Codex Alimentarius Commission makes harmonized rules in food trade;

started in the 60s

The WTO (World Trade Organization) is used as an institution for trade
relations between companies.
The EU itself is also a member next to the member states.
Food safety regulations are not enforced by WTO, but they do give limits in
the form of ..
Non-discrimination: trade rules between one company and another should
be the same as for that same country and another.
You are allowed to treat apples and pears differently under the rules of the
GATT (General Agreement of Tariffs and Trades.
Rules on other non-tariff barriers were created to escape the rules of the
GATT.
GATT 1994: General agreement on tariffs and trade
TBT agreement: labels, product specification
SPS agreement: sanitary + phytosanitary (plants) agreement
In broad terms, an SPS measure is a measure that aims at:
the protection of human or animal life or health from risks in food or
feed;
the protection of human, animal or plant life or health from risks
from pests or diseases carried by plants or animals; or
the prevention or limitation of 'other damage' from pests.
For example: the BSE crisis.
EU Novel Foods Regulation has 3 objectives:
1. Protection of misleading of consumers
2. Protection of danger to consumers
3. Protection of nutritional disadvantages; compare novel foods to food
that is already present it would replace
If the purpose of technical issues matter human safety, then the SPS rules
will overrule the TBT rules.
The risk is what is compared under the SPS agreement, not the product!
Harmonization means we all have the same standards. The codex
alimentarius commission has the task to set harmonization goals.
You can have a ban on a certain region that is affected, but not on the
whole country.