Food safety issues: From Enlightened Elitism towards Deliberative Democracy? An overview of EFSA’s “Public Consultation” instrument

Corrado Finardi, Giuseppe Pellegrini and Gene Rowe

Food Policy, 2012, vol. 37, issue 4, 427-438

Abstract: Following the BSE crisis, the importance of reassuring European consumers and involving them in debate about food safety management issues is generally recognised. Indeed, consulting stakeholders is one of the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) main duties, as stated in its founding regulation (art. 42, whereas 56), where EFSA must have “effective contacts with consumer representatives, producer representatives, processors and any other interested parties”. Even if not clearly obliged to, EFSA has also opted to consider lay citizens’ opinion (under an interpretation of art. 42, wh. 40 of the 178 Reg.) in order to enhance “trust” in food safety. Beyond having formally established meetings with restricted access for participants – like the Stakeholders’ Consultative Platform and the Annual Colloquium, – EFSA engages in its “Public Consultation” web-based Window (PCW). It allows listening to anybody who wishes to submit comments on technical issues.

Keywords: EFSA; Open consultations; Stakeholders’ involvement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:37:y:2012:i:4:p:427-438

DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2012.03.005

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