ReporTwitters Blog

received: friday 17 augustus 2007 16:50
Dear Angelique,

Your request has been forwarded to me. I am working in Communications with focus on scientific issues such as cloning.

EFSA will indeed look at the science of animal cloning. In February 2007 the Authority has been requested by the European Commission to advice on the possible implications of the new technology. EFSA will focus its work on four main areas: food safety, animal health, animal welfare and environmental implications of live cloned animals and their offspring. You probably have already visited our website where information on EFSA’s work on cloning and useful links in that context are provided http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/science/sc_commitee/requests___mandates/sc_wns_cloning.html.

You are perfectly right that EFSA has published a call for data on its website between April and June 2007 seeking scientific contributions from Third Parties which could be useful for the preparation of the opinion. In response to this call useful data and information were received from national authorities of EU Member States as well as from its stakeholders. Among the stakeholders were also consumer organisations who replied. Comments received will all be considered by the Scientific Committee, which has been charged by EFSA with the request, and its Working Group in developing the risk assessment.

We are aware that new technologies like cloning are challenging, but in terms of risk communications also highly sensitive issues. As EFSA is committed to engaging with stakeholders we intend to have a wide public consultation on the draft opinion which is expected to be ready by November or December this year. We certainly will also consult with experts from national authorities of EU Member States in order to getting their input. After all comments received have been considered by the Scientific Committee, the final opinion is expected early in the new year. Following our commitment to transparency, EFSA’s advice to the European Commission will certainly be published on the Authority’s website (www.efsa.europa.eu) and hence made available to the public.

You may know that EFSA set up a Stakeholder Consultative Platform in 2005 to receive regular input and structure its dialogue with its main stakeholder groups, including representatives of the food industry, consumers and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs). At its last meeting in April EFSA’s mandate on cloning has been presented by our Director of Science Dr Herman Koeter and views of members of the Platform were exchanged and discussed (for more see http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/stakeholders_efsa/consultative_platform/april_2007.html). One of the members of the Platform is the European Consumer Organisation BEUC which you might wish to contact in order to get the view and input from a European consumer organisation. Kees De Winter could be a possible contact person (Tel: +32 2 743 15 93, Email: food@beuc.eu ).

I hope I could clarify EFSA’s role with respect to cloning and could show that we are committed in exchanging views with consumer organisation and other stakeholders on so important mandates like cloning.

Please do not hesitate to contact me again should you have any further questions.

With best regards,

Carola

Dr. Carola Sondermann
Senior Press Officer