Renewal of Scientific Committees in the field of consumer health and food safety
The European Commission has recently approved the setting up of eight Scientific Committees in the field of consumer health and food safety. These committees will replace the existing scientific committees in this area, strengthening their coherence and redefining certain of their activities. The Commission's Decision is a significant step towards the implementation of the "new approach" announced in its communication on Consumer Health and Food Safety (30 April 1997). The Committees to be set up are: - The Scientific Committee on Food; - The Scientific Committee on Animal Nutrition; - The Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Welfare; - The Scientific Committee on Veterinary Public Health - The Scientific Committee on Plants; - The Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products and Non-Food Products intended for Consumers; - The Scientific Committee on Medicaments and Medical Materials; - The Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment; The Scientific Committees shall provide scientific opinions on matters relating to consumer health and food safety. Notably they shall: - Critically examine risk assessments made by scientists belonging to Member State organizations; - Develop new risk assessment procedures relating to areas such as, for example, food-borne diseases and the transmissibility of animal diseases to man; - Prepare scientific opinions designed to enable the Commission to evaluate the scientific basis of the recommendations, standards and guidelines prepared in international forums; - Evaluate the scientific principles on which Community health standards are based, taking into account the risk assessment techniques developed by the international organizations concerned. Based on the evolution of existing scientific data, the Scientific Committees may, in addition, draw the Commission's attention to any specific or emerging problem, falling within their remit, relating to consumer health and food safety. Each Scientific Committee shall consist of a maximum of 19 members. The number of members of each Committee shall be determined by the Commission as a function of the required expertise. The activities of the Committees will be coordinated by the Scientific Steering Committee which has been established by Commission Decision 97/404/CE. The recruitment of scientific experts will be conducted by means of a "Call for expressions of interest", to be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. The Call, due to be published by the end of July 1997, will include an explanation of the selection criteria and the selection process to be applied. The deadline for application is 19 September 1997. Leading experts in the sectors covered, in Europe and elsewhere, are invited to make themselves available for this important task. Candidatures may also be submitted by scientific organizations and universities. It should be noted that a special indemnity will be made available to the members of the Scientific Committees in order to facilitate their participation.