Review History
The Prime Minister's announcement of the BSE controls review in March was followed by the setting up of the FSA review group and a special stakeholders group.
The review was led personally by the FSA Chairman, Sir John Krebs, and expert advice came from the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) as well as from other external advisers.
The Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, Chief Medical Officers and Chief Veterinary Officer were consulted.
The Agency also consulted with stakeholders and a wider group of interested organisations, groups and individuals before completing the review report.
The review took into account the findings of the Phillips Inquiry. This is a separate inquiry into the past history of BSE up to 1996. It examined the history of BSE and its human form, vCJD; to try to establish the root cause of both, and to make recommendations for the future. The Phillips Inquiry report was published on 26 October.
The FSA's final review report is the responsibility of the FSA Board. The report will be presented to Government Ministers and published simultaneously in December.
The Agency was determined that the review be both open and accessible. With this in mind a series of meetings was planned and the public welcomed to all of them
The stakeholders group, made up of representatives of consumers, the meat and livestock industry, the medical and scientific community as well as farmers and retailers, has met in May, July, September and November.
The FSA in consultation with the group determined what questions needed to be addressed in the report. In the second meeting there were three presentations on the BSE controls. The controls and the factors which might influence reconsideration of those controls were explained. A public meeting for a wider audience of interested individuals, groups and organisations was held in York in October.
You can read the full agendas and minutes of these meetings in the News Centre section of this website as they become available.
Three drafts of the report were produced in the course of the review. These are available to read or download in the Report section of this website.
The FSA's final review report will be the responsibility of the FSA Board who will agree content and recommendations. The report will be presented to Government Ministers and published simultaneously.