The European Parliament today approved creation of an independent European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
But it left the politically sticky decision of where it will be based to an EU summit to take place in Laeken, Belgium, later this week.
The European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Safety, Mr David Byrne, said the agency would have a board of scientists and other specialists backed by a staff of 250-300.
"It is to be up and running early in 2002 and will act as a "risk assessment" arm of the European commission, with its recommendations "transparent, fully public and nonpolitical".
Mr Byrne said the agency would have the same essential goal as the US Food and Drug Administration - "protection of the consumer" - but would differ in that it would be independent of any government.
The creation of the agency - designed to head off repeats of such food safety nightmares as dioxin chicken, mad cow disease, foot and mouth disease - went through the parliament in a near-record time of under a year.
European Commission President Mr Romano Prodi said that with the advent of the EFSA, "we are going to be able to guarantee the quality of foodstuffs from the stable to the table".
Mr Byrne said the EFSA would be "key to restoring consumer confidence. Today, we've taken a very concrete step toward achieving this . . . establishing an independent, scientific advice-based food authority".
AFP