Brussels, 31/08/2007 (Agence Europe) - EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou will be vesting China from 6 to 14 September 2007 to discuss improved cooperation on food safety and public health issues.
In a press release, the Commission explains that the Commissioner's visit 'coincides with recent efforts by the Chinese government to make food safety a top priority'. The Commissioner will present an application currently being developed by the Commission to allow China quick and easy access to the data transmitted through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). On 6 September, the Commissioner will attend a meeting of the World Economic Forum in Dalian, focussing on the prevention of chronic diseases. He will meet in Beijing on 11 September with Chinese farm minister Sun Zhengcai, and Chinese health minister Chen Zhu, and with Li Changjiang, the head of the Chinese governmental agency for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, on 12 September. The talks will focus on Chinese fishery products, the contamination of rice with the unauthorised genetically modified organism Bt-63, and the contamination of protein-rich feed with melamine. Before returning to Europe, Kyprianou will make an official visit to Hong Kong on 14 September. (oj)