Transcript European Community Legislation

European Food Safety
Authority
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Stuart A. Slorach
• Deputy Director-General, Swedish National Food
Administration
• Chair of the Management Board of the European Food
Safety Authority (EFSA)
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FAO/SLOVAK WORKSHOP
Nitra, Slovak Republic, 23-26 March 2003
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Background and legal basis
• BSE and other food scandals
• Loss of consumer confidence in parts of the European food
supply and in food regulation and control in the EU
• Desire to separate risk assessment and risk management
functions
• Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the
general principles and requirements of food law,
establishing the European Food Safety Authority and
laying down procedures in matters of food safety
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EFSA’s mission
• Covers the whole food chain
• Provide scientific advice and scientific and
technical support for EC legislation and
policies in all fields that have a direct or
indirect impact on food and feed safety
• Provide independent information on all
matters within these fields and
communicate on risks
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Tasks for EFSA
• Provide scientific opinions and scientific and technical
support
• Develop uniform risk assessment methodologies
• Commission necessary scientific studies
• Identify and characterise emerging risks
• Support the Commission in food safety crises
• Collect, collate and analyse scientific data
• Provide rapid, reliable, objective and comprehensible
information
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Characteristics of EFSA
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Scientific excellence
Independence
Operates in an open and transparent way
Co-operates closely with the Commission
and competent bodies in EU Member States
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Bodies of EFSA
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Management Board (14+1 Comm rep)
Executive Director and staff
Advisory Forum
Scientific Committee and Panels
Open selection procedures
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Management Board
• Angeliki Assimakopoulou
(Greece)
• Ernst Bobek (Austria)
• Giorgio Calabrese (Italy)
• Robert Coleman (European
Commission, DG SANCO)
• Carlos Escribano Mora (Spain)
• Peter Gaemelke (Denmark)
• Catherine Geslain-Laneelle
(France), Vice-Chair
• Matthias Horst (Germany)
• Deirdre Hutton (UK), ViceChair
• Joao Pedro Machado (Portugal)
• Pirkko Raunemaa (Finland)
• Bart Sangster (Netherlands)
• Stuart Slorach (Sweden), Chair
• Roland Vaxelaire (Belgium)
• Patrick Wall (Ireland)
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Management Board Tasks
• Ensure that EFSA functions effectively and
efficiently
• Establish the budget and work programmes
and monitor their implementation
• Ensure that EFSA stays within its remit
• Appoints Executive Director and members
of Scientific Committee and Panels
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Executive Director
• Mr Geoffrey Podger from 1 February 2003
• Responsible for the day-to-day running of
EFSA
• Draws up and implements work
programme, budget priorities
• Responsible for all staff questions
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EFSA staff and budget
• Support to the technical and scientific committees,
Board and Advisory Forum
• Information gathering and analysis
• Early warning of emerging risks
• Risk communication
• Staff now 28, planned to be 49 at end 2003 and
eventually 250
• Budget: 16 (8!!) M euros (2003) rising to 40 M
euros eventually
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Advisory Forum
• One representative of each Member State (also alternates
plus animal health and welfare and plant health reps)
Prospective new EU member countries included from start.
• Chaired by Executive Director
• Advises Executive Director on scientific matters, priorities
and work programme
• Ensures close collaboration with national bodies
• Helps to resolve contentious scientific issues through
discussion
• Networking, co-operation, avoidance of duplication
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Scientific Committee and Panels
• Independent scientists selected for
excellence in their field
• Appointed by the Management Board on a
proposal from the Executive Director
• Three year term, renewable
• Scientific Committee responsible for
co-ordinating the work of the Panels
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Scientific Committee and Panels
• To provide scientific opinions at the request
of the Commission, Parliament, a Member
State or on EFSA’s own initiative
• Scientific Committee carries out multisectorial scientific work
• Scientific Committee comprises chairs of
the eight panels and six other scientists
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The eight Scientific Panels (1)
• 1. Food additives, flavourings, processing aids and
materials in contact with food
• 2. Additives and products or substances used in
animal feed
• 3. Plant health, plant protection products and their
residues
• 4. Genetically modified organisms - not only food
and feed but all GMOs except medicines
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The eight Scientific Panels (2)
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5. Dietetic products, nutrition and allergies
6. Biological hazards, including BSE/TSEs
7. Contaminants in the food chain
8. Animal health and welfare
Working groups may be formed under the
Scientific Committee and Panels
• The number and names of the Panels may
be changed in future
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Call for expression of interest
• Call for expression of interest in
membership of the Scientific Committee
and Panels issued on 21 January 2003,
closes 14 March 2003
• On web site, Official Journal, scientific
journals, Perm Reps Member States, etc.
• Wide call - not restricted to EU countries
• Over 1000 experts have expressed interest
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Selection of experts
• Selection is on merit and will be
independently audited
• Declarations of interest needed
• Important that conflict of interest will not
prevent normal level of participation
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Becoming operational
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Management Board appointed in July 2002
Executive Director in place since 1 Feb 2003
Advisory Forum first meeting 6-7 March 2003
Recruitment of Scientific Committee and Panels
under way
• No fixed abode!! In Brussels until decision made
• Half of budget allotment for 2003 frozen!!
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Contact with stakeholders
• Considerable interest and great expectations!!
• Open attitude and transparent operation
• Contacts with Member States via Advisory Forum,
etc, Commission, Parliament.
• Contacts with a wide range of interested parties consumers, producers, traders, trade unions, other
agencies with similar or related mandates, for
example EMEA, FAO,WHO, USFDA, CDC.
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More information about EFSA
• Web site: www.efsa.eu.int
• Management Board meetings broadcast on
the Internet
• Decisions placed on web site
• Opinions of the Scientific Committee and
Panels will be place on web site
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