Dear colleagues,

The ENO Annual Conference, which took place in Brussels in November 2025, was a unique opportunity to take stock of the crucial role played by this Network in protecting the rights of citizens and residents of the EU over the past 30 years.

Let me express my gratitude for these two days of meaningful exchanges, as well as my commitment to continue strengthening cooperation between our offices across Europe.

As we discussed in Brussels and with liaison officers in Málaga, inquiries conducted in parallel by ENO members have a particular role to play in the future of our Network. These inquiries have proven their added-value by delivering tangible benefits for people across Europe. It is precisely for these reasons that I am writing to you to suggest ENO parallel inquiries into the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).

Every year, thousands of lives are lost in the world due to unsafe food.^[1] This trend is likely to be accentuated in the years to come by, among other reasons, climate change.[2] Recent cases involving infant milk offer a painful reminder of the serious consequences that the circulation of unsafe food can have for families across the EU.[3] In addition, recent European citizens’ initiatives also show that citizens are concerned about food safety and are calling on the EU to enable access to healthy food for all.[4]

Crucial to the achievement of this goal is the RASFF. Through information exchanged between national authorities and the Commission, the RASFF enables public authorities in the EU and EEA countries, as well as Switzerland, to notify and take action on unsafe food, whether imported or EU-produced. The fast, efficient, and reliable functioning of this system is essential to safeguarding several of the rights guaranteed under the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, from the right to health and consumer protection[5]  to the freedom to conduct a business.[6]

Several decades after the RASFF was established, and in an age of ever-increasing digitalisation and globalisation, I believe that it is time for us to collectively assess how effective this system remains in protecting the health of those who live in the EU. Of particular importance to me are the questions of the efficiency, consistency, and transparency of this mechanism:

• Efficiency, because when confronted with unsafe food and feed, time is of the essence. Yet, available information[7] suggests that information may sometimes be transmitted with delays, resulting in precious time being lost before unsafe products are off the shelves.
• Consistency, because a number of stakeholders have expressed concerns that national authorities may approach their notification duties with different levels of diligence, which may in turn create risks to consumers across the EU as goods are free to circulate. The free circulation of products within the EU makes it even more essential for us to adopt a collective approach to the matter, as failure from the part of the authorities of one country may have serious consequences for people living in another.
• Transparency, finally, because the quality and accessibility of the information available on the RASFF portal does not seem sufficient to empower people to easily check whether a product that they have bought is safe.

To date, there is little information publicly available about how national and EU public authorities involved in the RASFF are addressing these concerns.

The present letter to the Network, and the letter that I am sending today to the President of the Commission, seek to help address this situation. Specifically, I have asked the Commission a number of questions related to its role and responsibilities in the RASFF, and how it intends to ensure that the system becomes as effective and citizen-friendly as possible. You will find the list of these questions enclosed.

On your side, if you are in the process of inquiring into your national authorities in relation to the RASFF - or if, after having received this letter, you would be ready to do so -, I would be grateful if you would share this information, as well as relevant outcomes. My Office will gather and assess the information received and, if you agree, inform the Commission and publish it on the dedicated ENO section of the European Ombudsman website. As such, all ombudsmen offices can draw on the work of their colleagues.

Should your services require any further information concerning this initiative, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Marta Hirsch-Ziembinska, who is responsible for cooperation with the Network, together with my Inquiries Officer, Ms Amandine Le Bellec, who is responsible for this initiative as well.

A copy of this letter will be published on my website on 22 April 2026.

Yours sincerely,

Teresa Anjinho
European Ombudsman

Strasbourg, 20/04/2026

 

Please note that the same letter was sent to all national members of ENO whose national authorities are members of the RASFF.

 

[1] WHO estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases: foodborne diseases burden epidemiology reference group 2007-2015, available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565165

[2] EFSA, ‘Climate change and food safety’: https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/climate-change-and-food-safety

[3] See in particular the following article: https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2026/01/28/laits-infantiles-rappels-de-produits-au-cas-par-cas-communication-reduite-au-minimum-une-gestion-de-crise-questionnee_6664400_3234.html

[4] For instance, the initiatives “Stop fake food: origin on label”, ECI(2024)000009: https://citizens-initiative.europa.eu/initiatives/details/2024/000009_en or “Food is a Human Right for All! Guaranteeing healthy, just and sustainable food systems”, ECI(2025)000002: https://citizens-initiative.europa.eu/initiatives/details/2025/000002_en

[5] Article 35 and 38 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.

[6] Article 16 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.

[7] Supporting references as regards the possible shortcomings of the RASFF are available in the letter to the Commission, which you will find enclosed.