Executive Director

Department/Unit: Executive Directorate
Phone: +39 0521 036 397
Email address: Bernhard.Url [at] efsa.europa.eu

Dr. Bernhard Url was appointed Executive Director of EFSA in June 2014, having served as Acting Executive Director for seven months. Dr. Url joined EFSA in June 2012 as Head of the Risk Assessment and Scientific Assistance Department. A qualified veterinarian by training, he brings high-level management experience from food-safety organisations to his role at EFSA.

Prior to joining the Authority, Dr. Url was Managing Director of the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), which represents Austria on EFSA’s Advisory Forum. From 2008 to March 2012, he also served as a member of EFSA’s Management Board.

During his 10 years at AGES, he was in charge of technical and scientific affairs with a remit that included the timely delivery of risk assessment and risk management services across a wide range of areas. This included ensuring effective risk communications during urgent food safety-related events.

Prior to AGES Dr. Url spent five years as an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Milk Hygiene and Milk Technology at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna before running a food quality control laboratory from 1993 to 2002.

Dr. Url graduated from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna in 1987 and became a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1990. He has published in the field of veterinary medicine with a particular focus on listeria and milk hygiene.

Declaration of Interest (9.12 KB)

Diary

2019

21 March 2019 – Wiesbaden
- 32. German Food Law Day - Food law in the EU: between renationalisation and harmonisation
19-20 March 2019 – EFSA premises, Parma
- 80th Meeting of the EFSA’s Management Board
11 March 2019 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Meeting with Mr Pekka Pesonen, Secretary General of COPA COGECA
8 March 2019 – Brussels
- DG SANTE Inter-Agency meeting
6 March 2019 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Visit of Mr Frank Carruet, Ambassador of Belgium to Italy and the UN
27 February 2019 - Ispra
- Visit to JRC
19 February 2019 – EFSA premises, Parma
- EFSA/SANTE Senior management meeting
12-13 February 2019 - Brussels
- Meeting of the Heads of EU Agencies
18 January 2019– Geneva
- EFSA and SANTE visit to WHO
17 January 2019 - Brussels
- DG RTD workshop "A robust science and innovation environment for food safety systems of the future”

