The FDA, EPA, etc. would be great if it weren't for the big businesses they're supposed to be protecting us from buying them off.
Europe has higher standards for food and drugs than the USA does. They don't allow as much garbage in their food and don't allow ads for prescription drugs on television for instance ("ask your doctor if this is right for you").
It isn't the agencies themselves that are the problem. It is the evil scumbags who are paying them off and the people who are accepting the bribes that are the problems.
Humpleupagus