BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE INTRODUCTION OF THE EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS IN THE FOOD LAW

Food chain legislation is harmonized at EU level and requires Member States to develop national implementing measures. At the same time, this legislation is constantly updated, which is why it is necessary to constantly review the extent to which the necessary changes are being made to the national legislation on its implementation.With the White Paper on Food Safety of 2002, the EC is calling for a radical revision of existing hygiene legislation, according to which special attention should be paid to ensuring healthy and high-quality food for all by improving standards and control systems that cover safety throughout the food chain, from the farm to consumers and also that business operators have the primary responsibility for food safety.In order to strengthen, modernize and streamline the current legal environment and ensure a high level of protection of human, animal and plant health, the Commission proposed in 2013 a package of five proposals for the revision of EU food chain legislation.The approach introduced with this legislative package finds its development in the European Green Pact published in 2020. The European Green Pact provides guidelines for making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. It sets out a new, sustainable and inclusive growth strategy to boost the economy, improve health and quality of life. people, to take care of nature and to take into account the interests of all.With this work we set a goal to review the implementation of European food safety standards in national legislation, and in particular in the Food Act in the period of accession and the period of full membership of Bulgaria as a member state.Based on the this brief review, we can summarize that the publication of the new Food Act achieves the following results: simplification of the legal framework; full compliance with European Union food safety legislation; ensuring the application of unified procedures and achieving the implementation of coordinated control for compliance with the requirements of European law and Bulgarian legislation throughout the food chain; reduction of the gray sector in food production, processing and distribution; determining the conditions for food banking; for the first time, requirements for distance food trade are regulated.