2018

11-12 December 2018 –EFSA premises, Parma
- 79^th meeting of the EFSA Management Board
28-29 November 2018 –Vienna
- 70^th plenary meeting of the EFSA Advisory Forum
20 November 2018 – Brussels
- Meeting of the EFSA Stakeholder Forum
19 November 2018 –Brussels
- Meeting with Jean-Eric Paquet, Director General of the Directorate General for Research and Innovation
- Meeting with Anne Bucher, Director General of the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety
25 October 2018 – Bern
- Meeting with Alain Berset, President of the Swiss Confederation
- Meeting with the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office - FSVO
23 October 2018 –Madrid
- Meeting with Maria Luisa Carcedo, Spanish Minister of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare
- Institutional meeting between EFSA and the Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare
- Interview with El Pais
18 October 2018 – Brussels
- Hearing in front of the ENVI Committee, European Parliament
17 October 2018 – Brussels
- 3^rd Meeting of the EFSA Stakeholder Bureau
16-17 October 2018 – Brussels
- Meetings with representatives of the European Commission
- Meetings with representatives of the European Parliament
12 October 2018 – Berlin
- 11. Sitzung der Leitungsgruppe Forschung (LGF) - Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture
09-10 October 2018 – EFSA premises, Parma
- 78^th Meeting of the EFSA Management Board
08 October 2018 –Vienna
- Food Borne Outbreak – Cross Border Outbreak Investigation conference
18-21 September 2018 – Parma
- EFSA conference 2018 – Science, Food, Society
17 September 2018 – EFSA premises, Parma
- 69th Meeting of the EFSA Advisory Forum
14 September 2018 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Signature of a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
13 September 2018 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Meeting with a delegation from the Joint Research Centre
07 September 2018 – Brussels
- Meeting of the Ad-hoc Working Party on General Food Law, Council of the European Union Meetings with European Commission representatives
30 August 2018 – Brussels
- Meeting of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety of the European Parliament
09 July 2018 – Brussels
- Exchange of Views with the AGRI Committee, European Parliament
08 July 2018 – Toulouse
- 5^th European Conference of Science Journalists
26-27 June 2018 – Brussels
- Signature of the Memorandum of Cooperation EFSA-JRC
- Thematic debate “The current and evolving role of EFSA: addressing civil society’s and citizens’ concerns on food safety” – European Economic and Social Committee – NAT section
- Meetings with Members of the European Parliament
- Meetings with European Commission representatives
19-20 June 2018 – EFSA premises, Parma
- 77^th meeting of the EFSA Management Board
13 June 2018 – Brussels
- EFSA’s Roundtable with industry associations
12 June 2018 – Brussels
- Meeting with DG SANTE Senior Management
11 June 2018 – Paris
- Visit to the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES)
07 June 2018 – Brussels
- EP PEST Committee public hearing “EU authorisation procedure for pesticides – EFSA opinion on draft assessment reports and ECHA classification of active substances”
06 June 2018 – Brussels
- Meeting with MEP Renate Sommer
15 May 2018 – Rome, Italy
- Visit to FAO
- Visit to ISS – Istituto Superiore di Sanità
14 May 2018 –Rome, Italy
- SETAC Europe 28^th Annual meeting
07-08 May 2018 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Visit of a delegation from the EP PEST Committee
03-04 May 2018 – Berlin
- Meeting of the Heads of EU Food Safety Agencies
18 April 2018 – Brussels, Belgium
- Second meeting of the EFSA Stakeholder Bureau
12 April 2018 – European Parliament, Brussels
- Exchange of views with the EP Special Committee on the Union’s authorisation procedure for pesticides
20-21 March 2018 – EFSA premises, Parma
- 76th Meeting of the EFSA Management Board
16 March 2018 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Meeting with Nathalie Loiseau, French Minister for European Affairs and Brune Poirson, Minister of State, attached to the Ministre d’Etat of the Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition
15 March 2018 – European Parliament, Strasbourg, France
- Meeting with MEP Eric Andrieu
- Exchange of views with the STOA Panel
28 February-1 March 2018 – Warsaw, Poland
- EUAN Troika Handover Ceremony EFSA-FRONTEX-ECDC
21-22 February 2018 – Brussels, Belgium
- Network of Heads of EU Agencies meeting
21 February 2018 – Brussels, Belgium
- Meeting with Commissioner Günther Oettinger
6-7 February 2018 - Utrecht, The Netherlands
- 67th meeting of the EFSA Advisory Forum
- Risk Assessment Research Assembly
31 January 2018 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Meeting with MEP Indrek Tarand
24-25 January 2018 – Paris, France
- Meeting with Mr Leon Delvaux, Trade and Development Adviser, Cabinet President Juncker, European Commission
- Meeting with Riccardo Maggi, member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Timmermans, European Commission
- Meeting with Marika Lautso-Mousnier, Expert Cabinet Commissioner Katainen, European Commission
- Meeting with MEP Susanne Melior, European Parliament
24 January 2018 – Paris, France
- Interview with Le Monde
23 January 2018 – Paris, France
- Meeting with Mrs Anne de Bayser, Deputy Secretary General of the French President, Elysée
- Meeting with Mr Stéphane Travert, French Minister of Agriculture and Food
22 January 2018 – Brussels, Belgium
- CONT Committee Discharge hearing of EU Agencies, European Parliament
16-17 January 2018 - Brussels, Belgium
- EU Agencies/Joint Undertakings 2016 hearing with Council’s Budget Committee
- Handover meeting EFSA-FRONTEX at the European Commission

