Reinforcing trust in scientific studies on food products: new rules for more transparency and independence

On 27 March, the Regulation on the transparency and sustainability of the EU risk assessment in the food chain becomes applicable. The Commission's proposal for this Regulation was adopted in 2019, following a European Citizens' Initiative. The Regulation's entry into force does not only mark an important step forward in the modernisation of the EU food safety policy, it is also a great example of the direct political impact of a European Citizens' Initiative. The new rules will improve the transparency of the EU risk assessment regarding food and cover a wide range of products of great concern for citizens. The Regulation will strengthen the reliability, objectivity and independence of studies submitted to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and give a greater role to member states in EFSA's governance. Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said: "More transparency on EU scientific work in the area of food will reinforce consumer trust. These new transparency rules directly respond to calls from our citizens. We are putting them in place at a time when the Commission has taken a strong commitment, through our Farm to Fork Strategy, in ensuring greater sustainability so that that the way we produce and consume our food is healthy not just for us, but also for our planet.” To mark the upcoming entry into application of the Transparency Regulation, the European Commission and the Portuguese Presidency, in collaboration with EFSA, will organise a joint celebratory virtual event on Tuesday 30 March 2021, from 10-12h30 CET. The event will be web-streamed here. A press release is available on Press Corner, as well as a Q&A on the website of DG SANTE.

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