New dialogue for stakeholders and scientific comittees

A lack of clarity and transparency, particularly concerning questions over potential for conflicts of interests, have dogged the scientific committees established to advise DG SANCO on matters connected with risk assessment. As a result the Commission held a stakeholder meeting on 22 March 2007 to explore how best these committees may liaise with stakeholders to improve transparency.

The outcome from this meeting is a set of procedures for dialogue with stakeholders for the three relevant committees (SCHER, SCCP, and SCENIHR), although these procedures are currently only adopted for a pilot period.

Whilst the procedures go into some detail on how dialogues with stakeholders are to be established and under what conditions, concerns over potential conflicts of interest have not been addressed.

EPHA contributions to the meeting in March 2007 emphasised that it was necessary to ensure the process was sufficiently rigorous such that it was publicly evident potential conflicts of interest had been adequately addressed.

Without such procedures confidence in the process by all stakeholders would be damaged. A most recent example of this being the questioning of the participation of Sue Barlow as a chair of advisory committees to EFSA whilst also giving paid advice to the food industry.

For further information:

Public Health: scientific committees