November 10, 2008
A Co-operation
Agreement signed in Brussels today (10
November) will advance scientific
co-operation and the development of
international standards in the fields of
food and feed safety.
Speaking at the signing ceremony,
EFSA's
Executive-Director Catherine
Geslain-Lanéelle said: "EFSA is delighted to
strengthen its co-operation with the JRC in
areas such as GMOs, BSE, the effects of
climate change on food safety and feed
additives. The scientific research and
related technological expertise of the JRC
and its institutes play an important role in
the European food safety system. Our
increased co-operation will help keep EFSA’s
work at the forefront of scientific
knowledge and expertise".
The Joint Research Centre's Director-General
Roland Schenkel added: "In a short period of
time, EFSA and its partners have put in
place a comprehensive programme to improve
EU food safety and ensure a high level of
consumer protection. This is essential to
maintain confidence in the EU food supply.
The JRC is committed to working with EFSA to
provide essential scientific data to
contribute to informed and responsible
policy decisions in industry as well as in
government".
The context behind this agreement
The safety and quality of food and feed is a
growing public concern and research plays an
increasingly important role in this sector
to ensure European consumers' confidence
that they are among the best protected and
the best informed in the world. Following a
series of food crises in the 1990's, the
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was
created in 2002 as the keystone of European
Union risk assessment. In close co-operation
with national authorities and in open
consultation with its stakeholders, EFSA
provides independent scientific advice and
clear communication on existing and emerging
risks.
To do this, EFSA works closely with partners
including the European Commission's Joint
Research Centre (JRC), a network of seven
research institutes in five member states
providing customer-driven scientific and
technical support for the conception,
development, implementation and monitoring
of EU policies. In the area of food and feed
safety and quality, the JRC hosts six
Community Reference Laboratories (CRLs).
These are created under EU legislation to
support national authorities in their
efforts to keep food and feed free from
dangerous substances. The CRLs for heavy
metals, mycotoxins, polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons and food contact materials have
a control role in the food and feed area.
The role of the CRLs for feed additives and
genetically modified food and feed is
central to the market authorisation
procedure, and for these CRLs the close
co-operation between the JRC and EFSA -
established by legislation - is of
particular importance.
What will this agreement mean in
practice?
The detailed Memorandum of Understanding
signed by both organisations sets out how
the JRC and EFSA will aim to ensure that
additional robust data is provided for risk
assessment, that harmonised standards are
applied to data generation and that
analytical best practices are shared. The
Agreement will also contribute to the better
understanding of the relationship between
food and health in areas such as food
allergens, acrylamide and polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons.
The Memorandum should optimise working
together in identifying problem areas
impacting upon European consumers and in
developing innovative scientific solutions.
Staff development and training programmes
will be enhanced while exchanges of
scientists will increase.
The Agreement also provides for greater
exchange of scientific and technical
information and the hosting of joint
seminars and conferences.
The thematic areas given the greatest
prominence under the new framework are Food
and Feed Safety, with an extension to Animal
Health and Welfare, Impact of Climate Change
on Plant Health, and Nutrition.
Further information