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 
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Diary
2018
- 09 July 2018 – Brussels
- Exchange of Views with the AGRI Committee, European Parliament
- 08 July 2018 – Toulouse
- 5th 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
- 77th 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 28th 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
- 69th Meeting of the EFSA Management Board
- 08-09 June 2016, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- 60th 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
- 30th 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
- 68th Meeting of the EFSA Management Board
- 8-9 March 2016, Parma, EFSA premises
- 59th 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
- 29th meeting of the EFSA Stakeholder Consultative Platform
- 12 January 2016, Brussels, Belgium
- Meeting with European Environmental Bureau
- Meeting with Friends of the Earth Europe