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EFSA Focal Point: BfR co-ordinates health risk assessment on the national level

In its role as a central, national Focal Point, BfR co-ordinates the exchange of scientific information between the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the public authorities responsible for food and feed safety in Germany, stakeholders from economic, political and scientific circles and representatives of consumer associations. Focal Points have been set up in all 27 Member States of the European Union (EU). The task of the Focal Points is to support the members of the EFSA Advisory Board which is the interface between the national authorities in Member States and EFSA itself. The President of BfR, Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel, is the German member on the Advisory Board. In this context, the risk assessment activities of the individual Member States are to be co-ordinated on the European level. The goal of these measures is to bundle existing European knowledge about health risks associated with foods and, in this way, to place food safety in Europe on the highest possible scientific level.

In Germany BfR has been appointed as the Focal Point for this scientific co-ordination work. BfR was proposed by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV). As the national co-ordination office BfR is an important mediator between EFSA and the competent federal ministries: the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV), the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) and the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). The remit of EFSA extends to the area of activities of the federal institutions within the portfolios of these federal ministries and the following institutions:

• Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN)
• Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL)
• German Nutrition Society (DGE)
• Research Institute of Child Nutrition (FKE)
• Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI)
• Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)
• Max Rubner Institute (MRI)
• Robert Koch Institute (RKI)
• Federal Environmental Agency (UBA)

BfR also has contacts to the federal state ministries responsible for monitoring activities in consumer protection. Scientific institutions involved in Germany in tracing, identifying, assessing and managing risks in the areas of food, feed, animal welfare and plant health are included in this exchange of information. The objective is to channel German expert knowledge to a greater degree into EFSA.

Contact

Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
EFSA Focal Point
Thielallee 88-92
14195 Berlin

Tel.: +49 30 8412 2103
Fax: +49 30 8412 1243
Email: efsa-focal-point@bfr.bund.de