Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety

Article 28U.K.Scientific Committee and Scientific Panels

1.The Scientific Committee and permanent Scientific Panels shall be responsible for providing the scientific opinions of the Authority, each within their own spheres of competence, and shall have the possibility, where necessary, of organising public hearings.

2.The Scientific Committee shall be responsible for the general coordination necessary to ensure the consistency of the scientific opinion procedure, in particular with regard to the adoption of working procedures and harmonisation of working methods. It shall provide opinions on multisectoral issues falling within the competence of more than one Scientific Panel, and on issues which do not fall within the competence of any of the Scientific Panels.

Where necessary, and particularly in the case of subjects which do not fall within the competence of any of the Scientific Panels, the Scientific Committee shall set up working groups. In such cases, it shall draw on the expertise of those working groups when establishing scientific opinions.

3.The Scientific Committee shall be composed of the Chairs of the Scientific Panels and six independent scientific experts who do not belong to any of the Scientific Panels.

4.The Scientific Panels shall be composed of independent scientific experts. When the Authority is established, the following Scientific Panels shall be set up:

[F1(a) the Panel on food additives and flavourings;]

(b)the Panel on additives and products or substances used in animal feed;

[F2(c) the Panel on plant protection products and their residues;]

(d)the Panel on genetically modified organisms;

[F1(e) the Panel on nutrition, novel foods and food allergens;]

(f)the Panel on biological hazards;

(g)the Panel on contaminants in the food chain;

(h)the Panel on animal health and welfare[F2;]

[F3(i) the Panel on plant health;]

[F1(j) the Panel on food contact materials and enzymes and processing aids.]

[F4The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 57a amending the first subparagraph as regards the number and names of the Scientific Panels, in the light of technical and scientific development, at the Authority’s request.]

5.The members of the Scientific Committee who are not members of Scientific Panels and the members of the Scientific Panels shall be appointed by the Management Board, acting upon a proposal from the Executive Director, for a three-year term of office, which shall be renewable, following publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities, in relevant leading scientific publications and on the Authority's website of a call for expressions of interest.

6.The Scientific Committee and the Scientific Panels shall each choose a Chair and two Vice-Chairs from among their members.

7.The Scientific Committee and the Scientific Panels shall act by a majority of their members. Minority opinions shall be recorded.

8.The representatives of the Commission's departments shall be entitled to be present in the meetings of the Scientific Committee, the Scientific Panels and their working groups. If invited to do so, they may assist for the purposes of clarification or information but shall not seek to influence discussions.

9.The procedures for the operation and cooperation of the Scientific Committee and the Scientific Panels shall be laid down in the Authority's internal rules.

These procedures shall relate in particular to:

(a)the number of times that a member can serve consecutively on a Scientific Committee or Scientific Panel;

(b)the number of members in each Scientific Panel;

(c)the procedure for reimbursing the expenses of members of the Scientific Committee and the Scientific Panels;

(d)the manner in which tasks and requests for scientific opinions are assigned to the Scientific Committee and the Scientific Panels;

(e)the creation and organisation of the working groups of the Scientific Committee and the Scientific Panels, and the possibility of external experts being included in those working groups;

(f)the possibility of observers being invited to meetings of the Scientific Committee and the Scientific Panels;

(g)the possibility of organising public hearings.

Textual Amendments