Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-06-12-Speech-2-056"

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"Mr President, Commissioner, in the not too distant past, the Europeans’ greatest fear was hunger. Hunger was, along with war and the plague, one of the three apocalyptic fears that had dotted the history of Europe since the Middle Ages. Times have changed dramatically where hunger is concerned, not for the whole world, unfortunately, but certainly for the Europe of the Fifteen. An abundance of food is one of the great achievements of modern times in Europe, as is much more hygienic food than was available until relatively recently. Nevertheless, the safety and quality of food have suddenly become one of the main causes for concern, fear and uncertainty amongst the sophisticated European consumers. Appalling incurable diseases, against which medicine is helpless, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, are a consequence of the indiscriminate industrialisation of food production, which goes against nature. We must put an end to situations like this, mainly by making crucial and far-reaching changes to the European common agricultural policy. The legislation and the strategy that are adopted in the field of food safety are vital for the European Union and for its credibility. These must be one of its main political and legislative priorities. The proposal for a Regulation that we are now considering represents the main pillar of a legislative structure, which is designed to guarantee a high level of health protection and to restore consumer confidence. The most important aspect of this legislation consists of creating an operational European food authority with a high degree of scientific skill and considerable independence. In order to guarantee food safety, it is crucial that there are no weak links in any part of the food chain and that risks are detected in good time. It is crucial that there is rigorous monitoring, from the farm to the consumer’s table. Hence the need for a food safety authority which is prestigious and well respected. The Commission’s proposals are, admittedly, well formulated. They are positive, useful and well structured and simply require some clarification, as has already been said. We must adopt them as a matter of urgency. There is no sense in maintaining a divided approach, and nor would this do us any credit, for example, on the composition of the management board, on the appointment of the executive director or on its headquarters. Mr Whitehead’s report is balanced and sensible, which is why I shall be supporting it."@en1

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