EFSA Press Release, 14 September 2004
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Management Board reviewed today the terms of reference for a future independent external evaluation of the Authority’s work to be carried out in 2005.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Management Board reviewed today the terms of reference for a future independent external evaluation of the Authority’s work to be carried out in 2005. Required by EFSA’s founding Regulation, the overall aim of this evaluation is to assess the Authority’s achievements in comparison with the objectives set out in legislation. The evaluation will also identify potential shortfalls and improvements necessary to EFSA’s organisational structure and working practices. It will lead in principle to a series of operational changes and possibly also to changes to the Authority’s legal framework, as and where required. A subcommittee of the Management Board will steer the evaluation which will be commissioned to an independent consultancy. The EFSA Director will also provide a formal submission to the review process including lessons learned and recommendations for the future. In parallel, the Management Board agreed today key performance indicators which will be utilised to monitor EFSA’s progress to the end of 2005 and welcomed the significant advances made in the Authority’s future relocation to Parma. With the first staff scheduled to arrive in October, Board members stressed however the importance of implementing direct flights between Parma and Brussels.
Commenting on EFSA’s future evaluation, Stuart Slorach, Chairman of the Board explained: “The establishment of an independent organisation charged with providing objective scientific advice on risks associated with the food chain was an important milestone in the development of European Union policy concerning food safety. While it is still ‘early days’ for EFSA, we look forward to this evaluation which will assess how effective the Authority has been in fulfilling its mandate and delivering on the key principles of independence, scientific excellence, openness and transparency with which it has been entrusted. The Board is committed to supporting this work and to providing all interested parties with a first assessment of EFSA’s activities and their impact on European citizens.”