Agriculture Council adopts European Food Safety Authority
On 21 January the EU Agriculture Council agreed legislation putting in place a new Europe-wide food safety system, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Ministers also adopted a new regulatory framework for EU food law. The adoption of the regulation marks a record-time agreement by the Council and the Parliament on overhauling Europe's current food safety provisions and the way scientific advice feeds into policy-making. Health and Consumer protection Commissioner David Byrne described the adoption of the legislation as a 'great achievement for food safety in the EU, and a showcase for the effectiveness of European institutions.' Mr Byrne added that he intended to launch the selection procedure for nomination of the management board and executive director as soon as possible. 'Now that we have a new and independent European Food Safety Authority agreed in legislation, we want to see it up and running within the shortest possible time,' he said. The regulation adopted at the Agriculture Council also sets out the guiding principles of EU food legislation. A key element of this guidance is the responsibility of food and feed companies to ensure that only safe food and feed is placed on the market, as well as rules imposing the traceability of all foodstuffs, animal feed and food ingredients and procedures for developing food law and dealing with food emergencies. The regulations will also set up a rapid alert system for feeding stuffs by integrating information on contaminated feed into the existing rapid alert system for food. The current system of scientific advice committees will continue to function until the EFSA's scientific committee and panels are operational to minimise any disruption to the food safety scientific advice system. The main task of the EFSA will be to provide scientific advice for Community legislation and policies in all fields impacting on food and feed safety. It will provide independent information on these matters and communicate with the public on risks in the food chain. In addition to specialist personnel employed at the EFSA, the authority will manage and be supported by similar networks of scientific and food safety institutions in the EU.