BRUSSELS, Feb 28 (Reuter) - European Union consumer chief Emma Bonino, who takes charge of food safety next month, is set to play a potentially important part in a future lifting of the worldwide ban on British beef exports. The ban was imposed by the EU almost a year ago after Britain said it had found evidence that people could contract a fatal brain disease by eating beef from infected animals. From March 12, the Italian commissioner will have a budget and staff to improve food safety controls and prevent another crisis over bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Seven scientific committees advising the EU's executive on mad cow disease will start reporting to Bonino, instead of the EU's farm commissioner Franz Fischler. The changes are part of a sweeping reorganisation of food safety services, announced earlier this month by European Commission president Jacques Santer to prevent censure from an angry European Parliament. "The basic philosophy of the reform is to separate the policy makers and the contr

ollers," spokesman Filippo di Robilant told a news briefing. But Di Robilant said Bonino's role was still unclear. "Bonino doesn't want to be a postman delivering the committee's advice," he said, adding that the energetic commissioner will want to help prepare proposals. This could cause conflict withFischler who remains in charge of drafting proposals on easing the beef ban, which must be approved by Santer and his team of 19 Commissioners and sent for an opinion from the EU standing veterinary committee of senior member state officials. Di Robilant was presenting a nine-point programme aimed at showing the European Parliament that Bonino was making a brisk start in meeting the November 1997 deadline set by the assembly last week for taking corrective measures. Bonino will discuss food safety measures with Euro deputies in the week of March 17 while a food health task force chaired by Santer is also due to hold a first meeting in March. A discussion paper reviewing EU food safety rules and controls is due

next month and will be followed by a food safety conference in the autumn. Bonino also plans to fly to the United States at the end of March to visit the Food and Drug Administration to see how it controls food safety.