EU watchdogs to member states: « Don't let lobbyists on to the EU food safety authority's board » | Corporate Europe Observatory
EU watchdogs to member states: « Don't let lobbyists on to the EU food safety authority's board » | Corporate Europe Observatory
EU watchdogs
warn member states that they should not appoint food industry lobbyists
onto the Board of the EU's Food Safety Authority. Next May 7, member
states sitting in the Council of Permanent Representatives (Coreper)
will vote to appoint seven members of the Management Board of the
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA is responsible for the risk
assessment of all issues related to food and feed safety in the EU
including genetically engineered plants, pesticides and food additives.
Its Management Board is the food agency's governing body, also in charge
of its independence.
Following recommendations by a handful of MEPs in the European
Parliament, two food industry lobbyists have been short-listed as top
candidates for these positions. Two other current members of the Board,
also re-applying for the position, have strong ties to the agro-food
industry. EFSA's independence remains problematic today, with numerous
conflicts of interest with industry among its scientific panels and heated controversies about the quality of the Authority's scientific output.
Martin Pigeon, researcher and campaigner at Corporate Europe Observatory, said : ''EFSA's
reputation is already really bad; why add to the damage? It is unlikely
that appointing lobbyists whose job is to influence food-related
decisions for the private benefit of the food industry at the agency's
Board is going to help the agency regain credibility.''
Exposing the power of corporate lobbying in the EU
