By Decision 2008/721/EC the Commission has set up three Scientific Committees, on Consumer Safety (SCCS), on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) and on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) and a Pool of Scientific Advisors on Risk Assessment (hereinafter the Pool), in the field of consumer safety, public health and the environment.

The Scientific Committees have in accordance to Article 12 of Decision 2008/721/EC adopted common rules of procedures establishing, inter alia, the participation criteria for the members of the Scientific Committees and the conditions under which membership of the Committee shall expire as stated in Annex II 4(a) of the Decision.

Article 5(2) of Decision 2008/721/EC states that when a member of a Scientific Committee does not comply with the participation criteria laid down in the rules of procedures or wishes to resign, the Commission may terminate the member’s membership and appoint a replacement from the Pool.

Two members of SCHER, one member of SCCS and one member of SCENIHR have resigned, while two members of SCCS have not met the participation criteria and their membership should be terminated. It is necessary to appoint new members in order to ensure the availability in the respective Committees of the needed type of expertise.

In accordance with Article 3(2) of Decision 2008/721/EC, the experts from the Pool to replace those members of the Scientific Committees who have resigned or whose membership has been terminated, have been selected on the basis of their expertise and consistent with this a geographical distribution that reflects the diversity of scientific problems and approaches, notably in Europe.

The members who have resigned or whose membership is terminated, should be appointed as advisors on risk assessment to the Pool,