French Minister Lefebvre to EuroFora: E. coli ao. Alerts need Updated+Careful Info for EU Consumers

Questioned by "EuroFora" on the on-going Food poisoning E. coli bacterium deadly outbreak, which suddenly bombarded Germany with strange, never seen before, Genetically altered bacteria provoking grave Health disorders, (custitis, internal hemorragy, etc), whose origin and cause still remains a Mystery, with hypothesis changing each Day, while errors cost Hundreds of Millions € to several EU Countries' Agriculture, French Minister for Consumers and Trade, Frederic Lefebvre, stressed that, in such cases, Infos provided to EU Consumer should be regularly updated each Day and even Hour, while also being "very careful", as he said.

Lefebvre had just inaugurated the "European Consumers' Centre" at Kehl (Germany) near Strasbourg, together with other French and German Politicians and Officials, including his President, experienced EU Parliament's Budget Committee's Chairman, MEP Alain Lamassoure, former Minister for EU affairs, which gave them an occasion to speak about the information which needs to be disseminated and made available vis a vis EU Citizens, among whom about 700.000 take the initiative to contact the ECC's website each year (according to the latest 2010 data).     

   

Timely, the event occured the same Day (Monday evening) that EU Parliament hosted a "Trialogue" between MEPs, EU Commission and EU Council's Member States, trying up to Midnight to find an agreement on a New EU Directive on Services, focused this time mainly on "On-Line Commerce", and at the eve of the 1st Public Debate on the E. coli outbreak, due on Tuesday, (at the same time that competent EU Ministers are to meet at nearby Luxembourg).
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- "In such an area, the Method we want is that of a Perfect Coordination and Sharing of Infos at a European level, while also ensuring, naturally, that this ameliorates Consumers' Information, and that info is regularly updated.  Because in such issues, each Day, even Hours, the situation may change : (In such kind of Urgencies) there are moments on which we might not know yet what to say, there are others when a rumour heads towards one direction, while at another moment, this might prove to be false, needing to start exploring another track, etc. Therefore, we must be very Careful",  replied  to "EuroFora" Minister Lefebvre.

But, in general, - "I clearly made a Distinction between the European Consumers Center's action, and the Topical issue that you raised", he observed  in reply to "EuroFora"s question on the "E.coli outbreak.

 - "Because ,  even if  its (ECC's) spirit, method and voluntarism in coordination, in working together, is exemplary in Europe, nevertheless,  we must not confuse between differend (various) competenses (jurisdictions) : When we have to do with Security Alerts, the ECC is not destinated to play the role of the (f.ex. Health, Food, etc.) Public Authorities which manage the Urgencies", he warned.

- Nevertheless, "I'd like to pay homage to ECC's Method, which can be useful also in  issues such as  (Sanitary, Food or other) Alerts", Lefebvre ensured in conclusion.
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+ For ECC's President, the experienced MEP Alain Lamassoure, Chairman of the powerful EU Parliament's Budgets Committee, and former Minister for EU affairs, in this, as also in other affairs,   - "We must clearly distinguish between the Expertise level, and the level of Information", as he said :

 - "F.ex., in a case such as that of the Icelandic Volcano's Ashes, it's not for the European Consumers' Center to say wheher these Volcano's Ashes were really dangerous for Airplanes, or not. But, once it was found that there was a number of passengers blocked who received financial compensation, then, ECC's role and that of the whole network, was to provide the same level of Informations to all passengers, helping them to have the same level of financial compensation", he pointed out.

- Now, "the same goes when there is  a problem of Health Security", as with E. coli today : "It's not for the European Consumers' Centre to say whether a Bacterie comes from Soja, or Concumbers, or anything else. But, once that we shall have  the Analysis' Results, then, the Network must be set up and ensure that all EU Consumers have a possibility to be informed in equaly good conditions", he concluded.
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    For Martine Merigau, ECC's sympathetic and active Director, (honoured today with the distinction of "Chevalier de la Republique", by decision of French President Sarkozy, through his former Head of staff and now Minister Lefebvre : Comp. Merigau's previous statements to "EuroFora"s co-founder also on various other EU Consumers issues in the Past, f.ex. on Airplanes, etc), among various other ECC's "Projects" currently prepares is also that to create a kind of "On-line Mediator" who might provide accurate and updated info to EU Consumers and other interested parties potentially 24/24, 7/7, etc.

    But, at least for the moment, the distinction made by Minister Lefebvre and MEP Lamassoure, in reply to "EuroFora"s question on the current Health/Food Alert about a Genetically Altered E. coli Bacteria, (which, apparently, stems from earlier than March 2011, since a contaminated set with a Date limit of April 2011 was reportedly found at the Home of one of the Victims in Germany), has not yet reached the level of an ECC-related EU Consumers' Info, because; curiously, still until today, no clear results appeared, neither at the European Consumers Center at Kehl, nor at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, neither at EU Ministers' meeting in Luxembourg, while Berlin's German Government Authorities are reportedly still searching to find out the truth about the origin and what has caused this new type of spreading deadly bacteria, who obviously cought the whole EU by surprise...

(NDLR : DraftNews, as already sent to "EuroFora"s Susbcribers/Donors. A more complete and accurate Final Public Version is due asap).