Brussels, 22/11/2001 (Agence Europe) - On 6/7 December in Brussels, the European Parliament will be hosting a conference on "food security in an enlarged Europe" organised by the Réseau européen pour l'unification de l'Europe (that was set up as a contribution to the debate between representatives of the Union's Member States and candidate countries on the big issues of common interest) along with the Parliament and the Commission.
The European Food Authority that is to be set up by the end of the year to be up and running in January 2002 will be at the heart of the discussions, which will focus on four themes: 1) good production and quality controls in a pan-European perspective; 2) new strategy approaches to food safety; 3) designing new food production models focussing on quality and security; and 4) candidate country strategies for lining up with Community acquis. The cities that have been proposed to host the new Authority (Barcelona, Helsinki, Lille and Parma) will all present their relative merits. Magda Aelvoet (Belgian Health Minister and President of the EU Council), David Byrne (Commissioner for Health and Consumer Affairs), James L. C. Provan (Vice-President of the European Parliament) and Atis Slakteris (Health Minister of Latvia) will attend. (Info: Réseau européen pour l'Unification de l'Europe, Brussels, Belgium, Tel: +32 2 733 47 67, Fax: 02 347 60 33, e-mail: unification-network@skynet.be)