2017

18-19 December 2017 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Visit of a delegation from the ENVI Committee to EFSA
15 December 2017 – Rome, Italy
- International conference “The burden of mycotoxins on animal and human health”
14 December 2017 – Rome, Italy
- Meeting with Minister of Health, Mrs. Beatrice Lorenzin
- Meeting with Ministry of Health and ISS Directors
- Meeting with Art. 36 organizations
11-12 December 2017 – EFSA premises, Parma
- 75th Meeting of the EFSA Management Board
5-6 December 2017 – EFSA premises, Parma
- 66th Meeting of the EFSA’s Advisory Forum
29 November 2017 - Berlin, Germany
- BfR 15 Years Anniversary
27 November 2017 – Brussels, Belgium
- 15 years Anniversary of the General Food Law
22-23 November 2017 – AGES premises, Austria
- Networking event on Scientific Cooperation
- AGES Stakeholders Dialogue
20-21 November 2017 – Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Meeting with Slovenian Minister of Health, Mrs. Milojka Kolar Celarc
- Meeting with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food (MKGP), National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), UVHVVR, MKGP and NLZOH
- Roundtable Scientific Cooperation - the road ahead
14 November 2017 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Meeting with Parma City Council
10 November 2017 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Meeting with Directors’ Consultation Group (DCG)
08 November 2017 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Meeting with DG SANTE Senior Management
30 October-3 November 2017 – Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- China International Food Safety and Quality conference
20 October 2017 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Meeting with Joint ENVI/AGRI delegation of S&D Members of the European Parliament
18 October 2017 – Brussels, Belgium
- European Ombudsman Conference “EU Agencies – how to manage the risk of reputational damage”
- European Parliament Inter-Institutional working group on Agencies’ resources
10-11 October 2017 – EFSA premises, Parma
- 74th meeting of the EFSA Management Board
03-04 October 2017 – Tallinn, Estonia
- 65th Plenary of the EFSA Advisory Forum
02 October 2017 – Tallinn, Estonia
- Meeting with Indrek Halliste, Director General of the Veterinary and Food Board
- Meeting with Olev Kalda, Estonian CVO
- Hearing at the Estonian Parliament “Rural Affairs”, “Environment” and “Social Affairs” committees and meeting with stakeholders
29 September 2017 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Meeting with HRH The Prince Carlos Javier Bernardo de Bourbon de Parme
25 September 2017 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Meeting with Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament
19-21 September 2017 – Brussels
- Stakeholder Bureau meeting
- Meetings with DG SANTE representatives
- TARN Dialogue event
13 September 2017 – Prague, Czech Republic
- 32nd Meeting of the EFSA Focal Point Network
12 September 2017 – Prague, Czech Republic
- Meeting with Marian Jurečka, Minister of Agriculture and representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic
- Meeting with Art. 36 and scientific networks representatives of the Czech Republic
26-29 August 2017 - Alpbach
- European Forum Alpbach
14 July 2017 – EFSA premises
- Meeting with Mr Jason Feeney, Chief Executive of Food Standards Agency (FSA)
10-11 July 2017 – Brussels, Belgium
- Meeting with European Commission representatives
- BUDG Committee hearing on EU decentralised Agencies
- Meeting with MEP Michèle Rivasi
05-07 July 2017 – EFSA premises
- Meeting of the Head of EU Agencies
