In a press release published on December 11, 2018, the European Parliament (EP) announced the adoption of revisions to the EU’s General Food Law aimed to help the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) “work more efficiently and transparently” (FPF reported). The revisions include a new pre-submission procedure to allow EFSA to provide guidance on required information and therefore help increase the speed of risk assessments.
Furthermore, the revisions also request that a “common European Register of commissioned studies should be set up, to deter companies that are applying for authorization from holding back unfavorable studies.” The revisions also highlight that EFSA could still choose to consult further third parties for review of additional scientific information and that a set of criteria has been agreed to define which type of business information can be kept confidential. The next step is for the EP to begin negotiations with EU ministers to reach a first reading agreement.
These adopted revisions are the latest update in ongoing discussions on the transparency of food-related risk assessment in the EU (FPF reported).
Read more
EP (December 11, 2018). “Food safety: more transparency, better risk prevention.”
Health and Environmental Alliance (December 11, 2018). “EU Parliament chooses to break business secrecy in key vote on General Food Law revision.”
Corporate Europe Observatory (December 11, 2018). “Food safety transparency: breakthrough vote in EU Parliament.”
Health and Environmental Alliance (December 10, 2018). “General Food Law revision: key vote on data transparency in the European Parliament this Tuesday.”
PAN Europe (December 12, 2018). “PAN Europe reacts at the Parliamentary vote on the transparency proposal.“
