Parma, Italy
July 3, 2006
Today Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle
takes up her post as EFSA’s
new Executive Director. She will be in charge of steering EFSA
through to its next stage of development during her five year
term. Her work will be guided in particular by the
recommendations recently adopted by EFSA’s Management Board.
Following up the external
evaluation report on EFSA published in January 20061, the
Management Board recommends that EFSA focus its efforts in six
priority fields:
- Develop active networking
and stronger co-operation with Member States
- Strengthen EFSA's
relationship with its institutional partners (EU and
international) and stakeholders
- Enhance EFSA’s
organisation
- Enhance the impact and
effectiveness of EFSA communications
- Develop EFSA’s role in
nutrition
- Define EFSA’s medium and
long-term vision
Commenting on her new appointment,
Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle said: “I am joining EFSA at a very
opportune moment. Building on the significant work done so far I
am committed to further establishing EFSA as a European
reference for risk assessment on food and feed safety both in
the EU and internationally. European risk managers need to rely
on independent scientific advice to underpin policies and
decisions regarding food safety. It will be my job to take us
there by working in close collaboration with Member States, key
institutional partners and stakeholders”.
Further information on Catherine
Geslain-Lanéelle, the process that led to her appointment and
her biography can be found at:
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/about_efsa/structure/who_is_who/1576_en.html
The recommendations of the EFSA
Management Board with respect to the external evaluation of EFSA
can be found at
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/mboard/catindex_en.html.
1 See the full report at:
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/mboard/122/final_report_evaluation1.pdf
BACKGROUND
Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle was
involved in the creation of EFSA from the beginning. As Director
General for Food of the French Ministry of Agriculture, she
contributed with other Member States to the Founding Regulation
that created EFSA. Appointed one of the two Vice-Chairs of the
Board since its creation in 2002, she was directly involved in
the development of the different bodies of EFSA, the definition
of its working programme and the strategic orientations with
regard to risk communications and relationship with
stakeholders. |
