Risk assessment - The veering course of the EU Commission

An assessment of statements and decisions by the EU Commission shows that the EU Commission repeatedly points to the independence of the EFSA instead of taking up the responsibility to assess and control the work of the EFSA. So far the Commission usually hides behind the EFSA opinions and in practice even leaves the power to take decisions to the EFSA even though this is in contradiction to the EU regulation. In other cases however, like the cultivation of Bt11, 1507 maize and Amflora, at least some parts of the EU Commission disagree with the EFSA opinion.

The report EU risk management by Christoph Then (Scouting Biotech) and Antje Lorch (ifrik) commissioned by Hiltrud Breyer (MEP, Bündnis 90/The Greens) is one of the first studies on the EU risk management. It comes to the conclusion that the decisions drafted by the EU Commission is remarkably inconsistent in the way she understands her own role in the risk analysis of GMOs and other foods. What is missing so far is a clearly formulated and coherently used concept that fulfills the legal requirements of the EU to protect the environment and the consumers.

It's currently only available in German.

Christoph Then & Antje Lorch. Study for Hiltrud Breyer (MEP) Bündnis 90/Die Grnen. December 2008.