Combating food waste is one of the greatest contemporary challenges for agriculture, the CAP and the legislator. The aim of the considerations is to answer the question whether and to what extent the legislation, both EU and national, provides for instruments to counteract this phenomenon. There are no comprehensive legal solutions that would allow effective prevention of food waste. However, at the EU level there is an observable process of setting up foundations for future policies and legal frameworks for actions aimed at limiting and combating this phenomenon. The mere fact that the problem has been noted by the legislator and the previous, albeit partial, normative regulation on combating food waste is a positive development. The measures already undertaken may constitute the first steps on the way to implementing comprehensive solutions that will, at the same time, be a manifestation of the legislator’s efforts to ensure food sovereignty based on a closed-loop economy.

This article presents the results of research on the development of the technology of laser beam butt welding of 17-4 PH stainless steel sheets and the technology of post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). The developed technology allows for favorable conditions to be obtained and for the appropriate microstructure and hardness to exist in the weld area. Moreover, it enables the fulfillment of a number of specific requirements beyond the possibilities of manual welding and other methods. The tests performed include the analysis of the microstructure with the use of light microscopy (LM) for the materials after welding and PWHT. The applied PWHT showed changes in the microstructure and mechanical properties. In all weld areas the martensitic microstructure was observed. The homogeneity of the microstructure in the area of the welded joint after PWTH was revealed. In the as-welded condition and after the PWHT with aging at 481 °C, the hardness was 440 HV5, but after aging at 621 °C, it decreased to 330–340 HV5.

Until recently, the introduction of novel foods into the EU market has been primarily governed by Regulation (EC) No 258/97. The solutions provided for in this legislative act have been criticised. Consequently, as of 1 January 2018, this act has been replaced by Regulation No. 2015/2283. The aim of the deliberations presented in this article is to answer the question whether and to what extent the new solutions actually facilitate the placing of novel foods on the EU market while ensuring at the same time a high level of protection of consumers’ health, life and economic interests. In the author’s opinion, Regulation No. 2015/2283 introduces many amendments aimed at facilitating the introduction of novel foods to the EU market, which also satisfy the aboveconcerns. However, only the practice resulting from the application of the adopted solutions will determine the effectiveness of opening the EU food market to safe innovations.

Przeprowadzone rozważania są próbą porównania i oceny sposobów przeciwdziałania marnowaniu żywności w Polsce oraz w Niemczech. Zasięg tego zjawiska jest globalny, ale przeciwdziałać mu należy już na poziomie regionalnym, a nawet lokalnym. W Polsce została wprowadzona odrębna regulacja prawna w zakresie przeciwdziałania marnowaniu żywności, natomiast w Niemczech taka regulacja nie występuje. W konkluzji autor stwierdza między innymi, że zarówno w UE, jak i w Polsce i w Niemczech brakuje rozwiązań prawnych, które umożliwiłyby skuteczne i kompleksowe przeciwdziałanie marnowaniu żywności. Zauważa jednak, że bez udziału i zaangażowania społeczeństwa regulacje prawne nie wystarczą do skutecznego przeciwdziałania marnowaniu żywności także dlatego, że największy udział w nim ma etap konsumpcji żywności, co do którego możliwość ingerencji prawodawcy jest bardzo ograniczona. W tym zakresie warto opierać się na doświadczeniach niemieckich i inicjatywach tam podejmowanych.

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