Brussels, 04 Mar 2004
The European Commission adopted a decision on the creation of three new non-food scientific committees on 3 March. The bodies will complement the existing Community advice bodies and will soon publish a call in the Official Journal inviting scientists to submit an application for membership.
'The EU needs high quality independent scientists' said David Byrne, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection. 'Scientific risk assessment is at the heart of the EU's health and consumer protection policies. The [...] committees will provide the EU with a more proactive and flexible approach to risk assessment. The restructuring will also ensure appropriate cooperation and coordination between these committees and other Community bodies responsible for scientific advice such as the European Food Safety Authority, the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products and the future European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.'
The Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) will comprise 19 members and will look into issues such as the safety of toys, textiles, clothing, domestic products, and consumer services, such as tattooing, as well as the safety and allergenic properties of cosmetic products.
The Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) will also have 19 members and will deal with the toxicity and ecotoxicity of chemical, biochemical and biological compounds whose use may be damaging to humans and the environment.
The Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) will advise on human health issues not covered by other EU risk assessment bodies, such as antimicrobial resistance, nanotechnologies, medical devices (including those with substances of animal and/or human origin), tissue engineering, physical hazards such as noise and electromagnetic fields (from mobile phones, transmitters and electronically controlled home environments), and methodologies for risk assessment. This Committee will have 13 members with the option of recruiting up to six associated members for specific questions.
The Commission will recruit committee members according to scientific excellence. Candidates with the appropriate experience but who are not selected will be put on a reserve list.
For further information on the Commission's risk assessment activities, please visit:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_risk /risk_en.htm
To see the call for expressions of interest in membership the new Scientific Committees, please visit:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_risk /documents/call_2004_en.htm