Selected reference

The Project was aiming to strengthen consumer protection and food safety in the Russian Federation by giving technical assistance and advice to Russian Ministries and institutions responsible for consumer protection and food safety. Project beneficiaries were the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being together with the Russian Federation Ministry of Health and Social Development, the Russian Federation Ministry of Agriculture (Veterinary Inspection), the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation and the national umbrella organization of the consumer associations in the Russian Federation, KONFOB.

The Project was providing an expert team of ten German short-term experts with competence in the field of EU food safety legislation, food control, organization of consumer associations, legislation on consumer protection and consumer as well as specific trainings, study tours and seminars. The project activities were implemented with the assistance of a permanent project office in Moscow with three Russian employees.

The Project started with an analysis of food safety and consumer protection regulations and procedures in Russia in comparison to EU and International standards. In specific working groups and round tables the German and Russian experts were elaborating proposals for adapting Russian food safety legislations to international standards and to strengthen Russian institutions involved in food safety control and consumer protection. Particular emphasis has been given to assistance on the drafting of technical regulations for food under the new "law on technical regulations", No. 184-FЗ. The Project has elaborated a proposal for a systematic approach for the drafting of these regulations which facilitate an approximation to the current food safety legislation of the EU. Further the project provided specific statements on legal drafts of technical regulations for food prepared by their partners.

The Project has further carried out comparative studies on the food control system in the Russian Federation and Germany and elaborates proposals for the further development of food control in the Russian Federation which came partly already effective within the reform of Governmental administrations.

Together with the city administration of Togliatti in Samara Oblast the project has set up an office for the information and consultation of consumers on products and services. The development of the concept and the training of the three staff members was carried out in close collaboration with the "Verbraucherzentrale" in Lower Saxony/Germany.

• Analysis of food safety and consumer protection regulations and producers in Russia in comparison to EU and international standards
• Information on food safety legislation and institutions in the EU and Germany
• Analysis of food safety control institutions and procedures in Russia
• Advice on the strengthening of food safety control institutions and procedures to international standards
• Assistance in the harmonization of food safety and consumer protection regulations to international standards of EU and WTO
• Assistance in the establishment of a pilot consumer advice office in Samara and Togliattti
• Assistance to a Round Table on the strengthening of instititutions and associations involved in the representation and implementation of consumer rights in Russia