Parma, Italy
September 23, 2008
The European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA) is setting up a new committee to further
strengthen its role in reviewing the safety of active substances
used in pesticides together with the European Commission and EU
member states.
Meeting in Paris, EFSA’s Advisory Forum – which brings together
representatives of national food safety authorities from across
the EU – approved a proposal to create a Pesticide Steering
Committee with effect from October 2008.
Hubert Deluyker, Director of Scientific Cooperation and
Assistance at EFSA, explained: “The committee will provide a
platform for cooperation and consultation between the different
actors involved in pesticide risk assessment in the EU.
“It will be responsible for planning and monitoring the safety
review process from beginning to end – in other words, from the
initial application for a certain active substance to be
authorised through to the publication of an opinion by EFSA on
the safety of that substance.
“The main aim is to further streamline the peer review process
and clearly define priorities in the face of an ever-growing
workload and a changing regulatory environment. In 2007, for
example, EFSA published opinions on 20 different active
substances but in 2008 that figure is due to rise to 60 – in
other words a three-fold increase year-on-year,” Deluyker said.
“At the same time, challenging new deadlines are being discussed
which would put further pressure on the peer review system.”
The Pesticide Steering Committee, which will be fully
operational from 1 January 2009, will be made up of experts
responsible for the pesticide risk assessment process at
national level as well as representatives of EFSA and the
European Commission.
By facilitating the planning process, helping to prevent
duplication and promoting the exchange of information between
EFSA, the Commission and member states at every stage – for
example through the development of common IT tools enabling file
sharing and online access to data across the EU – the committee
will help to ensure the best possible use of resources, increase
efficiency and further strengthen consumer protection.
EFSA is playing an increasingly important role in the field of
pesticide risk assessment. A significant body of work carried
out in 2007 provided the scientific basis for the recent
revision of Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for a wide range of
pesticides by the European Commission. Furthermore, EFSA is
currently reviewing the MRLs for a further 15 pesticides
considered to be of concern, as well as reviewing risk
assessments of existing pesticides carried out by member states
in view of setting new MRLs. |
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