1. Adoption of the Agenda

The agenda was adopted.

2. Introduction by the Commission

The meeting was opened by M. B. Carsin who welcomed the Members and congratulated them on their nomination to the Scientific Committee for Cosmetic Products and Non-Food Products intended for Consumers as announced in the Commission Decision dated 4 November 1997. M. Carsin apologised for the fact the meeting had been called at very short notice. This had been necessary, because of the urgent need to elect the Chairpersons of each committee, who would automatically be nominated as members of the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC), the first full meeting of which was scheduled for 21 November 1997.

He recalled that Mr. Santer, in his address to the EP in January 97 on the BSE affair, had undertaken to introduce a series of organisational reforms, one of the most important of which was the separation of the Commission's scientific committees from the services responsible for the corresponding policy and legislation. The eight scientific committees were now grouped under common management in a single Directorate within Directorate General XXIV - "Consumer policy and consumer health".

M. Carsin stressed the improvements that the new procedures for establishing the scientific committees had brought. The selection procedure was fully independent. Members had been chosen on the basis of scientific excellence by an independent panel from candidates who had responded to the open call for expressions of interest. The procedure thus reinforced the requirements for independence of the scientific advice given to the Commission.

Although the Commission Decision setting up the scientific committees (Commission Decision 95/579/EC of 23 July 1997, OJ N° L 237, p. 18) allowed for up to 19 Members, the Commission had decided not to fill all the places until the needs of the Committees had been fully evaluated. If it were shown that the SCF for example lacked an important area of expertise, up to three additional Members could be nominated at a later date.

The Commission Decision emphasised that questions put to the scientific committees would not be limited to those where legal acts made consultation obligatory, but could include any problem where there was a concern for consumer health. The Decision also made provision for scientific committees to draw the attention of the Commission to any specific or emerging problem on matters of consumer health falling within their remits.

M. Carsin explained that the role of the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) would include the examination of questions that did not fall within the remits of the specific committees, to advise on questions of a multi-disciplinary nature, and to resolve any divergence in the advice from different specific committees on related questions.

The role of the Commission's Secretariat was essentially to support the Committees in their work. Committee Secretariats were expected to be pro-active and to provide an interface between the Commission and the Committees. Their task thus goes beyond the mere drafting of minutes but does not extend to the formulation of actual scientific opinion, which was the exclusive responsibility of the Committee.

M. Carsin emphasised the importance of maximum participation of members in the work and meetings of the Committees to ensure that their heavy work-load was discharged as efficiently as possible. He added that the Decision foresaw the possibility of replacement of Members in the event that for any reason they were no longer able to fulfil their responsibilities.

3. Information on the SCCNFP

Mme De Solà introduced a series of documents summarising the legislative background to the Committee's work and the revised mandate. She explained that in the case of Community legislation on cosmetic, virtually all Community acts included an obligation for the Commission to consult the SCCNFP on proposals for measures, which may have an effect on public health. It was therefore particularly important that, for reasons of both scientific and legislative consistency, new Members were fully aware of, and had access to previous Committee opinions on questions that they would be asked to examine. The Secretariat explained that opinions of the SCCNFP had been or will be published by the Commission's Office of Publications in Luxembourg and these could be made available to Members if desired.

4. Rules of procedure

The Secretariat (XXIV/B.1) explained the Commission Decision of July 1997 called upon the Committees to adopt harmonised rules of procedure in collaboration with the SSC. The rules would be designed to clarify the functioning of the Committee as concerns, for example, the election of its officers, declarations of independence, confidentiality, the personal responsibility of Members for their advice, minimum time for calling meetings and submission of documents, the use and role of ad-hoc experts, structure and adoption of opinions, written procedures for adoption of urgent opinions, structure and publication of opinions and the contents of minutes.

The Secretariat would develop draft rules for consideration by each specific committee. It was however stressed that the harmonised rules should be adopted as soon as possible in the life of the new committees.

The XXIV/B.1 Secretariat outlined the proposed modalities for reimbursement of travel and subsistence costs and the additional indemnity to be paid to Members and ad-hoc experts. In addition to reimbursement of travel and subsistence costs, Members and ad-hoc experts would receive an indemnity for each day of participation at a meeting of a scientific committee. Provision was also being made for the payment of an additional indemnity to a Rapporteur on a subject specified by a committee. The Secretariat will prepare a document setting out the details of the new arrangements.

