The Irish EU Commissioner-designate, Mr David Byrne, yesterday promised to fight for a major toughening of EU food and hygiene legislation and supervision.
Responding to written questions from MEPs, Mr Byrne insisted that "there is a clear and deeply held public perception that the EU should do more to promote public health and consumer protection". He said he saw his role as working to simplify legislation, fill gaps and close loopholes, and strengthen controls. He wants to make it easier for the Commission to take infringement proceedings against member-states for failure to maintain supervision standards.
He strongly backed the current EU stand against the United States on both GMOs and hormone-treated beef, and pledged legislation on labelling of GMO products, on both antibiotics and agrochemical residues, and in toughening animal feedstuff regulations. He also gave implicit, although general, support to the ambitious idea of a EU-wide Food and Drug agency.
The detailed responses by Mr Byrne to questions from four of the European Parliament's committees runs to some 12,000 words and, like the responses of the other 18 prospective commissioners, will form the basis of individual questioning by MEPs at aural hearings in Brussels in the week starting on Monday week. The Parliament then can vote on the whole Commission team.
Responding to questions about his relevant experience for the job, Mr Byrne cited his time at the Bar since 1970 both in civil practice and in his involvement both in the founding of the Free Legal Advice Centres in 1969 and in legal training as a bencher of the King's Inns. Mr Byrne also refers to his involvement in the International Court of Arbitrators in Paris.
His involvement in politics, he says, went back to the EU referendum campaign in 1972 when he campaigned for a Yes vote.
In more recent times, Mr Byrne writes: "I have been an adviser to my political party on a voluntary basis. Between 1994 and 1997 I advised the current Taoiseach when he was leader of the Opposition on all legal matters and associated policy issues."
From June 1997 until his nomination to Brussels he was Attorney General.
Mr Byrne said that his only financial interest consisted of some shares in a company which owned wild salmon and sea trout fisheries in the west of Ireland. If such an interest is found by the Commission services to be in conflict with his portfolio, he says he will divest himself of the shares.
Had he "ever in his professional, business or public life done anything which, if exposed, could bring discredit on the European Union?" "No".
Mr Byrne says he has already given the Commission President-designate, Mr Romano Prodi, an assurance that he will resign if the latter asks him to do so. But although he accepts categorically that he will have to take personal responsibility for the conduct of his officials, he also makes clear that he sees his accountability to MEPs in terms of a willingness to meet them regularly and to conduct his business as transparently as possible.
All the prospective commissioners have answered such sensitive questions about the relations between the institutions in a similar way, making it clear to MEPs that they will stand or fall together at the hearings.
Asked about his hopes for the future of European integration, Mr Byrne warned that unless the institutions actively sought to rebuild the confidence of citizens "the current indifference . . . to EU issues is a concern which, if not redressed, could ultimately undermine what we have already achieved". That meant, he said, making a priority of the completion of the internal market and economic and monetary union.
Controversially, he insisted there was "much greater scope for tackling unemployment at the Community level rather than leaving it solely to the member-states".
Mr Byrne insisted the decision to merge the portfolios of pubic health and consumer protection under one directorate was an important step and "reflected the Parliament's strong recommendation to this effect in its original report on BSE". That was the report which criticised Mr Byrne's predecessor, the agriculture commissioner, Mr Ray MacSharry, for downplaying the significance of the crisis.
Mr Byrne said he hoped to see through important animal welfare directives aimed at protecting pigs and animals at the time of slaughter and breeding animals in transport. He said he would be "fighting my corner" in demanding extra staff and resources but acknowledged that the Agenda 2000 agreement in Berlin had set limits on what could be achieved.
The responses of all the commissioners-designate are available in full on the Commission website (http://www.europa.int)
