Lebensmittelregulierung zwischen Pfadabhängigkeit und Europäisierung: Die ungarische Lebensmittelsicherheitsagentur MÉBiH vor europäischem Hintergrund. = Food Safety Regulation between Path Dependency and Europeanization: The Hungarian Food Safety Office HFSO from European perspective. TAIF Working Paper No. 6, 25 February 2011

Träsch, Jennifer (2011) Lebensmittelregulierung zwischen Pfadabhängigkeit und Europäisierung: Die ungarische Lebensmittelsicherheitsagentur MÉBiH vor europäischem Hintergrund. = Food Safety Regulation between Path Dependency and Europeanization: The Hungarian Food Safety Office HFSO from European perspective. TAIF Working Paper No. 6, 25 February 2011. [Working Paper]

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Abstract

The occurrence of BSE, swine fever and avian flu caused a rapid decrease in consumer trust in food, which has been counteracted through extensive institutional and judicial reforms of European food safety. At the same time most of the European Union (EU) member states have also rearranged their political-­‐administrative structures and often established an independent regulatory body. Although several effects of Europeanization can be observed, there are also considerable differences between national arrangements. This paper analyzes on the one hand the Hungarian Food Safety Office (HFSO; Magyar Élelmiszer-­‐biztonsági Hivatal, MÉBiH) to show the impact of the European level on national institutional rearrangements. On the other hand differences between national and Euro-­‐ pean designs in food safety regulation will be demonstrated as well and explained by employing the historical-­‐institutionalist concept of path dependency. Can we consider the establishment of a new regulatory agency as of institutional Europeanization? How does EU accession of a country that is still in a process of transition effect upon these changes? Do national contexts in terms of an adherence to consolidated paths serve as explanation of national differences in the sector of food safety regula-­‐ tion? The study uses qualitative content analysis of diverse primary resources and interviews with experts. The analysis shows that by establishing a risk assessment agency and enforcing principle of separation institutional change occurred. The partially extensive deviations from the established path were actually triggered by food safety crises. When junctures occured different effects of Europeani-­‐ zation – both vertical and horizontal – affected the reform processes. As a result, we find an organi-­‐ zational adaptation to the institutional model of EFSA which is however clearly shaped by national contexts.

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