European Union: EU creates European food agency; powers, location yet undetermined

摘要

Nice, France--In response to a series of food safety scandals in the past several years, European Union leaders agreed December 8 to set up a European Food Agency that will begin operations in 2002. EU leaders at a summit here adopted the food agency proposal advanced by the European Commission in November (IVFRR, Vol. 10, No. 7, p. 4), but failed to agree on the exact powers of the European Food Agency or where it would be based. The summit, one of the EU's most important in its post-World War IIhistory, was primarily focused on preparations for enlargement that will allow former Iron Curtain countries of Eastern Europe to become members. On another food safety issue-the continuing development of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) among European cattle-EU leaders rejected a call by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to permanently ban meat and bone meal in animal feed.EU agriculture ministers December 4 imposed a six-month ban on the use of meat and bone meal in feed. (See related report in this issue.)