Engagement mechanisms dedicated to registered stakeholders

In addition to the above, registered stakeholders [link to ‘How to become a registered stakeholder’] can also engage with EFSA through the following mechanisms. Two of them are permanent bodies established by the EFSA Management Board.

Digital Community Platform of EFSA Registered Stakeholders

EFSA’s Registered Stakeholder Digital Community Platform is the gateway to all stakeholder services and tools of interest and a collaborative workspace where registered stakeholders can engage regularly with EFSA on a variety of technical topics. The digital community platform enables stakeholders to exchange information and network with their peers, co-develop meeting agendas with EFSA, advise EFSA on issues of stakeholder engagement, and much more. The platform also includes a discussion forum, moderated by EFSA, whose topics are selected and prioritized by members of the community.

Stakeholder forum

The Stakeholder Forum brings together the EFSA registered stakeholder community once a year to discuss EFSA’s work plans and priorities. The themes and topics of each annual forum are suggested by the registered stakeholders and by the priority areas identified by EFSA.

List of registered stakeholders | Meetings

Stakeholders Office

The role of the Stakeholders Office is to advise EFSA on stakeholder engagement and dialogue on matters falling within the competence of the Authority. It also helps shape the agenda of the Stakeholder Forum. It is made up of seven representatives of EFSA’s stakeholder groups proposed by the stakeholders themselves to act in the interest of the category they represent.

Members | Meetings

Round tables

The roundtables address questions raised by NGOs, advocacy groups and industry associations on certain aspects of EFSA’s work. They promote understanding of EFSA’s risk assessment processes and facilitate the submission of information and responses by stakeholders to EFSA calls and consultations.

Meetings

Thematic focus groups

Thematic focus groups act as “learning systems” to discuss and exchange information in specific areas, capitalizing on the knowledge of stakeholders in these areas. Focus groups are mainly open to registered stakeholders, although EFSA may also invite unregistered organizations or individuals to participate, depending on their skills, expertise and experience, if applicable. Such participation is in line with EFSA’s core values ​​of openness and transparency.

The following groups are currently active:

Emerging Risks Stakeholder Focus Group (StaDG-ER): EFSA defines an emerging risk as: “a risk resulting from a newly identified hazard to which significant exposure may occur, or from significant new or increased exposure and / or susceptibility to a known hazard”. Created in 2010, the StaDG-ER allows EFSA to capitalize on the specialized knowledge of stakeholders in this area, and to improve the exchange of information and dialogue on emerging risks.

Interaction framework | 2018 Membership Renewal Call and Renewal Selection Meeting Minutes | Annual reports (2011, 2012 & 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) | Meetings

Food Chemical Occurrence Data Group: EFSA is required to work in close cooperation with all organizations operating in the field of data collection. The Food Chemical Occurrence Data Group discusses and exchanges information on practicalities and challenges regarding the provision of occurrence data and use data by stakeholders. The group mainly focuses on food additives and chemical contaminants in food and feed.

Interaction framework | Terms of Reference | Members | Call for membership renewal 2018 | Meetings

Bee Guidelines Revision Consultation Group: This group supports EFSA’s ongoing review of the guidance on risk assessment of pesticides and bees, which has been requested by the European Commission. The group is consulted at different stages of the review and provides input to the EFSA Scientific Working Group responsible for revising the document.

Call to members | Report of the selection meeting | New

EU Bee Partnership Group for Data Sharing: This discussion group was set up in 2018 to establish the terms of reference of the EU Bee Partnership at the end of the scientific colloquium “Collecting and sharing data on bee health: towards a European partnership for bees” organized by EFSA as part of European Bee and Pollination Week 2017. Participants agreed to work towards the establishment of the European Bee Partnership, a stakeholder-managed platform for the benefit of stakeholders to ensure that bees, and possibly all pollinators, can thrive in Europe.

Minutes of the selection meeting and list of members | Meetings and news

Closed or inactive groups: