European Union Commissioner for Health and Consumer Affairs Mr David Byrne, hinted today that a city close to Brussels or Strasbourg was most likely to be chosen as the headquarters of the new European Food Safety Agency (FSA).
His remarks, at a Geneva news conference, suggested that Luxembourg or Lille in France were the leading candidates to host the FSA - an independent body charged with tracking the potential for outbreaks of disease affecting food.
"The feeling in the EU's executive Commission", Mr Byrne said, "was that the agency should be in a central and easily accessible location...close to where those of us on the management side are located".
He said this view was shared by members of the European Parliament, which usually meets in Luxembourg.
The four declared candidates are the Finnish capital Helsinki, Parma in Italy, Barcelona and Lille. Luxembourg has not formally declared interest, but Mr Byrne said there was talk about it making an application.
The location of the FSA has become a political hot potato among the EU's 15 members, and the focus for political wrangling in Brussels. Mr Byrne said he hoped a decision would be made by June, when the next EU summit is held in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Scientists staffing the FSA will be responsible for assessing the risk from diseases - like the current outbreak of foot-and-mouth in Britain and in some other EU states - and passing conclusions on to Mr Byrne's office and the public at large.