working together with efsa in making europe’s food safe warszawa, 16. april 2013 cooperation...

Working together with EFSA in making Europe’s food safeWarszawa, 16. April 2013

Cooperation between EFSA and Member States

Jacek PostupolskiNational Institute of Public Heath –

National Institute of Hygiene


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


EFSA – MS cooperation

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


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


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 EFSA’s Founding Regulation

– promoting the Expert Database and cooperation at national level

– raising EFSA’s scientific visibility and outreach in Member States


Network supporting units

• EFSA’s 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.


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


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


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


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

working together with efsa in making europe’s food safe warszawa, 16. april 2013 cooperation...

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