78th Management Board meeting: Election of Chair and Vice-Chairs; EFSA’s external evaluation
EFSA’s Management Board elects Jaana Husu-Kallio as Chair for new term; Raymond O’Rourke and András Székács as Vice-Chairs. The Board adopts recommendations for EFSA stemming from external evaluation.
Election of Chair and Vice-Chairs
The Board unanimously re-elected Jaana Husu-Kallio as Chair for a two-year term. It elected Raymond O’Rourke and András Székács as Vice-Chairs. In addition, the Board nominated Andrej Simončič as chair and Herman Diriks as vice-chair of the Audit Committee, which will be composed of seven members.
“It is a great honour to be re-elected Chair of EFSA’s Management Board,” Jaana Husu-Kallio said after her election. “In light of the ongoing discussions on amending the EU General Food Law, the Board’s role in overseeing EFSA’s activities and ensuring it delivers on its mandate remains as important as ever. My colleagues on the Board and I look forward to supporting EFSA during this process and more generally over the next two years in its mission to protect public health.”
External evaluation of EFSA
The Board adopted a series of recommendations based on the results of the third external evaluation of the Authority. They cover a range of topics, listed under six priorities and include: enhancing capacity for fit-for purpose scientific advice; enhancing communication activities to strengthen EFSA’s reputation; securing long-term efficiency and sustainability of EFSA’s operations; and investing in the ongoing efforts to transform EFSA into an Open Science Organisation where transparency remains a key value. The Board also recommends that EFSA invest in preparedness to stay abreast of evolving scientific methodologies and research developments and recognises the importance of cooperation with the Authority’s sister organisations to meet “One Health” protection targets.
The recommendations have been published on the EFSA website
Interagency cooperation
The Board was updated on EFSA’s scientific cooperation activities with the four other EU agencies that fall under the remit of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (the “ENVI agencies”) and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). EFSA presented its vision for a systematic partnership with these agencies whereby they would work closer together in the interest of European citizens.
Examples were provided of recent successful collaboration initiatives with ECHA on the development of a joint guidance document on endocrine disruptors and on the harmonisation of chemical safety data.
Brussels liaison office
EFSA presented an evaluation of the performance of its Brussels liaison office, which was established on a permanent basis in August 2016. Examples were given of how the activities of the Brussels office have led to improved outreach and engagement with institutional partners and stakeholders. These include the coordination of an important event with the European Parliament on bee health, enhanced contacts with the chief veterinary officers from Member States, and better support for EFSA staff and experts travelling to Brussels to represent the Authority and its work in different fora.
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Audiocast and documents
- Opening of the meetingAudio file
- Board members’ Annual and Oral Declarations of InterestAudio file
- Election of the Chair and Vice-Chairs of the Management BoardAudio file
- Nomination of the Members, Chair and Vice-Chair of the Audit CommitteeAudio file
- Adoption of the agendaAudio file
- EFSA Performance ReportAudio file
- Update from the Scientific CommitteeAudio file
- EFSA’s external evaluation: Management Board recommendationsAudio file
- Interagency scientific cooperationAudio file
- Amendments to Art. 36 listAudio file
- Implementation of the EFSA independence policyAudio file
- Risk communication: Tools and approaches
- Implementing Rules of Staff RegulationsAudio file
- Document | Document | Document | Document | Presentation
- EFSA’s liaison office in BrusselsAudio file
- Feedback from the Audit CommitteeAudio file
- AoBAudio file