Greece

Codex Contact Point

Greek Codex Contact Point, Ministry of Rural Development and Food Hellenic Food Authority Directorate of Nutrition Policy and Research, Department of Quality Standards, 124, Kifisias Avenue & 2, Iatridou str., 115 26 Athens

Telephone:
+30 213 214 5842

Fax:
+30 213 214 5875

Email:
[email protected]

Website:
http://www.efet.gr

Competent authorities

Name of authority:
Each Member State in EU has its own country profile on how control systems for food and feed safety, animal health, animal welfare, plant health and quality labelling are organised in their territory. According to the latest revised version on the Country Profile of Greece of the European Commission (DG Health and Food Safety) regarding Organisation of Official Controls (DG(SANTE) 2017-6055) on February 2019, the following information is derived:
Overall responsibility for the organisation and implementation of control systems for food safety in Greece lies with the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and EFET (Hellenic Food Authority). Two more Ministries, namely the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Interior and Administrative Reconstruction as well as the Independent Authority for Public Revenue are also involved in the implementation of the relevant food control systems. Food for special nutritional purposes and food supplements is the competence of EOF.
Mandate/competence:
The latest revised version on the Country Profile of Greece of the European Commission (DG Health and Food Safety) regarding Organisation of Official Controls (DG(SANTE) 2017-6055) on February 2019.

INFOSAN Emergency Contact Point

INFOSAN Emergency contact point for Greece is Dr. Konstantinos Barmperis, Director of the Consumers’ Protection Directorate of EFET (e-mail: [email protected]).

Food safety and consumer protection – laws and regulations

The current list of legislation, related to food safety and consumer protection in each country, is extracted from FAO's database on Food Legislation FAOLEX. While FAOLEX makes every effort to serve as a high quality, reliable source of information, no guarantee is given that the information provided in FAOLEX is correct, complete, and up-to-date.

The national Codex programme

National Codex consultative mechanism

The Greek Codex CP has developed and recently revised the internal national Guide which provides useful guidance and clear instructions of the Codex procedure to the involved parties in the public sector. It briefly describes how Codex NCP daily works to best fulfil its tasks, points out its role and responsibilities and the tasks of the members of the assigned national Networks. In addition, the Guide explains the intra- and inter- interactions/relationships and the communication channels between the national Networks and the Codex NCP as well as between the Codex NCP, the Secretariat of EU Council and the Codex Secretariat. It also describes the consultation process for drafting the national position and providing national comments to the working documents. For the tasks of every active Codex Commission, the Greek Codex CP maintains an active, unique Network with members from national competent authorities/organisations/labs/institutions. Codex NCP is responsible to disseminate all working documents/information to the members of each Network and to coordinate the consultation process. The Networks operate in a spirit of co-operation and transparency under the guide of Codex NCP. Decisions are taken by consensus, to facilitate the shaping of national positions for the preparation of the different Codex meetings, Plenary or/and EU coordinations. In addition, Codex NCP indentifies those discussion items which might be of particular interest/concern for Greece and, may inform stakeholders, FBOs, associations requesting their reflection (comments/input). Codex NCP uploads to the website of EFET the working documents and the CLs relevant to the proceedings of the Codex Committees, serving as public consultation. The received input/comments are screened by the Codex NCP according to its relevance and is decided if it is included in the national position.

Providers of scientific and technical input to national consultation on Codex

The consultation process is described in the previous answer under Q4. Technical input is provided by the members of each Network for the purpose of the support of the tasks of each Codex Committee. Input is also provided by industry/associations. Several Codex issues have been provided such as CCSCH (draft standard for oregano, saffron), CCFO, CCFL, CCFA.

