Nutrition|link=Nutrition|25px]] [[File:PlantHealth.png|Plant health|link=Plant health|25px]] [[File:PlantProtection.png|Plant protection products or pesticides|link=Plant protection products or pesticides|25px]] [[File:ResiduesVeterinary.png|Residues of veterinary medicinal products|link=Residues of veterinary medicinal products|25px]]
|[[File:AnimalFeed.png|Animal feed|link=Animal feed|25px]] [[File:BiologicalHazards.png|Biological hazards and zoonoses|link=Biological hazards and zoonoses|25px]] [[File:Biotechnology.png|Biotechnology and genetic engineering|link=Biotechnology and genetic engineering|25px]] [[File:FoodSupplements.png|Food supplements|link=Food supplements|25px]] [[File:MineralWater.png|Mineral water|link=Mineral water|25px]] [[File:NovelFood.png|Novel foods|link=Novel foods|25px]] [[File:PlantProtection.png|Plant protection products or pesticides|link=Plant protection products or pesticides|25px]] [[File:ResiduesVeterinary.png|Residues of veterinary medicinal products|link=Residues of veterinary medicinal products|25px]]
|-
|-
!Location
!Location
|Sofia
|Brussels
|-
|-
!URL
!URL
|http://corhv.government.bg/?lang=_en
|http://www.sciensano.be
http://focalpointbg.com
|}
|}


The Risk Assessment Center on Food Chain (RACFCH) was created by the adoption of the Law on RACFCH and its Code of Organisation in 2016. It is managed by a director and assisted by an Advisory Board (on which MAFF and MH are represented). RACFCH is an independent legal entity within the structure of MAFF, a second level budget unit to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. RACFCH provides independent scientific assessments of risks related to food safety, human health, animal health and welfare, food and feed additives, GMOs, dietetic products, nutrition and allergens, materials and articles intended for contact with food, enzymes, flavourings and supporting substances, biological hazards, contaminants, plant health and plant protection. RACFCH carries out activities for the approval, renewal, and review of approval of active substances, safeners and synergists with the terms and conditions of Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market. RACFCH works in close collaboration with EFSA and other national and international scientific institutions in the food and feed risk assessment area. The EFSA Advisory Forum representative and the national EFSA Focal Point are located within RACFCH.
Science and health are central to Sciensano’s mission. Our strength and uniqueness lie within the holistic and multidisciplinary approach to health. More particularly, we focus on the close and indissoluble interconnection between human and animal health and their environment (the “One Health” concept). By combining different research perspectives within this framework, Sciensano contributes in a unique way to everybody’s health.
 
Sciensano provides evidence-based scientific and technical support to the competent authorities (FPSH and FASFC) as well as to professional organisations and front-line laboratories. The institute hosts several NRLs and EURLs.


== National Center of Public Health and Analysis ==
In the context of EFSA’s remits, Sciensano focuses on food consumption and food safety, (human and animal) health and disease monitoring, and on the link between health and the environment (e.g. pesticides).
{| class="wikitable"
!Name
|National Center of Public Health and Analysis
|-
!Acronym
|NCPHA
|-
!Activities
|
*Risk assessment
*Risk communication
|-
!Responsibilities
|[[File:Biotechnology.png|Biotechnology and genetic engineering|link=Biotechnology and genetic engineering|25px]] [[File:Contaminants.png|Contaminants|link=Contaminants|25px]] [[File:FoodSupplements.png|Food supplements|link=Food supplements|25px]] [[File:MineralWater.png|Mineral water|link=Mineral water|25px]] [[File:NovelFood.png|Novel foods|link=Novel foods|25px]] [[File:PlantProtection.png|Plant protection products or pesticides|link=Plant protection products or pesticides|25px]] [[File:ResiduesVeterinary.png|Residues of veterinary medicinal products|link=Residues of veterinary medicinal products|25px]]
|-
!Location
|Sofia
|-
!URL
|https://www.ncpha.government.bg/en/
|}


The National Center of Public Health and Analyses (NCPHA) is subordinate to MH and deals with health protection, health education and nutrition. NCPHA is responsible for the publication of risk assessments in the field of nutrition and hygiene and is also responsible for microbiological hazards, contaminants, biological hazards, chemical contaminants in the food chain, residues of plant protection products, GMOs, food contact materials, heavy metals, food supplements, food additives, novel foods and mineral water.
Using food consumption surveys, Sciensano analyses citizens’ nutritional habits. Sciensano also identify pathogens in food (and human infections caused by food pathogens) and keeps an eye on GMOs, food contaminants, residues (pesticides, heavy metals, etc.), food contact materials, additives and nanomaterials, for which Sciensano also assesses the risks. In terms of animal health, Sciensano is involved in a broad range of activities (e.g. epizootic diseases, emerging diseases that pose a major socioeconomic risk, but also diseases whose impact is solely economic, such as foot-and-mouth disease). Furthermore, Sciensano also addresses important transversal problems such as antimicrobial resistance and zoonoses.
Regional and local levels


== Regional and local levels ==
== Regional and local levels ==
Bulgaria consists of 28 administrative regions with 264 municipalities. Inspections at regional and local levels are conducted by authorities that are subordinate to the central government (headquarters). Both MH and MAFF have 28 regional services which report their activities to the central level in the ministries.
 
The regional and local levels of the Belgian Federal State consist of three regions, 10 provinces and 589 districts. Local FASFC control units are responsible for conducting food inspections. The central FASFC unit is responsible for coordinating food inspections. The monitoring of drinking water is the responsibility of the regional authorities.
 
{| class="wikitable"  
{| class="wikitable"  
! Institutions involved in the EFSA network pursuant to Article 36 Reg. (EC) No. 178/2002
! Institutions involved in the EFSA network pursuant to Article 36 Reg. (EC) No. 178/2002
|-
|-
|
|
#Risk Assessment Center on Food Chain (RACFCH) (EFSA Focal Point)
#Federal Public Service (FPS) Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment (EFSA Focal Point)
#AgroBioInstitute
#Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC)  
#The Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
#Sciensano
#Institute of Food Preservation and Quality
#Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W)
#National Center of Public Health and Analyses (NCPHA)  
#Own Capital of the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research
#Trakia University
#Ghent University (Universiteit Ghent)
#Institute of Animal Science – Kostinbrod
#Centre d'Economie Rurale (CER Group)
#Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics
#University of Liege (Université de Liège)
#Institute of Cryobiology and Food Technology (ICFT)
#Catholic University of Louvain (Université Catholique de Louvain)
#National University of Food Technologies
#Hasselt University (Universiteit Hasselt)
#Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnology and Plant Protection
#Central Laboratory of Veterinary Control and Ecology
#Agricultural University Plovdiv
#Maritsa Vegetable Crops Research Institute
#National Diagnostic and Research Veterinary Medical institute (NDRVMI)
#Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction “Acad. Kiril Bratanov” (BAS)
#University of Forestry, Sofia
|}
|}
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