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"B COMMISSION DECISION
of 10 June 1997
setting up a Scientific Steering Committee
(97/404/EC)
(OJ L 169, 27.6.1997, p. 85)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
"M1 Commission Decision 2000/443/EC of 18 May 2000 L 179 13 18.7.20001997D0404 — EN — 18.05.2000 — 001.001 — 1
COMMISSION DECISION
of 10 June 1997
setting up a Scientific Steering Committee
(97/404/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Whereas sound scientific advice is an essential basis for Community rules on
consumer health, including matters on consumer health in its strictest sense,
but also on animal health and welfare, plant health and environmental health;
Whereas scientific advice on consumer health matters is currently provided
by six scientifc committees set up by the Commission and addressing the
topics of food, animal nutrition, cosmetology, pesticides, toxicity andecotoxicity, and veterinary matters;
Whereas several issues relating to consumer health are of a multidisciplinary
nature and require input from various scientific committees which wouldbenefit from an effective coordination;
Whereas the Commission must be able to obtain sound and timely scientific
advice;
Whereas scientific advice on matters relating to consumer health must, in the
interests of consumers and industry, be based on the principles of excellence,independence and transparency,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
A Scientific Steering Committee (hereinafter called ‘SSC’) in the field of
consumer health and food safety is hereby established.
Article 2
1. The SSC shall assist the Commission to obtain the best scientific advice
available on matters relating to consumer health.
2. The SSC shall coordinate the work of the scientific committees set up by
the Commission to address matters of consumer health, in particular:
(a) the SSC shall evaluate and monitor the working procedures used by the
scientific committees and will harmonize them when necessary;
(b) for matters which require consultation of two or more scientific
committees, the SSC shall identify those scientific committees which
should be involved, taking account of compulsory consultationrequirements, shall consider opinions issued by the different committeesand may, in case of substantial differences of opinions, provide an overall
view;
(c) when Community measures are based on the evaluation carried out by
scientists from organizations in the Member States, the SSC shall assist
the Commission, on the latter’s request, in assessing if scientific advice atCommunity level is needed, and if so, in determining which scientificcommittee is to provide it.
3. The SSC shall, in the area of consumer health:(a) deliver scientific advice only on matters which are not covered by the
mandates of the other scientific committees. It shall prepare this advicefollowing a request from the Commission and relying on the most
appropriate scientific expertise;
(b) specifically deliver scientific advice on multidisciplinary aspects of
transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, including bovine spongiform
encephalopathy. To this end it shall create an ad hoc group which shall be
chaired by a member of the SSC and may include external experts;!B1997D0404 — EN — 18.05.2000 — 001.001 — 2
(c) assist the Commission with the indentification of those areas where
compulsory consultation of the scientific committees could be appropri-ate;
(d) arrange for the review of existing and newly developed risk assessment
procedures and, where appropriate, propose the development of new riskassessment procedures relating to areas such as, for example, food-bornediseases and the transmissibility of animal diseases to man;
(e) draw the attention of the Commission to any specific or emerging
consumer health problem.
4. Those members of the SSC who are not chairpersons of scientific
committees shall contribute to the selection of the members of the scientificcommittees by advising the Commission as to the excellence and
independence of the candidates.
5. The Commission may, when requesting an output from the SSC, ask for a
deadline for its delivery to be adhered to.
Article 3
1. The SSC shall be composed of eight scientific experts not being members
of any other scientific committee, and the chairpersons of the scientificcommittees. The latter may, should they not be able to participate in a meeting
of the SSC, be replaced by one of the vice-chairpersons of their scientific
committee.
2. The full SSC will elect by simple majority one chairperson and two
vice-chairpersons from amongst its members who are not chairpersons ofscientific committees.
3. The members of the SSC shall be scientific experts in one or more fields
of consumer health, collectively covering the widest possible range ofscientific disciplines relating to this subject.
4. The members of the SSC who are not chairpersons of scientific
committees, shall be nominated by the Commission following publication intheOfficial Journal of the European Communities of a call for expressions of
interest, together with the selection criteria and a description of the selection
procedure. The selection procedure shall identify in a transparent manner themost suitable candidates for working in the SSC. From these the Commissionshall nominate the members of the SSC not being chairpersons of scientific
committees. The names of the members of the SSC shall be published in the
Official Journal.
5. The term of office of members of the SSC not being chairpersons of
scientific committees shall be three years. This term may be shortened in amember’s instrument of appointment, in order to ensure that the terms ofoffice of all the members come to an end at the same time. Members may not
serve more than two consecutive terms of office. After the period of three
years they shall remain in office until they are replaced or their appointmentsare renewed.
6. In the event that a member of the SSC not being a chairperson of a
scientific committee is no longer able to contribute effectively to the work ofthe SSC, or in the case of his/her voluntary resignation, the Commission shall
nominate an appropriate replacement for the remaining term of office, drawn
from the most suitable candidates identified in accordance with paragraph 4.
7. Members of the SSC, and external experts invited to contribute to its
work, shall receive an indemnity for the service they provide to the
Commission in addition to the reimbursement of travel and subsistenceexpenses, in accordance with the rules laid down by the Commission.
Article 4
1. Members of the SSC shall act independently of external influences in
their capacity as members of the SSC.
2. Members of the SSC and of its ad hoc group shall inform the
Commission annually of any interests which might be perceived as prejudicial
to their independence.!B
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3. Members of the SSC and external experts shall declare specific interests
which might be perceived as prejudicial to their independence with regard tothe work of the SSC, its working groups or its ad hoc group.
Article 5
The SSC may create specific working groups with clearly defined mandates.
Each working group shall be chaired by a memeber of the committee and mayinclude external experts. The working groups shall report to the SSC.
Article 6
1. The SSC shall adopt its rules of procedure which shall be made publicly
available.
2. The rules shall ensure that:
(a) the tasks of the SSC are completed in a manner which satisfies the
principles of excellence, independence and transparency, while respecting
legitimate requests for commercial confidentiality;
(b) the coordination of the work of the scientific committees is carried out in
an efficient and flexible manner, in particular by a timely reporting of the
chairpersons on the workplans of the scientific committees;
(c) the SSC provides opinions and other scientific advice in good time;
(d) the SSC may appoint rapporteurs for the preparation of background
information and documentation and the drafting of its opinions;
(e) the SSC verifies that appointed rapporteurs can carry out their specific
tasks as independently as possible from all external influences.
Article 7
The agenda, minutes and opinions of the SSC shall be made publicly available
without undue delay and with regard being had to the need to respectcommercial confidentiality. Minority views shall always be included and shallbe attributed to Members only at their request.
Article 8
Without prejudice to Article 287 of the Treaty, members and external experts
shall be obliged not to divulge information which they acquire as a result of
the work of the SSC or one of its working groups when they are informed thatthis information is subject to a request for confidentiality.
Article 9
The Commission shall provide the secretariat for the SSC, its working groups
and its ad hoc group.!B
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