Public consultation on the draft “Scientific opinion on food safety, animal health and welfare and environmental impact of animals derived from cloning by somatic cell nucleus transfer (SCNT) and their offspring and products obtained from those animals”

Published:
Deadline:
Expired

EFSA is launching a public consultation on its draft scientific opinion on the implications of animal cloning on food safety, animal health and welfare and the environment. The work follows a request from the European Commission (EC) to EFSA for advice on this issue in February 2007. EFSA’s opinion will help inform consideration of any future EU measures in relation to animal clones and products obtained from these animals.

EFSA’s Scientific Committee (SC) has led this work and has been assisted by a Working Group of scientists with relevant expertise to consider the different aspects of the Commission’s request. In order to receive relevant information EFSA launched a call for data in April 2007 on its website and via its Advisory Forum.

In line with EFSA’s policy on openness and transparency and in order for EFSA to receive comments from the scientific community and stakeholders on its work, EFSA engages in public consultations on key issues.

In this respect EFSA would be grateful to receive relevant comments on its draft Scientific opinion on food safety, animal health and welfare and environmental impact of animals derived from cloning by somatic cell nucleus transfer (SCNT) and their offspring and products obtained from those animals.

Interested parties are invited to submit comments and pertinent scientific information by means of the electronic form available on this page by 25 February 2008, 17:00 CET, following the instructions below.

If interested parties wish to contribute studies or data to support a particular comment these should be published or accepted for publication in scientific reports or journals and clear reference to where the supporting information is found should be made.

It should be noted that a submission will not under any circumstances be considered if: 

  •  it is submitted after the deadline set out in the call; 
  •  it is presented in any other form than the instructions and template provide for; 
  • it contains comments which do not relate to the contents of the document; 
  •  it contains information on individual cases; 
  •  it contains complaints against institutions, personal accusations, irrelevant or offensive statements or material;
  • it is related to policy or risk management aspects, which is out of the scope of EFSA's activity.

EFSA looks at the scientific evidence and data relevant to its specific risk assessment remit. So the most important and relevant feedback will be any further evidence or data that EFSA may not have been able to access that should be considered in the final opinion. Views on wider issues around cloning, for example ethical or other societal issues, are not part of EFSA’s remit.
EFSA will assess all relevant comments from interested parties which are submitted in line with the criteria above. The comments will be further considered by the EFSA Scientific Committee and taken into consideration where these will enhance the scientific quality or understanding of the document. Following this exercise EFSA will publish the relevant comments received, as well as a short report on the outcome of the consultation.