Brussels, 16/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - The debate, open to the public, of the Internal Market Council on the Commission's White Paper on food safety (see other article, p.7) confirmed the interest of Member States for a subject included among the priorities of the Portuguese Presidency and their will to contribute to the ongoing reflection on the reform of the Union's policy in that field, "indispensable to restore consumer confidence, shaken by the successive food crises", stressed Mr. Seixas da Costa, Portuguese Minister for European affairs and Chair of the session.
"I am here to listen to you and gather your suggestions before putting the finishing touches to the Commission's proposals", European Commissioner David Byrne told the ministers, welcoming the speed at which the permanent representatives of the Member states (Coreper) had analysed the White Paper presented in January. On the basis of a questionnaire prepared by the Portuguese Presidency, the delegations were asked to express their points of view on the European food authority proposed as pivot instrument for the reform, and to takes stances on: a) the relevance of the tasks the Commission is envisaging handing this authority and the link to establish between scientific opinion and possible decisions to take; b) whether or not to set up a network resting on cooperation between the European authority and scientific agencies or institutes of Member States to ensure the optimal use of the Union's scientific resources; c) bodies that ought to be allowed to turn to the authority.
The delegations unanimously welcomed the Commission's initiative, and in particular "the excellent idea" of setting up an independent European food authority, that serves as reference in matters of scientific expertise resting on the network of relevant national agencies so as to improve consumer health and protection in the Union. A great majority (Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Belgium, Austria, Finland and France) came down in favour of a clear separation between the roles of risk assessment and communication that the Authority would be handed, and the role of risk management that the Commission proposes maintaining in the hands of European institutions.
Luxembourg stressed that it was not always possible to make a separation between risk assessment and risk management and what was important was especially to separate the drawing up of legislation and implementation of that legislation, this latter task, having, it claims, to be handed to the Authority. This Member State would like the Authority to have a role in risk management, at least as far as individual decisions for placing on the market are concerned. "How could the Authority otherwise reasonably carry out its role as communicator?". The United Kingdom, for its part, placed emphasis on the utmost importance of a link between risk management and assessment, and on the need to set up mechanisms to guarantee that risk assessment will have optimum effects on legislation. According to the British minister, to that end, the Authority should have the power to issue opinions on risk management. "Providing information only on scientific assessment will not be enough. It must also inform on actions to take", she added. Most delegations came down in favour of not only the Commission being able to turn to the Authority, but for the Authority to have a right of initiative (a right to refer things itself, guarantor of its independence, stressed France) and to be able to be consulted by other European institutions, or Member States even (opposed to this latter possibility, Spain called for referral by Member states to be exceptional and that it should go through the Commission, and Finland stressed the risk of the Authority being submerged if all and sundry could turn to it).
Several delegations made specific remarks. Thus Spain considered that scientific expertise on animal welfare (not even on animal health if it has no repercussions on public health) should not be part
of the Authority's remit. Luxembourg stressed that it was against Member states without a national body competent for food safety being forced to establish one. Finland, which had already offered to host the future European Food Authority, renewed its offer by presenting the advantages that the city of Helsinki could offer to all delegations.
The Portuguese Presidency announced that it would be organising an international conference in Lisbon on 19 April entitled "Europe and food safety - a single market at the service of the citizens", with the participation of the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Mr. Bolkestein.
The debate in Council confirmed the majority guidelines agreed by the Agriculture Ministers of the Fifteen on 24 January in round table talks on the White Paper.
EUROPE recalls that consultations of all interested parties ends at the end of April and that the Commission intends presenting detailed proposals on the European food Authority in September.