European Food Safety Authority

Infobox European Union agency
name=European Food Safety Authority

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x = 110
y = 190
location=Parma, Italy
pillar=European Communities
signdate=
establish=January 2002
director= Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle
website= [http://www.efsa.europa.eu/ efsa.europa.eu] The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is an agency of the European Union that provides independent scientific advice and clear communication on existing and emerging risks associated with the food chain.

The Authority’s work covers all matters with a direct or indirect impact on food and feed safety, including animal health and welfare, plant protection and plant health and nutrition.

EFSA supports the European Commission, European Parliament and EU member states in taking effective and timely risk management decisions that ensure the protection of the health of the European consumers and the safety of the food and feed chain.

The Authority communicates to the public in an open and transparent way on all matters within its remit.

EFSA was set up in January 2002 and it is based in Parma, Italy.

Structure

EFSA is composed of four bodies:

The Management Board sets the budget, approves the annual work programme and is responsible for ensuring that EFSA co-operates successfully with partner organisations across the EU and beyond. The Executive Director is the legal representative of the Authority. The Executive Director is responsible for operational matters, staffing issues and drawing up the annual programme in consultation with the European Commission, European Parliament and EU Member States.

The Executive Director is assisted by an Advisory Forum composed of representatives of national bodies responsible for risk assessment in the Member States, with observers from Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and the European Commission.

EFSA’s scientific opinions and advice are provided by the Scientific Committee (SC) and Scientific Panels, each within their own sphere of competence. EFSA’s Scientific Committee and Panels are composed of highly qualified experts in scientific risk assessment.

Funding EFSA activities

EFSA is an independent European agency funded by the EU budget that operates separately from the European Commission, European Parliament and EU Member States.

External links

* [http://www.efsa.europa.eu European Food Safety Authority]

References

* [http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/eu_glance/53/index_en.htm "How the European Union works"] , booklet made by the European Commission