Who we work with
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is at the core of Europe’s food safety system. To ensure that the system works effectively, it is critical that EFSA works closely with partners throughout Europe. These include institutions with whom the Authority has a legal obligation to work with under Community rules, specifically risk managers in the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Member States. EFSA also works with national food safety authorities responsible for risk assessment through the Advisory Forum network.
As EFSA is a listening organisation, we also meet with civil society stakeholders such as consumer groups, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and market operators such as farmers, food manufacturers, distributors or processors and science professionals to exchange views and information.
In addition to formalized activities, EFSA also promotes relations with the general public and those individuals or groups who feel they can contribute to the Authority’s work. This can be through web-based public consultations on specific scientific subjects and data collection activities where any interested member of the public can submit relevant data and information, through to public events such as meetings, conferences and open days.
EFSA’s Strategic Plan 2009-13 identifies “communication and dialogue” as a key priority. The overall aim is to “reinforce confidence and trust in EFSA and the EU food safety system through effective risk communications and dialogue with partners and stakeholders.” In order to allow EFSA to assess and monitor its overall image status and evolution, EFSA carries out research among its key target audiences.
Image of EFSA
At the end of 2009, EFSA ran a qualitative survey to explore how the work of the Authority was perceived among its audiences. Officials from EU institutions, national and European risk managers, food safety authorities in Member States and beyond, international organisations such as WHO and FAO, scientific experts, stakeholders and the media were interviewed.
This survey follows a previous one, which was carried out in 2004.
The findings of this survey will help EFSA further refine its strategies and policies. In this way the Authority will better engage with key customers, partners and stakeholders. Learnings from this qualitative research have also been taken into account in the preparation of EFSA’s revised Communication strategy 2010-2013.
