Brussels, 23/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - Excellence, integrity and openness are the three qualities considered essential by the fifteen members of the Management Board of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which met for the first time last week in Brussels (see EUROPE of 20 September, p.3). Speaking to the Management Board and to its newly elected chairman, Stuart Slorach, the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, David Byrne, encouraged them to focus on the above three key notions.
Openness was practised by the Management Board at its inaugural meeting by allowing the public to follow its deliberations direct on-line, in compliance with the provisions of the regulation which established EFSA. "I am not just speaking to you, fifteen members of the Management Board. (…) I am also speaking to the 370 million consumers of the European Union. I know I also speak to the wider global community and our trading partners", David Byrne said. The Commissioner also expressed all the hope that he has in EFSA, as "one of the key components of the Commission's food safety strategy" in order to contribute to restoring the shaken confidence consumers have in food products, thanks to its scientific expertise, its independence, and its vocation to federate the network of national competences and its mission to communicate with the general public. "The quality and accessibility of scientific advice is of paramount importance to ensure effective, timely and appropriate decision-making. In future we will look to the Authority to provide that advice. (…) I believe that many of the past food safety scares resulted from a fragmented approach to food safety. (…) I believe that both the assessment of risk and the development of legislation should be based on the broadest possible picture. (…) I have the very strong expectation that the development of the Authority's reputation for independence and excellence in scientific matters appertaining to food will put an end to competition in such matters among national authorities in the Member States", he said. EFSA, however, will not do miracles. "Primary responsibility for ensuring safe food rests with producers", recalled David Byrne stressing that "in many cases it was not a lack of legislation or public authority that was lacking, but fraud or other misapplication of legislation on the part of producers, both primary and secondary".
During the press conference, Stuart Slorach stressed that EFSA's scientific missions - to give independent scientific opinions, take a stance on technical questions in order to facilitate the elaboration of legislative texts, collect data concerning food risks from farm to table - aimed at defining the problem by assessing potential risks and sounding the alarm at an early stage, without interfering with risk management which, remains under the scope of the Commission, Council and Parliament. He also insisted on the importance of good cooperation with the national food safety agencies. He said that they are planning on the cooperation of Member State organisations and that the setting in place of a network is of vital importance if EFSA is to be a success.
Now that the chairman and the two vice-chairpersons (French national Cathérine Geslain-Laneelle and British Deidre Hutton) have been appointed and the internal and financial rules of procedure adopted, the Management Board will have the task of designating the executive director, responsible for ensuring the daily administration of authority from 2003. This appointment will come during the next meeting in October from a list of candidates presented by the Commission. In answer to questions on the candidates on the list, the chairman avoided the question by stating that this was to remain confidential in respect for those currently holding other posts. It will also be up to the Management Board to adopt its work programme. Stuart Slorach said they were seriously thinking about it for 2003 and explained that, for 2002, the programme was in its very early stages, as was the Authority itself, which should employ around 30 members of staff at the end of 2002, reaching 250 in 2005.
To a journalist answering questions on the presence of a single consumer representative within the Management Board, the chairman advised putting the question to the Council of the Union and to the European Parliament. He affirmed, however, that several members of the Board are working in the interest of the consumers even if they do not represent a consumer organisation. We are all aware of our enormous responsibility towards consumers, he said. Several voices were raised to confirm this, notably that of Peter Gaemelke, President of the Danish Agriculture Council who said: "We are all consumers. As a Danish consumer, I represent the Danish Consumer Council". Patrick Gerard Wall, veterinarian and doctor in medicine who heads the Irish Food Safety Agency, also spoke out, as did Roland Vaxelaire, President of Carrefour Belgique, who declared that, as a representative of retailers, there is daily contact with consumers.