“I am pleased to see that EFSA’s commitment to openness and the quality of its scientific opinions are already recognised in this early feedback which we have received from our customers and stakeholders,” said Stuart Slorach. “EFSA will certainly face many challenges ahead. I look forward to serving a second term as Chairman of the Management Board which plays a key role both in ensuring the Authority’s independence and its capacity to effectively deliver its mandate.”

The Board also approved today a proposal on the rental of a provisional building in Parma, which following the approval of the Budget Committee of the European Parliament, will allow EFSA to begin its relocation to Parma in the autumn. It is anticipated that the move will be carried out progressively over a 12-month period and be completed by autumn 2005.

With regards to scientific matters, the Board selected 14 additional experts for EFSA’s scientific panels following a second call for expression of interest which will bring the total number of scientific experts to 170. International co-operation in science with both international organisations and third countries is also a key focus of EFSA’s work, as demonstrated by the account of a recent meeting between EFSA and a senior delegation from the FDA Centre for Food Safety and Nutrition (CFSAN). A similar meeting is scheduled with the Japanese Food Safety Commission in early July. Finally, the Board considered animal welfare aspects of the risk assessment process and agreed for EFSA to pursue the development of a policy with regards to animal testing and welfare. While recognizing that animal testing cannot be eliminated at present, EFSA will make every effort to stimulate, and participate in, the development of new food and feed assessment approaches that would minimise the use of experimental animals and would reduce to the extent possible the level of suffering of those animals that are still needed today.