Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-12-15-Speech-3-223"
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"en.19991215.9.3-223"2
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"Here are in fact two areas of expertise. One I accept is more static, or the analysis is of more static facts – that is the law, the legal process. The other is an examination of a more evolving situation. The analogy is not a very accurate one but nonetheless it is valuable in the sense that in circumstances where it is necessary to have the evaluation by experts, whether it is in the legal world or in the scientific world, we need finally to have an authoritative voice on the issue and that is where I expect we will get that – from the establishment of this food safety authority.
I have to say that I am heartened to hear so many of you express yourselves on this subject here this afternoon and say that it is also your belief that this is the appropriate way forward.
I have been asked about the structure of this agency on previous occasions. I am not going to go into it in detail this afternoon other than to say to you that I am aware that concerns have been expressed by many of you on the issue of the relationship between the concept of independence, on the one hand and accountability, on the other. Of course, such an authority has to be accountable in some way to the political process, to those of us who are engaged through codecision in making laws, because we after all are accountable to the people, the scientists are not.
Risk assessment has to be undertaken by those who are qualified and expert in that area – that is the scientists. They have to be independent and be seen to be independent. Once they have made their risk assessment they pass their judgement then to the Commission, when the law-making would be initiated by the Commission. It would then be discussed in the codecision procedures with Parliament and with Council. In that way it is our responsibility to initiate and pass laws that give effect to the concerns that are expressed by the scientists.
Let me just say finally that I believe it will be necessary to have an interaction and a relationship between the scientists and the law-makers and between the risk assessment and the risk management so as to make absolutely certain that those drafting the laws understand what the scientists are saying, and that the scientists are satisfied that the law-makers are drafting the laws in such a way as to deal with the concerns expressed by them in their opinion in the area of risk assessment.
I think that they are the issues that were raised and I hope I have dealt with all of the questions satisfactorily."@en1
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