Spain

Sebastián Romero Melchor

Born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in Spain, on October 20, 1971, he earned a Law degree at the UNIVERSITY OF DEUSTO in 1994 and a Masters degree (LL M) in EU Law at the COLLEGE OF EUROPE, in Bruges in 1998.

Sebastián Romero Melchor is the founder and Managing Partner of Brussels-based firm FOOD LAW CONSULTANTS, one of the leading food law firms in the EU. In this position, he has developed a major expertise in the provision of legal and regulatory services in a wide array of areas relating to the marketing, the advertizing and the composition of innovative foodstuffs imported or marketed in the EU. Prior to setting up his own firm, Sebastián Romero Melchor has practiced as a lawyer in top-tier law firms and in the European Commission. He is the founder of the food law journal Revista de Derecho Alimentario and the European Food and Feed Law Review’s country correspondent for Spain.

He is visiting professor at the BALEARIC ISLANDS UNIVERSITY, Spain, the president of the Spanish Food Law Association, a member of the European Food Law Association and of the Latin American Food Law Association and a regular speaker in Spanish and EU food law conferences throughout the world.

Languages: English, French, Italian and Spanish.

Sylvia Bañares , Ph.D.

Silvia Bañares graduated in Law at the University of Barcelona and was admitted to the Bar in 1985. She trained in Commercial and International Law by joining the practices of Jausás/Pinto and Solá firm in Barcelona from 1885 to 1995. She also continued her academic career at the Department of Commercial Law of the University of Barcelona (Professor A. Font) and obtained a Doctorate in Law in 2005. Her Doctoral Thesis dealt with Functional Food and Food Claims, and investigated the genesis of the European regulation on Food Claims .

She currently works as a lawyer and regulatory advisor in Barcelona, with special attention to Food Law, and International Commercial Law. She is Professor of Commercial Law at the Abad Oliba-Ceu University in Barcelona.

She has published several articles and books related to food regulation; she has been invited as speaker at national and international conferences and workshops on Food Law and food safety. She is also coordinator of post-graduate courses of Food Law at the University.

Silvia Bañares belongs to Asociación Iberoamericana de Derecho Alimentario (Latin American Association of Food Law) and she is chair of the Committee on Food Law and Legislation of the Associació Catalana de Ciències de l'Alimentació of Barcelona.

Languages: Spanish, English, Catalan