EUROPE – European Union agriculture ministers this week passed laws to set up a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

The new authority is designed to boost consumer confidence in food in the wake of BSE and dioxin scares of recent years.

Commenting on the news, European Commissioner for health and consumer protection David Byrne said: “I intend to immediately go ahead and launch procedures for selecting and nominating a management board and executive director of the EFSA