EU: EU lays down rules for EFSA decision-making

The European Union's permanent committee for the food chain and animal health has approved a draft regulation that lays down how the new European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) should decide which scientific inquiries to undertake. The rule gives the authority the right to refuse a request to investigate a problem if it considers such research might replicate work already carried out; this would apply to formal demands from EU Member States, the European Commission and the European Parliament, as well as informal suggestions.

The European Union’s permanent committee for the food chain and animal health has approved a draft regulation that lays down how the new European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) should decide which scientific inquiries to undertake.

The rule gives the authority the right to refuse a request to investigate a problem if it considers such research might replicate work already carried out; this would apply to formal demands from EU Member States, the European Commission and the European Parliament, as well as informal suggestions.

A publicly available register of such requests is to be established and the decision making process has to be transparent and open.