Risk Assessment at the European Commission in Brussels
I was invited to attend the a group of risk assessors at the European Commission in Brussels. It was an interesting insight into the shadowy world of the commission (what I saw of it at the DG Environment Building) anyway. The African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, was one of ten species that the group was assessing. I had reviewed the assessment before going to Brussels, but the visit allowed me to interact with the group that made the assessment, and this led to some important modifications.
You might see some familiar faces including (former CIB visiting fellow) Sven Bacher, Tim Adrieans, Helen Roy and Riccardo Scalera.
It was great to work with this dedicated group and listen to discussions on some other emerging invasive species in the EU including the evil variable squirrel that has already invaded parts of Italy, but is an increasingly popular pet. You may or may not know how much I dislike squirrels, but I was heartened to hear that they taste better than rabbit.
