61st Management Board meeting: EFSA Management Board takes stock of progress made on Board recommendations, discusses Scientific Cooperation Roadmap - Audio available
Members of the European Food Safety Authority’s Management Board discussed the progress EFSA has made, through a series of projects and initiatives, to address Board recommendations aimed at guiding the development of the Authority over the coming years. The Board also discussed a proposed Roadmap on Scientific Cooperation which provides an overview of EFSA’s future activities with Member States and other partners, such as EU agencies and institutions, international organisations and third country risk assessment bodies. The Roadmap also includes a multi-annual programme on international cooperation.
Board members adopted the recommendations in December 2012 following EFSA’s second external evaluation and consultations with institutional partners and stakeholders. The Board recommended taking action under four main areas: to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organisation; increase trust through greater transparency and openness; grow EU risk assessment capacity; and improve the clarity and accessibility of EFSA’s communications. These recommendations were reflected in the EFSA Single Programming Document adopted by the Board last December.
Progress has been made on a number of initiatives geared to enhancing EFSA’s long-term sustainability, in particular making efficiencies and setting priorities to maintain a focus on public health issues and emerging risks. This has involved, for example, a reorganisation of the Risk Assessment and Scientific Assistance (RASA) and Science Strategy and Coordination (SCISTRAT) Departments.
EFSA is also developing a Scientific Cooperation Roadmap, which will establish the way forward for strengthening cooperation with other EU and national agencies and developing a common EU risk assessment agenda.
“There’s a lot of support for this type of approach in principle. We’ll need to get the balance right but it’s clear that there’s a lot of potential to pool resources on key issues,” Board chair Sue Davies said.
The Board also discussed a multi-annual programme on international cooperation, which, among other issues, takes into account common global challenges which risk assessment bodies with a similar remit to EFSA need to deal with, such as limited risk assessment capacity and experience, budget constraints, scientific competence and independence.
Developed through extensive consultations with EFSA’s Scientific Committee, Advisory Forum, Stakeholder Consultative Platform and staff, the programme focuses on three main objectives: supporting the EU in its international commitments; supporting EFSA’s Science Strategy, including developing and harmonising methodologies and approaches to assess risks; promoting coherence in risk communication and building awareness of EFSA activities at international level.
Other ongoing projects and actions include EFSA’s Transparency Initiative, which was the subject of a stakeholder conference in October 2013. A draft reflection paper on the Initiative is due to be launched for public consultation. EFSA is also reviewing the implementing rules related to its Independence Policy, which are scheduled to be published in coming weeks.
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Audiocast and documents
Welcome by the Chair & 2. Adoption of the agenda
EFSA progress report
Implementing rules of EFSA’s independence policy
Implementation of the Management Board recommendations following EFSA’s external evaluation
Accounts 2013 financial year
Revised rules implementing EFSA’s financial regulation
EFSA implementing rules of the staff regulations
EFSA scientific cooperation
Amendments to the Art. 36 list of organisations
Update on the refit of the EU general food law
Feedback from the Audit Committee
EFSA’s 2014 budget execution and transfers
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