EXCERPT:
EFSA said that of the four board members, Matthias Horst is a chief lobbyist for the German food industry and Piet Vanthemsche has financial interests in the GM seed industry.
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EU urged to carry out "complete overhaul" of food agency
Martin Banks
The Parliament, Belgium
17.03.2011
http://www.theparliament.com/latest-news/article/newsarticle/eu-urged-to-carry-out-complete-overhaul-of-food-agency/

Transparency campaigners have called for a "complete overhaul" of the rules governing the European food safety authority (EFSA).

The demand follows allegations that four members of EFSA's management board have direct links to the food industry, causing a potential conflict of interest.

The lobby watchdog corporate Europe observatory (CEO) has written to EU health and consumer commissioner John Dalli urging him to investigate.

EFSA said that of the four board members, Matthias Horst is a chief lobbyist for the German food industry and Piet Vanthemsche has financial interests in the GM seed industry.

It says Milan Kovác and Jiri Ruprich also both have links to food industry bodies.

CEO research coordinator Olivier Hoedeman said, "EFSA's independence cannot be guaranteed if members of its management board are employed by private companies or lobby groups with a vested interest in influencing EU food regulation."

The call comes on Thursday, where the commission has organised a conference on GM risk assessment and management, which will discuss the independence of the EU's risk assessment bodies.

Hoedeman said, "It is completely unacceptable that food industry lobbyists should be allowed to sit on EFSA's management board where they can influence the agency's work programme and the appointment of members of its scientific panels.

"Is it credible for the commission to claim that people employed by or otherwise directly linked with organisations with vested commercial interests can be trusted to act in the public interest?"

According to EFSA's website, management board members "do not, in any way, represent a government, organisation or sector".

In October 2010, the chairman of EFSA”šs management board, Diana Banati, was forced to step down from the board of the international life sciences institute following concerns over conflicts of interest.

Meanwhile, the European ombudsman Nikiforos Diamandouros has invited citizens, interest groups, and other organisations to submit comments on a draft statement of principles that should guide the conduct of EU civil servants.

The draft "public service principles" take account of best practice in the member states, established through a consultation with the European network of ombudsmen.

Comments can be submitted until 15 May and will be considered before the principles are finalised.

Diamandouros said, "Our aim is to set out clearly and concisely the fundamental ethical principles that should guide the professional conduct of EU officials.

"By identifying these public service principles, we aim to help civil servants avoid conflicts of interest and other forms of maladministration. This, in turn, should increase citizens”š trust in the EU administration."