Meeting of the Consultative Forum of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
Belgium, represented by the Belgian Ministry of Health, SPF Santé publique, Food Chain Security, has the honour of hosting the meeting of the Consultative Forum of the European Food Safety Authority(EFSA) on 25 and 26 November 2010. The consultative forum provides the link between the EFSA and national food chain security authorities of the 27 Member States of the EU. Each member of this forum represents the national body (bodies) to those responsible for risk assessment in the EU; the forum also welcomes observers from Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the European Commission. It is presided over by the executive director of the EFSA.
The forum is at the heart of the cooperation strategy which the EFSA has implemented with regard to the Member States of the EU. It enables the EFSA and the Member States to combine their efforts to deal with questions of assessment and communication of the risks in Europe. The Members use this forum to advise the EFSA on scientific questions, their work programme and priorities, and to tackle questions related to emerging risks as quickly as possible.
The Members are currently working on the implementation of a reinforcement strategy of interconnections which places the emphasis on sharing scientific information, the pooling of resources and the coordination of work programmes. They have committed to :
- exchanging their scientific data;
- coordoninating their activities and their messages with regard to the communication of risks;
- settling questions giving rise to controversy and differences of opinion;
- creating working groups to tackle specific questions together;
- coordinating their work and avoiding duplication.
It is customary that the country holding the Presidency of the EU hosts the meeting of the forum. This will be the occasion to once again strengthen the ties Belgium has with the EFSA and to confirm the high standard of the Belgian scientific bodies who have been actively participating in its activities for many years and who help it with its tasks.