In June 2006 EFSA’s Management Board recommended developing greater cooperation and networking between EFSA and its counterparts in the Member States as a key priority for the next five years. They envisage networking between EFSA and the national authorities to be in a position to mobilise pan-European scientific resources.

Following consultations with the Advisory Forum, the Steering Group on Cooperation and the Scientific Committee, the Management Board’s recommendation has been followed up by the establishment of several working groups and networks for carrying out scientific cooperation projects (ESCOs) focused on food and feed safety issues of interest for both EFSA and the Member States.

Participants in the ESCO projects are to include national experts proposed by the Member States through the Advisory Forum, members of the Scientific Panels or Scientific Committee and EFSA’s scientific staff. The final outcome of such projects is a report to EFSA’s Executive Director, who may decide to bring it to the attention of EFSA’s Panels and Scientific Committee for information or consideration. ESCO projects do not aim to issue any Scientific Opinion, which remains the task of EFSA’s Panels and Scientific Committee.