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1. Introduction

The year 2004 was a turning point for the whole Czech Republic and thus also for the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority. By accessing to the European Communities, the importance of control bodies supervising foodstuffs has significantly increased, because as of 1 May 2004 they are responsible for the safety of foodstuffs not only within the Czech market, but within the whole EU market. This report thus gains new importance, for not only Czech consumers and entrepreneurs may be interested in it. Nowadays, each country of the European Community is a gateway to the European market. Once the products have been released to the EU, they may freely circulate in the local market. It is therefore necessary that the supervision over such a sensitive commodity, which the foodstuffs certainly are, is ensured uniformly and on the basis of uniform principles.
 
The year 2004 brought the CAFIA a series of changes that were caused mainly by gradually harmonized EC legislation. The approach to the CAFIA inspections was progressively developing and was being subordinated to the new legal environment. The CAFIA and through the CAFIA other Czech supervisory bodies became definitively connected to the alert system against dangerous food and feed throughout the whole European Union and closer interconnection with other European authorities was established. This system effectively protects European consumers not only against really dangerous products, but also warns against potential risk to their health posed by foodstuffs.
 
However, the borders of the European Union are not even now limiting. Along with general globalization of the market the supervision over foodstuffs is being globalized as well. Not only supranational concerns that, in the majority of cases, are able to “guard” their products with their own mechanisms are included. The supervision over foodstuffs originating in some third countries, where the level of food safety is not at all at such level as we would wish, is far more important in the global supervision over food safety. A consistent inspection of, for example, mycotoxins in selected dry shell products and dried figs, or inspection of foodstuffs that may contain un-permitted colourings causes pressure and demands on ensuring their safety already in the place of their origin. The CAFIA responsible approach and the co-operation with customs authorities brought reliable results already in first months after accession to the EU. Specific data provided in this report give clear evidence that the Czech Republic is not that weak link through which it would be possible to penetrate into the European market with foodstuffs threatening consumers´ health. The work of the CAFIA is nowadays as important as is the work of similar bodies in other Member States.

Jakub Šebesta
Director General