Risk Assessments and Scientific Data

National bodies providing risk assessment and scientific advice

The answers have been provided according to the Country Profile of Greece of the European Commission (DG Health and Food Safety) regarding Organisation of Official Controls (DG(SANTE) 2017-6055), Final Version date: February 2019).
Risk assessments and scientific advice to support risk management decisions by competent authorities are given below:
- Food of animal origin Ministry of Rural Development and Food, EFET
- Imports of animals and food of animal origin Ministry of Rural Development and Food
- Imports of food of plant origin Ministry of Rural Development and Food, General Chemical State Laboratory
- Veterinary medicines - authorisation, marketing EOF (National Organisation for Medicines)
- Veterinary medicines – residues Ministry of Rural Development and Food
- Foodstuffs and food hygiene – Ministry of Rural Development and Food, EFET, General Chemical State Laboratory, Supreme Chemical Council
- Plant protection products - authorisation, marketing and use Ministry of Rural Development and Food
- Plant protection products - residues Ministry of Rural Development and Food, EFET

Risk assessment, risk profiles, scientific opinions

http://www.efet.gr
http://www.efet.gr/portal/page/portal/efetnew/consumers/consumers_info

Official Laboratories

Official Laboratory:
The answers have been provided according to the Country Profile of Greece of the European Commission (DG Health and Food Safety) regarding Organisation of Official Controls (DG(SANTE) 2017-6055), Final Version date: February 2019).
Ministry of Rural Development and Food - Veterinary Lab, General Chemical State Laboratory, Central Laboratory of Public Health, ELOGAK, EFET, Ministry of Rural Development and Food - Directorates of Veterinary Centres in Athens and Thessaloniki and their Departments, Ministry of Rural Development and Food - Regional Centres of Plant Protection Quality and Phytosanitary Control, EOF, Ministry of Rural Development and Food - Control Lab, Central Laboratory of Public Health, Benaki Phytopathological Institute.
Official Competence:
The answers have been provided according to the Country Profile of Greece of the European Commission (DG Health and Food Safety) regarding Organisation of Official Controls (DG(SANTE) 2017-6055), Final Version date: February 2019).
- Food of animal origin Ministry of Rural Development and Food - Veterinary Lab, General Chemical State Laboratory, Central Laboratory of Public Health, ELOGAK, EFET
- Imports of animals and food of animal origin Ministry of Rural Development and Food - Directorates of Veterinary Centres in Athens and Thessaloniki and their Departments.
- Imports of food of plant origin Ministry of Rural Development and Food - Regional Centres of Plant Protection Quality and Phytosanitary Control, General Chemical State Laboratory
- Veterinary medicines - authorisation, marketing Ministry of Rural Development and Food - Veterinary Lab, EOF
- Veterinary medicines – residues Ministry of Rural Development and Food - Directorates of Veterinary Centres in Athens and Thessaloniki and their Departments, General Chemical State Laboratory
- Foodstuffs and food hygiene – Ministry of Rural Development and Food - Control Lab., EFET, General Chemical State Laboratory, Central Laboratory of Public Health
- Plant protection products - authorisation, marketing and use Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Ministry of Rural Development and Food - Regional Centres of Plant Protection Quality and Phytosanitary Control
- Plant protection products - residues Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Ministry of Rural Development and Food - Regional Centres of Plant Protection Quality and Phytosanitary Control, General Chemical State Laboratory

Surveillance of foodborne diseases and monitoring of food contamination

National surveillance systems – foodborne disease in humans

According to the Country Profile of Greece of the European Commission (DG Health and Food Safety) regarding Organisation of Official Controls (DG(SANTE) 2017-6055, Final Version date: February 2019), the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (KEELPNO) of Ministry of Health is responsible for epidemiological monitoring of infectious diseases in humans, including Salmonellosis, through a compulsory disease reporting system.

National monitoring systems – foodborne hazards in the food chain

This requirement is achieved throughout our official controls. The EU system for monitoring and collection of information on zoonoses obliges Member States of EU to collect data on zoonoses, zoonotic agents, antimicrobial resistance and food-borne outbreaks. Therefore, Greece reports all data to EFSA and the European Commission for the development of the “European Union summary report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food-borne outbreaks” every year.