Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee

Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee
Name	Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee
Chamber	European Parliament
Type	Standing committee
Established	1987
Chair	Vacant
Jurisdiction	Environment, public health, food safety

Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee

The committee is a standing body of the European Parliament charged with matters relating to environmental protection, public health and food safety, operating alongside other bodies such as the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. It drafts reports, amends legislation and oversees implementation in cooperation with institutions like the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Court of Auditors and agencies such as the European Environment Agency and the European Medicines Agency.

Overview and Mandate

The committee's remit covers policy areas including climate change, biodiversity, chemical regulation, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and food chain safety, interacting with frameworks like the Paris Agreement, the European Green Deal, the REACH Regulation, the Common Agricultural Policy and the General Food Law Regulation. It exercises oversight of executive action by entities such as the Directorate-General for Environment (European Commission), the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Food Safety Authority, while contributing to legislative files negotiated under the Ordinary Legislative Procedure and the Treaty on European Union.

Membership and Organisation

Membership consists of Members of the European Parliament nominated by political groups including the European People's Party, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, the Renew Europe group, the Identity and Democracy group and the Greens–European Free Alliance, with substitute members drawn from groups like European Conservatives and Reformists and The Left in the European Parliament. The committee elects a chair and several vice-chairs and forms subcommittees, expert panels and interparliamentary delegations which liaise with counterparts such as the Committee of the Regions, the European Economic and Social Committee, national parliaments including the Bundestag, the Assemblée nationale and the Corts Generals, and supranational forums like the United Nations Environment Programme.

Legislative and Policy Activities

Legislative work includes drafting opinions, preparing reports on commission proposals such as amendments to the Water Framework Directive, revisions of the Nitrates Directive, regulation of biocidal products and harmonisation of cross-border healthcare rules, while coordinating trilogues with the European Council and the European Commission. The committee has issued reports and non-legislative resolutions addressing crises like the BSE crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and pesticide controversies tied to substances reviewed under EFSA scientific opinions; it uses impact assessments shaped by directives such as the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive and case law from the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Key Issues and Initiatives

Key dossiers handled include the implementation of the European Climate Law, the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Circular Economy Action Plan, regulation on single-use plastics, restrictions under the Stockholm Convention and measures against antimicrobial resistance informed by the WHO's Global Action Plan. The committee has championed initiatives on endocrine disruptors debated in relation to the European Chemicals Agency, measures to phase out neonicotinoids linked to pollinator declines studied by researchers at institutions such as the Max Planck Society and policy instruments responding to public health emergencies like the International Health Regulations and vaccination strategies discussed with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Relations with Other Institutions and Stakeholders

The committee engages in trilogue negotiations with the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, consults with advisory bodies such as the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, and holds hearings with civil society organisations including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, industry groups such as EUROPABIO and FoodDrinkEurope, trade unions like European Trade Union Confederation and professional associations including the European Public Health Alliance. It cooperates with national regulators such as the Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, and engages international partners like the World Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme and the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

History and Notable Reports

Since its origins in the 1980s, the committee has produced influential reports and opinions on topics including the Single European Act-era environmental acquis, the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, responses to the Mad Cow Disease crisis and pandemic preparedness following SARS and H1N1 outbreaks. Notable outputs include legislative work on the Waste Framework Directive, high-profile own-initiative reports on microplastics and fluorinated greenhouse gases discussed in fora such as the UNFCCC, and investigative reports addressing supply chain issues highlighted by incidents like the Horsemeat scandal and vaccine procurement debates involving the European Commission. The committee's work has been cited in rulings of the European Court of Justice and in policy frameworks advanced by the European Commission and national ministries including the Ministry of Environment (France) and the Department of Health and Social Care (United Kingdom).

Category:Committees of the European Parliament