2. Opening remarks on behalf of the Government of Spain were presented by Mr. José Manuel Romay Beccaría, Minister, Ministry of Health and Consumption. Mr. Romay welcomed the delegates and emphasized that Spain attached great importance to this meeting, especially now that Codex Alimentarius has been recognized by the World Trade Organization as a reference in international food trade.
3. Mr. Romay pointed out that transparency and the use of risk evaluation were some of the attributes characterizing the work of this Ministry in the area of food control and safety, with the objective of protecting consumers’ health. He expressed the view that the relation between food and health did not end with the prevention of illness but also included the promotion of health, especially as related to the nutritional properties of those classes of food destined to people with special nutritional needs.
4. In conclusion, Mr. Romay said that this session of the CCEURO would lead to the identification and analysis of key issues in the areas of food safety and control, which are matters of great concern for countries in the Region, and wished the participants all success in their work.
