Strengthening food safety in Europe

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have signed a cooperation agreement which will strengthen cooperation in areas such as GMOs, BSE, the effects of climate change on food safety and feed additives.

Following a series of food crises in the 1990s, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was created in 2002 as the keystone of European Union risk assessment. In close cooperation with national authorities and in open consultation with its stakeholders, EFSA provides independent scientific advice and clear communication on existing and emerging risks.

To do this, EFSA works closely with partners including the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), a network of seven research institutes in five member states providing customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of EU policies. In the area of food and feed safety and quality, the JRC hosts six community reference laboratories (CRLs). These are created under EU legislation to support national authorities in their efforts to keep food and feed free from dangerous substances. The CRLs for heavy metals, mycotoxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and food contact materials have a control role in the food and feed area. The role of the CRLs for feed additives and genetically modified food and feed is central to the market authorisation procedure, and for these CRLs the close cooperation between the JRC and EFSA — established by legislation — is of particular importance.

The detailed memorandum of understanding signed by both organisations sets out how the JRC and EFSA will aim to ensure that additional robust data is provided for risk assessment, that harmonised standards are applied to data generation and that analytical best practices are shared. The agreement will also contribute to the better understanding of the relationship between food and health in areas such as food allergens, acrylamide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.