• Providing a detailed overview and explanation of the EU RASFF; in particular with regard, to the recent developments and aspects of food law, food hygiene, food control rules and other relevant legislation.
  
  
• Detailing and discussing the desirability of setting up a "rapid alert system" within a country as well as on a regional level. The prerequisites for setting up such a system, particularly in relation to required food and feed controls, and the scope for the exchange of information, will be dealt with at the workshops in a practical way.

It must be highlighted that the legal basis of the RASFF (Regulation 178/2002, of 28 January 2002) lays down that participation in the rapid alert system may be opened up to applicant countries, third countries or international organisations, on the basis of agreements between the Community and those countries or international organisations.

These three workshops represent the most suitable framework to give a complete overview of the RASFF, explaining in a practical manner its functioning and facilitating contact between participants from different countries.