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European Food Authority to play central role in pesticide evaluation

The European Commission has announced that the proposed European Food Authority (EFA) is to play a central role in formulating a revised approach towards the evaluation of pesticide safety. The new authority, due come into operation in 2002, will take over the current role of...

The European Commission has announced that the proposed European Food Authority (EFA) is to play a central role in formulating a revised approach towards the evaluation of pesticide safety. The new authority, due come into operation in 2002, will take over the current role of the Scientific Committee on Plants as part of wider plans to overhaul the way in which plant protection products are assessed for potential risks to the environment and human health. The new strategy proposes an increase in the number of personnel allocated to pesticide safety by the end of the year and extra funding for both the Commission and the proposed EFA in this area. The plans also include changes in procedures for data evaluation, tighter timelines and better use of information technology. The Commission will await the reaction of the Council and the European Parliament before finalising its plans. The programme of change has been suggested in response to a new report which highlights existing shortcomings in the evaluation of such substances. The report, which gives an overview of the ambitious pesticide evaluation measures launched in 1991, brought to light problems such as a lack of resources and cumbersome procedures. The Commission is keen to streamline the evaluation process in order to ensure that the evaluation of existing and new plant protection products is achieved by the original deadline of 2003. A spokeswoman for the Health and consumer protection Directorate-General, however, said that an extension of the original deadline may be necessary in view of the difficulty of completing the evaluation within the 12-year time frame stipulated by the 1991 legislation. Of the 800 such products to be assessed in this way, almost half remain to be evaluated at Community level. Health and consumer protection Commissioner David Byrne said: 'All this work is intended to make sure that the active substances used in pesticides do not present a risk or harm to health and the environment. It is therefore of the utmost importance that it is done thoroughly, even if that means it takes more time than originally envisaged.' 'The reality is that the resources necessary to carry out this exercise were not fully appreciated when the key legislation was adopted in 1991. I am keen to have the views of the European Parliament and the Council on this report before proposing further decisions, because we need to carefully weigh the potential impacts of extending, or not, the original deadline of 2003 for the completion of the evaluation process. I also feel there are definite improvements to be made in the way this work is done, and have high expectations for the European Food Authority in this respect.' The Commission's proposal to create an independent European Food Authority was launched in 2000 with the backing of the European Parliament. The new body, independent of the EC and individual governments, will be responsible for ensuring the integrity and impartiality of food safety judgements while leaving regulatory power in the hands of Member States.

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