EFSA appoints new director and sets new priorities
The European food Safety Authority (EFSA) has named Catherine Geslain- Lanéelle as its new Executive Director, whose task will be to implement a series of key priorities for action over the next five years. Ms Geslain-Lanéelle, who took up the position on 4 July, is no newcomer to the area of food risk management or to the EFSA. In 2003, she was Director-General of Food at the French Agriculture Ministry, where she was responsible for the management of health risks related to food, animal health and welfare and plant protection as well as risk communications. Prior to that, she worked at the European Commission in the area of risk management and risk assessment. Serving as Vice-Chair on its management board, Ms Geslain-Lanéelle has also been directly involved in the development of the different bodies of EFSA since its establishment in 2002, and has contributed to the definition of its working programme and the strategic orientations with regard to risk communications and relationship with stakeholder. Over the next five years, Ms Geslain-Lanéelle will be expected to take EFSA to its next stage of development. 'I am joining EFSA at a very opportune moment. Building on the significant work done so far I am committed to further establishing EFSA as a European reference for risk assessment on food and feed safety both in the EU and internationally. 'European risk managers need to rely on independent scientific advice to underpin policies and decisions regarding food safety. It will be my job to take us there by working in close collaboration with Member States, key institutional partners and stakeholders', said Ms Geslain-Lanéelle. Her work will be guided in particular by recommendations recently adopted by EFSA's management board. They specify six priorities areas where action must be taken, namely: - develop active networking and stronger cooperation with Member States, particularly new and acceding countries; - strengthen links with EFSA's institutional partners, EU and international, and stakeholders, build appropriate dialogue so that underlying scientific issues are well understood by risk managers - enhance EFSA's organisation, refine its management structure, tools and practices in order to develop greater efficiency in delivering its mandate - enhance the impact and effectiveness of communications, promote coherence in communications on food and food safety across Europe; - develop a leading role in providing scientific basis for the growing policy and risk management activities in the areas of in nutrition, diet and obesity - define the organisation's medium and long-term vision.