A commentary by Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, former Executive Director of EFSA

The creation of national agencies and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has strengthened food safety in Europe, by ensuring a sound, scientific basis for food legislation. The agencies have increased the transparency of the risk assessment process in Europe and provide advice independent of political, economic and other influences. In 2002, the European Union set up a network to enable the national agencies, more than 2,500 scientific experts and nearly 400 national scientific organisations to cooperate with EFSA staff. This network is continuously evolving to protect the health of European consumers and the environment.

EFSA, like other risk assessment agencies in EU Member States, such as the UK Food Standards Agency , cannot fulfill its mission without the contribution of top scientists employed by research bodies and universities. Their experience gives us access to the most recent scientific knowledge and the best multi-disciplinary expertise at a level impossible to achieve on our own.

The scientists on the expert committees are not paid for their work (they only receive reimbursement for expenses) and share their expertise in addition to their everyday jobs, often devoting weekends and holidays to assist EFSA and other agencies. A survey in 2009 of 1,000 EFSA experts found that more than 60% choose to participate in EFSA’s work to help protect the health of Europeans.

A recent Eurobarometer survey commissioned by EFSA on the perception of food-related risks carried out among EU citizens in June 2010 showed that the vast majority expressed their trust in scientific experts (74%) and national agencies and EFSA (64%) as sources of information on food-related risks. However, a 2010 “Eurobarometer survey on science and technology” also showed that 41% of those polled have little confidence in the independence of scientists because of the work they do with industry.

Can the scientific integrity of experts be questioned because of the work they do, or have done, with industry?

It is generally not known that national and European research policies encourage, and in some cases, oblige researchers in the public sector to work with the private sector in order to fund their research and promote the transfer of knowledge and its various applications. This cooperation is neither recent nor confined to Europe. Nor are the increasing constraints on public finances and the importance of supporting innovation and competitiveness of the food industry likely to alter this trend. Many scientific experts working in the public sector are therefore involved to varying degrees in projects funded by, or involving, industry.

To guard against risks inherent in public-private partnerships, EFSA, like other health and environment protection agencies, has introduced rules and procedures to identify and prevent possible financial or intellectual conflicts of interests related to work with industry or such bodies as non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Each year, EFSA staff assess over 5,000 experts’ declarations of interest and take decisions when appropriate to exclude some of those experts from engaging in all or some of its activities. All these declarations of interest and any related decisions are published on EFSA’s website.

In 2011, EFSA’s second five-yearly assessment will take place, focusing in particular on the way principles of independence, scientific excellence and transparency have been applied. It will also provide an opportunity for an in-depth discussion of these issues at a time of an increasing workload, in particular related to the assessment of regulated substances, products or claims. As always, EFSA will continue to provide the best independent advice on risks linked to the food chain to support timely decisions by Europe’s policy makers. EFSA is grateful to the thousands of scientists, researchers and academics who give their time and know-how to ensure that risks connected with food remain as low as possible and that food continues to be associated with pleasure and health for all.