The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) is a
committee of the European Parliament. It has 81 full members and is currently chaired by
Antonio Decaro.
Evolution
During the 1990s its relatively low importance led to its being referred to unfavourably by
MEPs as the "
Cinderella committee". However, since then the committee's powers have increased. The
co-decision procedure for legislation, which grants greater powers to the Parliament, has been extended to more policy areas. Notably, the areas covered by this committee were the main recipients of these new powers. The rising importance of the issues it deals with (for example,
global warming
Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes ...
) has also meant that it has become one of the most important committees in Parliament. The committee's open sessions, as well as constituting a major forum within the Parliament, are usually well attended by both business
lobbyists and representatives from environmental
NGOs.
Responsibilities
The committee is responsible for:
1. environmental policy and environmental protection measures, in particular concerning:
* (a)
climate change
Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
,
* (b) air, soil and water pollution, waste management and recycling, dangerous substances and preparations, noise levels and the protection of biodiversity,
* (c) sustainable development,
* (d) international and regional measures and agreements aimed at protecting the environment,
* (e) restoration of environmental damage,
* (f) civil protection,
* (g) the
European Environment Agency,
* (h) the
European Chemicals Agency;
2. public health, in particular:
* (a) programmes and specific actions in the field of public health,
* (b) pharmaceutical and cosmetic products,
* (c) health aspects of bioterrorism,
* (d) the
European Medicines Agency
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is an agency of the European Union (EU) in charge of the evaluation and supervision of pharmaceutical products. Prior to 2004, it was known as the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products ...
and the
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control;
3. food safety issues, in particular:
* (a) the labelling and safety of foodstuffs,
* (b) veterinary legislation concerning protection against risks to human health; public health checks on foodstuffs and food production systems,
* (c) the
European Food Safety Authority.
Chairs
Source:
[Corbett, Richard; Jacobs, Francis; Neville, Darren (2016), 'The European Parliament' (9 ed.), London: John Harper Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9934549-5-0.]
* 1979-1984:
Ken Collins (Socialist Group,
S&D)
* 1984-1989: Beate Weber (Socialist Group,
S&D)
* 1989-1999:
Ken Collins (Socialist Group,
S&D)
* 1999-2004:
Caroline Jackson (
EPP)
* 2004–2007:
Karl-Heinz Florenz (
EPP)
* 2007–2009:
Miroslav Ouzký (
ECR)
* 2009–2014:
Jo Leinen (
S&D)
* 2014–2019: Giovanni La Via (
EPP)
* 2019–2024:
Pascal Canfin (
Renew Europe)
* since 2024:
Antonio Decaro (
S&D)
See also
*
European Food Safety Authority
*
European Commissioner for the Environment
**
Directorate-General for the Environment (European Commission)
*
European Commissioner for Health
**
Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection (European Commission)
*
European Commissioner for Enterprise & Industry
**
Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry (European Commission)
References
External links
Official Homepage
{{Public health
Environment
Food safety organizations
Public health organizations
Environmental policies organizations
European Union health policy
Parliamentary committees on Healthcare