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Content archived on 2022-12-02

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New Institute will tackle citizens' exposure to hazards

The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission has created the Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (IHCP), reports the special December 1998 issue of "The IPTS Report". This special issue is devoted to research results addressing particular consumer concerns - t...

The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission has created the Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (IHCP), reports the special December 1998 issue of "The IPTS Report". This special issue is devoted to research results addressing particular consumer concerns - to emphasise the personal commitment of Edith Cresson, Commissioner, European Commissioner responsible for research, innovation, education, training and youth, to improving service to the citizens of Europe. Of the IHCP, Commissioner Cresson said: "This new institute will enhance the scientific and technical knowledge available to the EU Commission services and to all Member State authorities on hazards and risks, caused by products and processes of various kinds, to which the European citizen is exposed. "The European Commission is paving the way towards a genuine 'European research area', where European laboratories, universities and companies devote a significant part of their resources to protect the consumer; in other words to promote European research at the service of the citizen and European competitiveness in a global framework," she said. The IHCP will aim to provide the scientific and technical expertise necessary to give policy makers independent advice on issues relating to food, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and so on. Apart from the article describing the IHCP, the special issue contains the following articles: - Improving consumer protection: Support for food control; - Future technologies: Changing consumer decisions and labelling requirements; - Biotechnology and health care: Consumer-related aspects; - The supply of information to the consumer: When more is actually less.