Advisory Council created to assist EU policy makers
Representatives from the EU's academies of science have established a European Academies' Science Advisory Council to provide the EU's policy makers with authoritative scientific judgements on a variety of topics. Areas covered by the new advisory group will include the environment, agriculture, energy, fisheries and health and food safety. Members will come from national academies from EU Member States, Academia Europea and ALLEA (All European academies of science and humanities). Uno Lindberg, Foreign Secretary of the Royal Swedish academy of sciences, elected as inaugural chairman highlighted the challenges ahead of the new Council: 'We have a great challenge in front of us, building science into policy in Europe. Many key policy issues have a scientific component. The need for quick and reliable advice from credible sources is more important than ever', he said. The Council may appoint expert groups to prepare advice on specific issues, either at its own initiative or at the request of those seeking advice.