Creation of Scientific Steering Committee in the field of Consumer Health and Food Safety
The European Commission has agreed the establishment of a Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) in the field of Consumer Health and Food Safety in a Decision adopted on 10 June 1997. The Decision follows the Commission's communication on consumer health and food safety, adopted on 30 April 1997, which highlighted the importance of sound scientific advice as a basis for Community policies in this area. In addition to its advisory role, the SSC will assist the Commission by coordinating the work of the six existing scientific committees in the field of consumer health, providing an overall view in case of substantial differences of opinion. The six committees are: - The Food committee; - The Veterinary committee; - The Animal Nutrition committee; - The Pesticides committee; - The Toxicology/Ecotoxicology committee; - The Cosmetology committee. The SSC will also deliver scientific advice for questions not covered by the existing committees and, in particular, on the multidisciplinary aspects of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) (including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)) with particular regard to potential risks for consumer health. In this regard, the Committee replaces the previous Multidisciplinary Committee which advised the Commission on the multidisciplinary aspects of BSE. The SSC will consist of fourteen members in total, including eight eminent scientific experts (not already members of any of the other scientific committees of the Commission) and the six chairpersons of the other scientific committees. Recruitment of the eight independent experts will be conducted through a "Call for expressions of interest" published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. The deadline for application under this call is 7 July 1997 (please see RCN 8468).