Brussels, 13/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - The President of the European Parliament, Nicole Fontaine, has expressed her first reaction to the European Commission's White Paper on food safety (see yesterday's EUROPE, pp. 6-7), stating that the EP attaches great importance to this paper and will examine it carefully.
She nonetheless expressed regret, as she stated as early as 5 October, that the Commission had postponed to 2002 the setting into place of a genuine European food safety agency, which Parliament has been demanding for some time, and the urgency of which is obvious given the numerous serious incidents that have occurred.
Mrs Fontaine would like the Commission document to be supplemented with specific proposals on the agency's legal status, composition and the arrangements for appointment of its members. Indeed, "a true parliamentary debate will only be possible once the actions envisioned are the subject of specific proposals matched with figures", she observed.