EUROPE – The European Food Safety Authority has flagged off its new Management Board comprising of representatives of all EU Member States, the European Commission, and the European Parliament, as well as representatives of civil society and food chain interests.
The previous structure of the Board consisted of 14 members with expertise relating to the food chain who did not represent a government, organization or sector, plus a representative of the European Commission.
“In an international context where food safety and food security are interlinked, it is significant that EFSA’s Management Board now includes a wide scope of representatives to help ensure an effective functioning of the food chain,” said Claire Bury, DG SANTE’s Deputy Director for Food Sustainability.
In the new governance model, Member States, the European Parliament, the European Commission, civil society and those representing food chain interests, will be represented in EFSA’s Management Board.
The new model responds to the requirements of the Transparency Regulation, which entered into force in 2019 and increased the role of Member States as well as the engagement of all parties involved with the work of EFSA.
The Management Board ensures that EFSA functions effectively and efficiently, delivers its mandate as defined in its founding regulation and meets the expectations of European and national institutions, stakeholders and the public.
The new Management Board is composed of 27 Member State representatives (with alternates), two representatives of the European Parliament (without alternates), two representatives of the European Commission (with alternates), and four representatives of civil society and of interests in the food chain (with alternates).
In addition, two representatives of the European Free Trade Association/European Economic Area (EFTA/EEA) countries – Norway and Iceland – and one representative of the EFTA Surveillance Authority (with alternates), will also participate in the EFSA Management Board but without the right to vote. In sum, the Board is composed of 38 members.
The members of the Management Board and their alternates are nominated and appointed based on their relevant experience and expertise in the field of food chain law and policy, including risk assessment.
Relevant expertise in the fields of managerial, administrative, financial and legal matters within the Management Board is ensured.
The representatives of the Member States are nominated by the Member States themselves and appointed by the Council.
Meanwhile, the representatives of the civil society and food chain interests are appointed by the Council in consultation with the European Parliament from a list drawn up by the Commission.
On the other hand, representatives of the EU institutions and EFTA countries are appointed directly by the institutions and countries themselves.
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