A scramble to take part in the new EU advisory group on the Food Chain and Animal and Plant Health has started following the announcement of its establishment later this year.
The outgoing EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Mr David Byrne, said earlier this week that he wanted a new advisory group to strengthen the quality of EU policy-making in the area of food safety.
He invited consumers, the food industry, retailers and farmers to apply for a position on the 45-member group expected to meet before the end of this year.
Mr Byrne said the elite group of stakeholders drawn from EU-level associations would meet at least twice a year to carry out its work and be available to be consulted on a wide range of food policy matters. "Additionally, the Commission intends to create an Internet-based consultative forum on food safety open to all European organisations with an interest in this area of policy," said a Commission statement yesterday.
In this, Mr Byrne said the EU had put in place a world class system of food safety regulation. It was appropriate that today it also modernised our system for consulting on food safety.
The advisory group will replace five existing consultative bodies, the Advisory Committee on Foodstuffs, plus the standing groups on veterinary matters, plant health, animal welfare and feeding stuffs previously attached to the Advisory Committee on Agricultural Product Health and Safety.
Mr Byrne said it could be anticipated that there would be a ad hoc working groups of the advisory committee on food labelling, and on biotechnology.