Established by EU Regulation in January 2002, EFSA began its activities in temporary premises in Brussels until the European Council decided on Parma as its permanent seat on 13 December 2003. Since then, EFSA has worked actively, with the support of the Italian authorities to relocate to Parma while continuing to expand its organisation, recruit staff and ensure timely delivery of scientific advice on food and feed safety.

Commenting on EFSA’s inauguration, the Executive Director, Geoffrey Podger said: “We are very pleased to set up our permanent residence in Parma and are grateful for the overwhelming support given to us by the Italian authorities in establishing the Authority here. Our staffing levels are expected to double over the next two years, reaching up to 300 by the end of 2006. The Authority’s establishment in Parma will provide us with a solid base from which to pursue the expansion of our organisation and activities.”

Set up in May 2003, EFSA’s Scientific Committee, Expert Panels and related working groups have published to date over 200 opinions following requests of the EU institutions for assessments concerning risks associated with the food chain. In 2004, almost 400 scientific meetings took place to debate issues and prepare opinions. All of EFSA’s scientific advice is published on the Authority’s website and since its establishment over 60 press releases have been issued to further disseminate findings. EFSA counts today 150 staff from 15 Member States, and the Authority will complete its move to Parma by October 2005.