67th Management Board meeting: Board adopts three year work programme, endorses annual work plan and budget for 2016, considers EFSA Strategy 2020 implementation - Audio available
The Management Board held its last 2015 meeting in Parma, with a strong focus on strategy and planning. It endorsed the multi-annual work programme that will guide EFSA’s work for the years 2016-2018 as well as the annual work plan for 2016. The Board also adopted EFSA’s draft budget for 2016 of €79.5 million.
Board members considered EFSA’s preliminary implementation plan for its Strategy 2020 which has been developed including input from a public consultation.
Multi-annual Programme 2016-2018
The Multi-annual Programme will guide EFSA in implementing its strategic objectives in the coming years. In order to provide high quality scientific advice to risk managers, EFSA will continue to strengthen its cooperation with Member States and other international partners to ensure coherence in risk assessment; incorporate transparency and openness into its scientific work; and engage with society to increase trust in the European Union (EU) food safety system.
Over the next three years, EFSA will focus on a number of multi-annual projects including the further implementation of the PROMETHEUS project to define principles, processes and methods for the use of evidence in scientific assessment; the MATRIX project to improve procedures and processes when assessing regulated products; and the further development of the EFSA data warehouse.
In 2016, EFSA will carry out a comprehensive and ambitious work programme. While continuing to implement a host of multi-annual projects, EFSA will work on some key initiatives such as uncertainty in risk assessment, continuing risk assessment of Xylella fastidiosa and the development of a guidance document on novel foods.
EFSA Strategy 2020 - Preliminary outcome of public consultation
Board members heard about the valuable input EFSA received during the six-week public consultation on its Strategy 2020. EFSA collected over 300 comments from a wide range of stakeholders, including Member States, third countries, and industry representatives.
The promotion of greater transparency and engagement, in particular in the scientific assessment process, triggered a large part of the contributions, effectively confirming one of EFSA’s key strategic objectives.
Respondents also provided numerous comments on the issue of cooperation and the development of Europe’s scientific assessment capacity. Further progress in this area will enable EFSA to deal with evolving scientific knowledge and increased expectations more effectively, and would ensure coherent advice within the EU food safety system.
The Management Board discussed EFSA’s progress made in developing the preliminary implementation plan for its Strategy 2020. EFSA presented a list of concrete measures and activities, including indicators to gauge results and impact.
The Board will consider a revised version of the strategy reflecting the comments made in the public consultation with the aim of adopting the document at its meeting in March 2016.
Progressing transparency and engagement
Board members reflected on EFSA’s activities in progressing its Transparency and Engagement in Risk Assessment (TERA) project aimed at moving EFSA towards an open science organisation and increasing its engagement with stakeholders.
As one of many concrete initiatives, EFSA started holding open meetings of its scientific panels in Brussels in 2015 with the aim to boost observer participation. The Board discussed the outcome of this initiative and the assessment of alternative options with a view to further strengthen EFSA’s engagement efforts.
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Audiocast and documents
- Welcome by the ChairAudio file
- Adoption of the agendaAudio file
- Board members’ Declaration of InterestsAudio file
- EFSA progress reportAudio file
- EFSA Strategy 2020Audio file
- Update on the project ‘Transparency and Engagement in Risk Assessment’Audio file
- Update on the IT operational strategy implementationAudio file
- Programming Document 2016-2018Audio file
- Composition of the CEF, GMO and FEEDAP Scientific PanelsAudio file
- Art. 24 of the ED decision on declarations of interestAudio file
- Amendment to the EFSA budget 2015Audio file
- EFSA’s 2015 budget execution and transfersAudio file
- Implementing rules of Staff RegulationsAudio file
- Feedback from the Audit CommitteeAudio file
- Amendments to the Art. 36 list of organisationsAudio file
- AOBAudio file