Cooperation between EFSA and Member States

1
Cooperation between EFSA and Member States

• Jacek Postupolski
• National Institute of Public Heath National
  Institute of Hygiene

2
European Food Safety Authority

• risk assessment regarding food and feed safety on
  European Union level
• independent from risk management
• produces scientific opinions
• advices in risk management decisions
• cooperates with European Commission, European
  Parliament and EU Member States

3
EFSA MS cooperation

• Advisory Forum
• Focal points
• Network supporting units
• Article 36 cooperation
• Expert database
• Scientific cooperation projects (ESCO)

4
Advisory Forum

• all 27 EU Member States Iceland and Norway
  observers - Switzerland and Candidate Countries
• main tasks
• Exchange scientific data
• Co-ordinate risk communications activities and
  messages
• Address contentious issues and diverging
  opinions
• Set up working groups to focus collectively on
  specific issues
• Co-ordinate work and avoid duplication
• also helps national authorities share information
  and co-ordinate activities between themselves

5
Focal points

• an interface between EFSA and the national food
  safety authorities, research institutes,
  consumers and other stakeholders
• main tasks
• ensuring the exchange of scientific information
  between national authorities and EFSA, supporting
  competent organisations under Article 36 of
  EFSAs Founding Regulation
• promoting the Expert Database and cooperation at
  national level
• raising EFSAs scientific visibility and outreach
  in Member States

6
Network supporting units

• EFSAs networks consist EU Member State
  organisations with expertise in the fields
  covered by the network
• coordinating activities
• exchanging information
• developing and implementing joint projects
• exchanging expertise and best practices.

7
Network supporting units

• Networks supporting EFSA units
• EFSA Scientific Network for Risk Assessment in
  Animal Health and Welfare
• Scientific Network on BSE-TSE
• Scientific Network for Microbiological Risk
  Assessment
• Task Force on Zoonoses Data Collection
• Expert Group for Chemical Occurrence Data
• Expert Group on Food Consumption Data
• Emerging Risks Exchange Network
• Scientific Network for Risk Assessment of GMOs
• Scientific Network for Risk Assessment in Plant
  Health
• Pesticide Steering Committee
• Networking Group on Pesticide Monitoring
• Scientific Network on Harmonisation of Risk
  Assessment methodologies
• Scientific Network for Risk Assessment of
  Nanotechnologies in Food and Feed

8
Article 36 cooperation

• EFSA may supports a scientific institution of MS
  with the following tasks
• Data collection
• Preparatory work for scientific opinions
• Other scientific and technical assistance

9
Expert database

• a database of external scientific experts able to
  assist its Scientific Committee, Scientific
  Panels, EFSA networks and respective working
  groups
• applications from experts in all fields
• food and feed safety, nutrition, toxicology,
  chemistry, animal health and welfare, plant
  protection and plant health

10
Scientific cooperation projects

• Large-scale cooperation and networking between
  EFSA and its counterparts in the Member States in
  order to activite scientific resources
• Current and past ESCO working groups
• Botanicals
• Emerging risks
• Expert database
• Folic acid
• Isoflavones
• Non-plastic materials
• Risk assessment harmonisation