The Euopean Commission announced the list of the 36 members of the Advisory Group on the Food Chain and Animal and Plant Health 21 April 2005 (the call for applications was launched in August 2004).
The aim of this group is to provide input into the preparation, revision and evaluation of legislative proposals in the areas of food and feed safety, animal health and welfare, plant health and human nutrition. The group is supposed to meet at least twice a year and be chaired by the Commission.
The Commission has stated that the creation of the Advisory Group is the formalisation of the existing consultation between the Commission and relevant stakeholders on the Commission’s programme of work in the fields of food and feed safety, animal health and welfare, plant health and human nutrition.
Applicants were required to be EU or trans-national organisations working on food and feed policy. Members must have an office in Brussels, an adequate level of resources to allow swift and coordinated reactions from members and make an active contribution to Commission activities.
The Commission explained that they did not accept applications from private companies, service providers, mono-sectoral associations or organisations dealing with issues outside the scope of food and feed policy.
Amongst the members: four NGOs (two from animal welfare, two from consumer protection), two trade unions, one federation of professionals and 29 organisations representing the interest of several industries (including pharmaceutical, food and feed, bioindustries, catering and others).
