Debate Continues on the Location for the European Food Safety Agency

Following several months of discussions, on 18 March Italy and Finland drafted a compromise proposal on the location of the European Food Safety Agency, under which two separate agencies - one in Finland and one in Italy - would be established. The Helsinki agency would deal with food safety and control procedures and the Parma (Italy) agency would look at protection of designations and certificates of origin of agricultural products. However, on 21 March Mr Berlusconi said that, due to the changeover in the Finnish government, the issue needs to be discussed with Finland’s new government before any final decision is made. Finland’s position is that all Member States except Italy had agreed on the location of Helsinki at the Laeken summit in 2001the new compromise deal would allow the next EU Summit will approve the proposal. The compromise proposal is not supported by the Commission which considers the idea impractical. "Byrne can say whatever he likes, but this issue is in the hands of the Council", Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen said at a press conference in Brussels. Mr Lipponen stated that he has received French support for the plan.

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