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Mr Ragnar Löfstedt, Professor of Risk Management and the Director of King’s Centre for Risk Management at King’s College in London, broke the news to attendees at the Institute of Risk Management’s (IRM) annual conference in Manchester this week. He said the move follows long and in-depth discussions within the European Commission on the need for such a function.
The risk expert and advisor to governments across Europe welcomed the news, adding that the committee will be launched on September 5. “We will now have a risk committee, something I am very happy about. It will discuss how to make sure we have risk-based policy-making in Europe…I certainly think there is scope for placing more emphasis on risk-based evidence when proposals are developed by the European Union”, said the man who recently led an independent review into the UK’s health and safety laws.
The committee will be 10 to 12 members strong, and be stocked with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from across Europe and political party divide. It will be chaired by Julie Girling MEP.
The IRM’s Steve Fowler also welcomed the news and said his organisation would love to be involved in the project.
It is thought that the committee will be involved in the planning of the European Commission’s upcoming review of Occupational Health and Safety within the EU. This was originally planned for 2013 but has now slipped back and is likely to commence in 2014 or 2015, said Mr Löfstedt.