John Dalli, the commissioner-designate for health and consumer protection, plans to give priority to the competitiveness of the agri-foods industry and innovation. Consumer safety will remain a leading principle but “zero risk” does not exist, he writes in his answers to MEPs with a view to his hearing, on 14 January, Europolitics.info said.

In the area of foodstuffs, the “priority will be to complete the food chain strategy and to work for better legislation for our internal market, which is highly regulated in the area of animals, plants, seeds, foods and feed, in order to give fresh impetus to the European agri-foods industry and to stimulate innovation, while respecting health, consumers’ interests and the environment”.

The principle of ‘safety first’ will remain in place, the commissioner-designate said. However, “that does not mean zero risk, otherwise we will do nothing to restore growth and innovation”. On clones, GMOs and nanotechnologies, the future commissioner promises to base his decisions on science and ethical values while “trying” to promote an innovative Europe and eliminate risks to consumers’ health.

Dalli is “aware of the sensitivity” of subjects that come within his portfolio, such as consumer information and novel foods. He sets the goal of securing, by mid-mandate, agreements on a new animal health strategy, the plant health strategy, the revision of laws on seeds and the revision of the law on veterinary medicines.