EU scientific committees on consumer safety (SCCS) & on health, environmental and emerging risks (SCHEER)

 

SUMMARY OF:

Commission Decision C(2015) 5383 on establishing scientific committees in the field of public health, consumer safety and the environment

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DECISION?

The decision establishes 2 scientific committees on consumer safety and on health, environmental and emerging risks to provide the European Commission with scientific advice and risk assessment in those fields.

KEY POINTS

Role

The role of the committees is:

• to provide scientific opinions on risk assessment in the cases laid down by EU law;
• on request, to provide scientific advice to the Commission on questions of particular relevance to public health, consumer safety and environmental risks;
• on invitation, to identify research needs to address critical information gaps, to assess proposed future research and to assess research results in relation to the subject areas in their domains;
• to provide rapid risk advice on the state of scientific knowledge concerning specific risks in case they are urgent;
• to be part of thematic networks or events with other EU bodies or scientific organisations in order to monitor and contribute to the development of scientific knowledge in their fields of competence;
• to draw the attention of the Commission and its services, through memoranda or position statements, to a specific or emerging problem which the committees consider may pose an actual or potential risk to consumer safety, public health or the environment;
• to adopt their methodology for performing and providing risk assessment and keep it under review to reflect all relevant scientific factors, as well as ensure that it reflects current risk assessment practice.

Term of office

• The members of the committees are appointed for a 5-year term.
• They remain in office until they are replaced or their appointment is renewed.

Independence

• Members and external experts must act independently and in the public interest.
• Members are nominated in a personal capacity; they cannot delegate their responsibilities to another person.
• Declarations of interest must be made prior to appointment and then annually thereafter.
• Members and external experts must declare at each meeting any specific interest which may compromise their independence in relation to items on the agenda.

Transparency

• All relevant documents, such as agendas, minutes and participants’ submissions, must be published on a dedicated website.
• A link from the register of expert groups to this website must also be provided.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

• ‘Scientific committees’ on the European Commission's website.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Commission Decision of 7 August 2015 on establishing scientific committees in the field of public health, consumer safety and the environment (C(2015) 5383 final, 7.8.2015)

last update 23.01.2017