Brussels, 20/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - During the EU's Vet Week, a conference on the management of food crises was held in Brussels on 19 and 20 May. It brought together more than 400 representatives of governments, businesses and veterinary associations to debate the resources to be put in place to reinforce the food security system of the EU. In recent years, Europe has had to face several crises, such as bird flu in 2005 or the dioxin contamination of Irish pork in 2008. Stating that “since it is impossible to say that there will be no food crises in the future”, the Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli, said that “having learned from the past, we're wiser and better equipped to deal with risks that might reach the food chain”. The conference laid particular emphasis on the preventative role of vets, appointed to be the strongest link in the chain of an efficient food security system. This opinion corresponds to the guidelines of the new Animal Health Strategy of the European Union (2007-2013), which aims to make prevention the best way of protecting European consumers.
Since 2008, Vet Week has been an annual event, organised by the European Commission and, for the first time, with the involvement of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE). (J.K./transl.fl)