03 July 2017 – EFSA premises
- Meeting with Dr. Ulrich Herzog, Austrian Chief Veterinary Officer
26-28 June 2017 – Poland
- Meeting with Mr Konstanty Radziwill, Minister of Health, Mr Zbigniew Król, Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Marek Posobkiewicz, Chief Sanitary Inspector and officials – Warsaw
- Meeting with Art. 36 organisations, staff of the National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene (NIZP-PZH) and representatives of sanitary-epidemiological stations – Warsaw
- Conference “The Control of animal infectious disease/zoonoses and food/feed safety” at the National Veterinary Research Institute (PiWET) – Pulawy
- Meeting with candidate institutes Art. 36 at the Institute of New Chemical Synthesis (INSCH) – Pulawy
22 June 2017 – EFSA premises
- Annual Roundtable with Industry Associations
20-21 June 2017 – EFSA premises
- 73rd Meeting of the EFSA Management Board
12 June 2017 – European Commission, Brussels
- Meeting with the Director General of IAS, Mr Manfred Kraff
08-09 June 2017 – EFSA premises
- 64th Meeting of the EFSA Advisory Forum
01 June 2017 – Vienna, Austria
- AESGP 53rd Annual Meeting
30-31 May 2017 – EFSA premises
- First Meeting of EFSA Stakeholder Forum
23 May 2017 – Oslo, Norway
- Meeting of the Heads of European Food Safety Agencies
15 May 2017 – Reykjavik, Iceland
- Meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST), Matìs and Directorate of Health of the Ministry of Welfare
- Conference Combating Antimicrobial Resistance
11-12 May 2017 – EFSA premises
- Meeting with Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety
08 May 2017 – Parma
- Meeting with Ambassador Maurizio Massari, Permanent Representative of Italy to the EU
04 May 2017 – European Parliament, Brussels
- Exchange of views with ENVI Committee
03 May 2017 – European Commission, Brussels
- Meeting with DG SANTE Senior Management
24 - 28 April 2017 – Tokyo, Japan
- Meeting with EU Ambassador Viorel Isticioaia-Budura
- Trilateral EFSA-BfR-ANSES
- Meeting with Minister Jun Matsumoto
- Fifth Meeting with the Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ)
- Joint FSCJ-EFSA International Conference “What does the future hold for international scientific cooperation for food safety?”
11 April 2017 – European Parliament, Brussels
- Exchange of views with AGRI Committee
04 - 05 April 2017 – Sofia, Bulgaria
- Meeting with RACFCH Senior and Experts’ staff
- Meeting with Prof. Dr. Hristo Bozukov, Minister of Agriculture
- Meeting with Bulgarian scientific organizations under EFSA’s Art. 36 list
28 March 2017 – Berlin, Germany
- International Bee conference
27 March 2017 – Brussels, Belgium
- IIWG2 Meeting at the European Parliament
21-22 March 2017 – EFSA premises
- 72nd Meeting of the EFSA Management Board
13 March 2017 – EFSA premises
- Handover meeting of the Coordination of the EU Agencies Network with EUIPO and EUROFOUND
07-08 March 2017 –La Valletta, Malta
- 63rd Meeting of the EFSA Advisory Forum
6 March 2017 –La Valletta, Malta
- Meeting with Hon. Christopher Fearne, Minister of Health
- Meeting with Maltese Food Safety Commission (FSC) and art. 36 organisations
1 March 2017 – Brussels, Belgium
- Meeting of the Heads of EU Agencies
28 February 2017 – Brussels, Belgium
- Meeting with ENVI Committee Chair, MEP Adina-Ioana VĂLEAN – European Parliament
- Meeting with Greenpeace and Corporate Europe Observatory
24-25 January 2017 – Brussels, Belgium
- CONT Committee Hearing of the EU Agencies – European Parliament
- Meeting with European Commission representatives
16 January 2017 – Parma, Italy
- Working lunch with Italian Undersecretary Mr. Sandro Gozi

