The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is hoping to engage the European Commission’s support on GMO issues.
EFSA has invited Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas to a meeting to update him on its scientific and procedural approach to food safety issues,
The authority is especially keen to hear his comments on the risk assessment of GMOs.
Also topping the agenda will be the issues raised in the EFSA evaluation report on practises concerning risk assessment, to which the Commissioner referred in his speech at the recent conference on GMO co-existence in Vienna.
EFSA officials said that as an open and transparent scientific organisation it takes any criticism seriously and invites those who may not agree with certain opinions to debate scientific issues in an open way.
In line with this policy, the Authority met with NGOs in February in Parma, and has invited national experts to discuss GMO risk assessment, and the input of EU-member states in this process, in Brussels next month.
Last year EFSA set out to bring more transparency to its scientific assessment, stating it would need co-operation from EU-member states and stakeholders.
In response to concerns expressed in the Council on data requirements for GMO assessments, EFSA has also decided to expand its guidance document on the issue to provide further clarification.
