BRUSSELS 12/03/2019 – On the 12th of March EIHA attended the Working Group of the PAFF Committee (PAFF – Plants, Animals, Feed and Food).

FOCUS: Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed
The aim of this Standing Committees is to deliver opinions that inform the Commission’s work on measures that it is planning. Such measures relate to the implementation of legislation that is already adopted. The Commission consults the relevant committee depending on the policy area: food & feed safety, animal health & welfare and plant health. Committee members are national experts who represent EU governments and public authorities.
The Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF Committee) plays a key role in ensuring that Union measures on food and feed safety, animal health & welfare as well as plant health are practical and effective. It delivers opinions on draft measures that the Commission intends to adopt.
The PAFF Committee is composed by representatives of all EU countries and presided by a European Commission representative.
The PAFF Committee’s mandate covers the entire food supply chain -from animal health issues on the farm to the product on the consumer’s table – helping the EU deal effectively with health risks at every stage of the production chain.

12/03/2019 WG meeting in Brussels

EIHA: Lorenza Romanese EIHA MD, Daniel Kruse EIHA Board Member, Tony Reeves EIHA Advisory comity
All member states (MSs) attended the WG plus some officials from the European Commission (COM), from DG SANTE.
Generally speaking the meeting went well.
EIHA delivered to the COM and MSs a Power Point Presentation (https://eiha.org/media/2019/03/19-03-12_PAFF_WG_EIHA_Final_small.pdf) that is consistent, relevant and accurate.
More than one MSs as well the COM thanked EIHA for bringing evidences that deserve full consideration by MSs. Now MSs have something really concrete to work on.
As expected, there were MSs much big on talking and others less.
Next steps:
EIHA expressed the will to be a reliable partner for the COM in the forthcomings discussions on hemp extracts.
EIHA proposed to its members to keep working in this direction and to keep sending relevant information about hemp extracts. EIHA will collect them for COM and MSs. Please focus only on evidences about hemp extracts (leaves and flowers), no hemp food (seed).
Lorenza Romanese, with the support of the BM, will rapidly decide about futures steps and strategy.