EFSA should organise around dossier sections, consultant
The new organisation at EFSA is intended to make better use of resources and improve efficiency. Taking place gradually throughout 2011 and early 2012, the authority will be made up of five directorates, of which three are scientific:
A key feature is setting up an Applications Desk to be the first point of contact for companies submitting applications for the evaluation of regulated substance, products and claims.
“The extra spotlight on applications also means EFSA will be prepared should EU institutions decide in the future to introduce a fee-based system.”
But while he welcomed the setting up of the Applications Desk as a “brilliant” move that will help stakeholders, Nigel Baldwin, director of scientific and regulatory consulting for Europe at Cantox Health Sciences told FoodNavigator.com it would be really helpful to have a common risk assessment procedure for all submissions.
“The Commission has introduced a Common Authorisation Procedure and it is envisaged that this should be extended,” he said.
The procedure was laid down in the Food Improvement Agents Package of legislation, covering additives, flavourings and enzymes, and had the amended novel foods legislation gone through, authorisations would have followed that procedure too.
Vitamins and minerals are not currently covered by the Common Authorisation Procedure.
“A common approach to risk assessment would surely allow EFSA to reorganise its [risk assessment] structure in line with a dossier,” he continued.
Baldwin envisages that EFSA could introduce set up working groups that reflect the different constituents of a dossier, such as, toxicology, efficacy, composition.
Such working groups, he suggests, could work across different pieces of legislation. “Toxicology is toxicology, whether its for additives or novel foods,” he said.
EFSA’s plans
EFSA’s five directorates will be:
The Risk Assessment and Scientific Assistance Directorate; the Scientific Evaluation of Regulated Products Directorate; the Science Strategy and Coordination Directorate; The Resources and Support Directorate; and the Communications Directorate.
“It is important that our scientific staff are able to focus more on scientific work, and so we are centralising many more administrative tasks under the Resources and Support Directorate on which the rest of EFSA depends to successfully carry out its mission,” said EFSA’s Executive Director Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle.
“EFSA has grown rapidly since it was set up in 2002. It is right that we review the way we are structured to make sure we keep pace with the demands made of us, make optimal use of our resources and become even more effective in what we do.”