5. Introduction of Members

Members were invited to introduce themselves with a brief summary of their professional background, affiliations and areas of scientific expertise.

6. Election of the Chairperson and vice-Chairpersons

The Secretariat explained that, in accordance with the Commission Decision of July 1997, the Committee was required to elect a chairperson and two vice-chairpersons by simple majority (8+1 votes) of the Members that make up the Committee. The Chairperson would automatically be nominated as a Member of the SSC and therefore, Members wishing to be considered for chairperson should therefore be aware of the additional demands that this role would have on their time. It was explained that candidates could either nominate themselves for consideration or be nominated by another member of the Committee.

Chairperson

Prof. F. Kemper was unanimously elected as the Chairperson. The Members voted by show of hands.

Vice-chairpersons

Prof. N. Loprieno and Dr. I. White were unanimously elected as vice-Chairpersons in two separate votes. The Members voted by show of hands.

7. Current work programme

The Secretariat presented a draft work programme, which summarised for each of the principal areas of activity, active questions and new subjects that were expected to emerge during 1998. This information was important to allow the Committee to organise its work effectively and to allow new Members to identify the areas to which they could contribute.

The Chairman described the working groups structure that had been developed by the SCC during previous mandates. This consisted of six working groups, three of which addressed questions arising from the main areas of cosmetic products legislation of relevance to public health (hair dyes, preservatives/colourants and UV-filters). Moreover, the Chairman explained that in the future this rigid structure of permanent sub-committee will be abandoned and replaced by a flexible structure of dynamic working parties, set up for particular issues.

In accordance with the draft work programme, the secretariat proposed, for the time being, the creation of the following working parties : Alternatives to Animal Testing & Dossier, Hair Dyes, Inventory, Preservatives/Colourants & Fragrances and UV filters. The Chairperson invited Members to indicate by means of a form circulated at the meeting which working groups they would like to consider joining in the light of the information given. Member's preferences for working group participation would be collated by the Secretariat and distributed in due course.

The Chairman introduced a draft schedule of meetings for 1998 and explained that it should be the habit of the Committee to agree the dates of the Plenary and, if possible, of the working group meetings one year in advance so as to minimise problems of availability at short notice. The meeting provisionally agreed Plenary dates as follows :

- 21 January 1998

- 20 May 1998

- 23 September 1998, and

- 25 November 1998

The meeting of the UV-filters Working Group was agreed for the 16 December 1997. The dates for the other working group meetings for 1998 would be agreed at the next Plenary session.

8. Any other business

* Notes of guidance for testing of cosmetic ingredients for their safety evaluation

The chairman explained to the meeting the history and the meaning of these notes of guidance. He announced as well that a copy of the final text will be available soon.

* Polyacrylamide

Polyacrylamide is used in cosmetic products. Traces of the monomer acrylamide remains in the polymer. Acrylamide is a category 2 cancerogen. The Commission was requested to put the issue of polyacrylamide on the agenda of the appropriate working party.

* Fragrances

The Commission was asked to put the review of the adverse effects caused by fragrances on the agenda, and this was agreed.

The session was closed.

Participants

Present :

Mr K. ANDERSEN, Mr R. ANTON, Mr P. BLAIN, Mrs Y. DE ROECK-HOLTZHAUER, Mr J-F. DORE, Mr P. ELSNER, Mr V. KAPOULAS, Mr F. KEMPER, Mr B. LINA, Mr N. LOPRIENO, Mr J. PARRA, Mr C. POWELL, Mrs V. ROGIERS, Mr T. SANNER, Mr J. VIVES REGO, Mr I. WHITE

Commission :

Mr L. BANSIL DG III, Mrs M. BERNARD DG III, Mr B. CARSIN DG XXIV, Mr C. DECKART DG XXIV, Mrs F. DELCOURT DG XXIV, Mrs M. DE SOLA DG XXIV, Mrs D. HEELS DG XXIV, Mr J. KREYSA DG XXIV, Mr A. SANABRIA DG XXIV, Mr S. SORO DG III, Mrs S. VAN DE LOUW DG XXIV, Mr A. VAN ELST DG XXIV