Renewal of EFSA’s Scientific Committee and Panels – June 2006

EFSA’s Scientific Committee and Panels were reconstituted as of June 2006 in accordance with the procedure in place for renewing the Scientific Committee and Panels every three years. The full list of nominated scientific experts who have accepted their nomination is available here, along with a document describing the evaluation and selection process, a set of Frequently Asked Questions on the renewal of the Scientific Committee and Panels and a link to the EFSA press release. List of new Panel members listed by Panel This list will be updated as outstanding nominees confirm with EFSA their appointment Document outlining the procedure for the evaluation and selection of candidates for membership of the scientific Committee or a Scientific Frequently Asked Questions EFSA press release

First plenaries with new Panel members
AFC: 13-14-15 June 2006	GMO: 4-5 July 2006
AHAW: 7-8 June 2006	NDA: 5-6 July 2006
BIOHAZ: 21-22 June 2006	PLH: 13-14 June 2006
CONTAM: 12-14 June 2006	PPR: 21-22 June 2006
FEEDAP: 14-15 June 2006	Scientific Committee: 14-15 September 2006

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The scientific work of EFSA revolves around four central themes:

• General questions on food and feed safety;

EFSA scientific opinions and reports, guidelines and guidance documents are in response to formal requests to the Authority from the European Commission, the European Parliament, EU Member States or through so-called ‘self-tasking’ activities. ‘Self-tasking’ occurs when EFSA, during the course of its regular work, identifies a particular issue which it believes requires further analysis and research.

• Authorisations;

EFSA assesses the risk of specific groups of regulated substances and develops proposals for risk-related factors while following legally defined notification/authorisation procedures and time schedules. Authorisation of regulated substances is the responsibility of risk managers.

• Monitoring specific risk factors, zoonoses and animal diseases;

Scientific opinions in this area cover tests and other tools – such as BSE/TSE diagnostic tests – that are used to assess and control risk factors and disease, to monitor zoonoses (a disease and/or infection which is naturally transmissible directly or indirectly between animals and humans) and other food-borne zoonotic agents and to provide a scientific review of new tools for the eradication of specific animal diseases.

• Investing in food science.

EFSA invests in food science through development, promotion and application of new and harmonised scientific approaches and methodologies for hazard and risk assessment of food and feed. Most of the work in this area responds to requests from EFSA and is carried out by the Scientific Committee, the EFSA Scientific Panels with the support of EFSA’s Science Department.

EFSA’s risk assessments are carried out by its Scientific Committee and nine Scientific Panels specialized in the following areas:

• Panel on food additives, flavourings, processing aids and materials in contact with food (AFC)
• Panel on additives and products or substances used in animal feed (FEEDAP)
• Panel on plant protection products and their residues (PPR)
• Panel on plant health (PLH)
• Panel on genetically modified organisms (GMO)
• Panel on dietetic products, nutrition and allergies (NDA)
• Panel on biological hazards (BIOHAZ)
• Panel on contaminants in the food chain (CONTAM)
• Panel on animal health and welfare (AHAW)

The Authority also monitors specific risk factors such as BSE/TSE while the Pesticide Risk Assessment Peer Review Unit (PRAPeR) is responsible for the peer review of initial assessments carried out by rapporteur Member States on new or existing active substances used in plant protection products.

The Panels are comprised of leading independent scientists appointed for a three-year term following a public call for expressions of interest. Working Groups are created by the Panels when additional expertise in specific areas of competence is needed.

EFSA Science encourages open scientific debate on food and feed safety issues with stakeholders outside the organization. Activities in this area include open consultations on certain EFSA opinions, stakeholder colloquia where scientific issues are discussed and invitations to submit specific scientific data to EFSA.