10.9.2008 Official Journal of the European Union L 241/21 (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is not obligatory) DECISIONS COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 5 August 2008 setting up an advisory structure of Scientific Committees and experts in the field of consumer safety, public health and the environment and repealing Decision 2004/210/EC (Text with EEA relevance) (2008/721EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 152 and 153 thereof, Whereas: (1) Three Scientific Committees were established by Commission Decision 2004/210/EC ('), as amended by Commission Decision 2007/263EC (3): the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP), the Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER), the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Iden- tified Health Risks (SCENIHR). (2)  Certain tasks of the SCHER have been transferred to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) established by Regu- lation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council ®), and therefore the fields of competence of that Committee should be revised. (3)  The experience with the functioning of the three Scientific Committees shows the need to introduce modi- fications and improvements in the structure and working procedures of the Committees. O] L 66, 4.3.2004, p. 45. OJ L 114, 1.5.2007, p. 14. L 396, 30.12.2006, p. 1. Corrected by O] L 136, 29.5.2007, 3 (40 The terms of office of the members of three Scientific Committees established by Commission Decision 2004/210/EC was prolonged by Commission Decision 2007/708/EC (*) and come to an end on 31 December 2008. Members of those committees remain in office until they are replaced or their appointments are renewed. (5)  Therefore, and for the sake of clarity, it is necessary to replace Decision 2004/210/EC with a new Decision. (6)  Sound and timely scientific advice is an essential requirement for Commission proposals, decisions and policy relating to consumer safety, public health and the environment. A flexible advisory structure is necessary in that respect, in order to ensure -easier access to highly qualified scientific expertise in a wide range of fields. (7  The scientific advice on matters relating to consumer safety, public health and the environment must be based on the principles of excellence, independence and impartiality, and transparency, as developed in the Commission Communication on ‘The collection and use of expertise by the Commission: principles and guidelines. Improving the knowledge for better policies’ (°), and it must be organised in conformity with best practice principles of risk assessment. () OJ L 287, 1.11.2007, p. 25. (°) COM(2002) 713 final of 11 December 2002.