PAN Europe: Conflicts of interest still evident on new ESFA expert panels

Pesticides Action Network Europe (PAN Europe), Corporate Europe Observatory, and Earth Open Source recently examined the Declarations of Interest (DOIs) of four of the eight new European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) expert panels, as well as their Scientific Committee.

The analysis has raised questions about the effectiveness of EFSA’s new rules on conflicts of interest. A first look at the Declarations of Interest shows that while some members with conflicts are no longer on the panels, the new rules do not appear to ban all conflicts of interest.

This first screening of the new panels suggests that while improvements have been made, the current rules still leave considerable space for panel members to retain close industry affiliations. The new rules should be further strengthened to effectively ban industry influence. The EFSA founding regulation must also be revised to this end.

Learn more at: http://www.pan-europe.info/News/PR/120626.html

Originally posted on 9 July 2012