2016

8-9 December 2016 – EFSA premises
- 71st meeting of the EFSA Management Board
- 62nd meeting of the EFSA Advisory Forum
6-7 December 2016 –Brussels, Belgium
- EU Agencies Forum, European Parliament
23 November 2016 –Brussels, Belgium
- Meeting with representatives of Industry Associations: FoodDrinkEurope, European Feed Manufacturers’ Federation, EuropaBio, European Crop Protection Association
- Meeting with representatives of Non-Governmental Organisations: Testbiotech, Greenpeace, Corporate Europe Observatory
22 November 2016 –Brussels, Belgium
- Meeting with DG SANTE Senior Management
10-11 November 2016 –Budapest, Hungary
- Meeting with Róbert Zsigó, State Secretary and Lajos Bognár, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture
- Meeting with representatives of the National Food Chain Safety Office (NÉBIH)
- Conference “Science-based food chain safety: our common interest”
8 November 2016 –Brussels, Belgium
- Meeting with representatives of DG SANTE
- Working Party of the Chief Veterinary Officers
2-3 November 2016 –Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
- 10th annual China International Food Safety and Quality Conference
- BfR Seminar “Current risk assessment of Global Food Chains”
- Joint EC-EFSA seminar “Priorities in food safety 2016-2020”
1 November 2016 –Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Meeting with representatives of the China National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) and signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation
- Meeting with representatives of the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA)
19-21 October 2016 – EUIPO, Alicante
- Meeting of the Heads of EU Agencies
13 October 2016 – Stockholm, Sweden
- Meeting with ECDC Senior Management
13 October 2016 – Uppsala, Sweden
- Meeting with Swedish Focal Point, members of EFSA scientific networks and representatives of article 36 organisations
12 October 2016 – Uppsala, Sweden
- Meeting with Elisabeth Backteman, State Secretary, Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation
- Meeting with National Food Agency (NFA) and National veterinary Institute (SVA)
11 October 2016 – Helsinki, Finland
- EVIRA 10th and Finnish Risk Assessment 15th Anniversary Seminar
4-5 October 2016 – EFSA premises, Parma
- Meeting with ECHA Senior Management
- 11 October 2016 – Helsinki, Finland
- 70th meeting of the EFSA Management Board
30 September 2016 –Brussels, Belgium
- Meeting with The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC)
29 September 2016 –Brussels, Belgium
- Meeting with MEPs Heidi HAUTALA, Bart STAES, Michèle RIVASI, Benedek JÁVOR
- Meeting with Corporate Europe Observatory Bilateral
- Meeting with Xavier Prats Monné, Director General, DG SANTE
- Conference Science and policy making: towards a new dialogue
28 September 2016 –Bratislava, Slovak Republic
- 61st meeting of the EFSA Advisory Forum
27 September 2016 –Bratislava, Slovak Republic
- Meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, experts and competent authorities
29 August-1 September 2016 – Taipei, Taiwan
- Taiwan International Food Safety Summit
11 July 2016, Maisons-Alfort, Paris, France
- Meeting with Mr Roger Genet, Director General of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES)
28 June 2016, Brussels, Belgium
- Meeting with representatives of the Federal Public Services for Public Health, Food Chain, Safety and Environment
27 June 2016, Brussels, Belgium
- Annual Roundtable with industry associations
14-15 June 2016, EFSA premises, Italy
- 69^th Meeting of the EFSA Management Board
08-09 June 2016, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- 60^th Meeting of the EFSA Advisory Forum
06-07 June 2016, The Netherlands
- Meetings with RIKILT, NVWA and RIVM representatives
31 May-1 June 2016, Brussels, Belgium
- 30^th Meeting of the EFSA Stakeholder Consultative Platform
31 May 2016, Brussels, Belgium
- Interview with Politico
25 May 2016, Brussels, Belgium
- Meeting of the Heads of EU Agencies
24 May 2016, Brussels, Belgium
- Meetings with DG SANTE representatives
- Meeting with MEP Martin Häusling
- Meeting with MEP José Bové
28 April 2016, Parma, EFSA premises
- Visit of Vytenis Andriukaitis, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety
14 April 2016, Athens, Greece
- Meeting with representatives of the Hellenic Food Authority (EFET)
- Meeting with the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Mr Evangelos Apostolou
- Meeting with SVET (Federation of Hellenic Food Industries)
7-8 April 2016, Oslo, Norway
- Conference “Safe Food – Our responsibility”
- Meeting with the Minister of Health and care Services, Mr Bent Høie
- Meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Health and Care Services, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Climate and Environment Work sessions with the Norwegian Scientific Committee for
- Food Safety (VKM), the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the Norwegian Environmental Agency , the Norwegian Institute of Public Health
18 March 2016, Elsinore, Denmark
- Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine 2016 Annual conference
17 March 2016, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Meeting with representatives of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration
- Meeting with representatives of the DTU National Food Institute
15-16 March 2016, Parma, EFSA premises
- 68^th Meeting of the EFSA Management Board
8-9 March 2016, Parma, EFSA premises
- 59^th Meeting of the EFSA Advisory Forum
4 March 2016, Brussels, Belgium
- Bilateral meeting with Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis
3 March 2016, Alicante, Spain
- Handover meeting of the Coordination of the EU Agencies Network with EUROFOUND and OHIM
18 February 2016, Brussels, Belgium
- Meeting of the Heads of EU Agencies
17 February 2016, Brussels, Belgium
- Bilateral meeting with Xavier Prats Monne, Director General, DG SANTE
- Bilateral meeting with Michael Scannell, DG SANTE
- Exchange of views with the ENVI Committee, European Parliament
15-16 January 2016, Berlin
- International Green Week
14-15 January 2016, Berlin
- Global Forum for Food and Agriculture
14 January 2016, Berlin
- Meeting with the Federation of German consumer organisations (VZBV)
- Meeting with Foodwatch
13 January 2016, Brussels, Belgium
- 29^th meeting of the EFSA Stakeholder Consultative Platform
12 January 2016, Brussels, Belgium
- Meeting with European Environmental Bureau
- Meeting with Friends of the Earth Europe