BfR Annual Report 2015

BfR

Annual Report 2015

The BfR is committed to certain principles that ensure the high quality of its opinions. Ever since the institute

was founded in 2002, various measures have been taken which have played a key role in consolidating

this science-based approach to risk assessment, thereby contributing to the good reputation of the work

of the BfR.

Principles and working procedures

Impartiality

The impartiality of experts is a fundamental precondition

for guaranteeing independent risk assessment. For this

reason, the practice of separating scientific risk assess-

ment from subsequent risk management asserted itself

in Europe over ten years ago. For reasons of independ-

ence, the BfR does not seek any funding from trade and

industry. It is financed exclusively by funds provided by

the federal government and through national and inter-

national, publicly funded third party projects.

The overall concept of the BfR explicitly provides for the

exchange of views with many different stakeholders.

These include NGOs, consumer associations, trade and

industry, politics, science and the media. When scientific

standpoints are voiced and substantiated, the involve-

ment of various stakeholders is of particular importance,

but the risk assessments themselves are prepared ex-

clusively by employees of the BfR. External experts

merely advise the BfR, but they do not make any official

decisions. The work results and recommendations of the

BfR serve as an important decision-making aid for the

measures taken by all interested groups. The statements

issued by the BfR are based on internationally recog-

nised principles and are also substantiated in a way that

can be understood by non-experts. Existing knowledge

is given adequate consideration and is presented in a

manner which is easy to understand. Relevant opposing

scientific opinions are given in full.

Transparency is necessary on all levels of risk assess-

ment. From the objective and area of application of the

opinion, through the source, type and evidence of the

underlying data, the methods used along with the as-

sumptions, uncertainty and variability, to the result and

conclusions, the assessments have to be clear, under-

standable and reproducible.

Assessment of risks

The assessment of a risk takes into account the prob-

ability of the occurrence of an event which endangers

health and the anticipated extent of the health impair-

ment. Although a health risk can never be ruled out com-

pletely, through a series of suitable measures known

as risk management, an attempt is made to minimise

the risk to the greatest extent possible and to prevent a

threat to health.

The task of the BfR is to provide the responsible people

with a sound scientific foundation for risk management.

Identifying a risk and evaluating it – the two together

are known as “risk assessment” – is the first step in the

area of consumer health protection. Risk management

can use this as a point of reference and initiate suitable

measures.

Risk assessment is performed on the basis of interna-

tionally recognised scientific assessment criteria (see

diagram below). It entails the estimation of a risk using

scientific methods.

A distinction is made between qualitative risk assess-

ment, in which risks are described verbally in line with

the diagram outlined in the box, and quantitative risk as-

sessments. The latter are based at least partly on cal-

culations or mathematical models, and the risks are de-

scribed using mathematical or statistical methods.

The risk assessments made by the BfR are always the

subject of the institute's risk communication activities

too. The BfR has the legal mandate to inform the public

about potential, identified and assessed risks.