Foundations of EU Food Law and Policy - Ten Years of the European Food Safety Authority

This volume presents the viewpoints of academics, food lawyers, industry and consumer representatives as well as those of EU policymakers on the first ten years of activity of one of the most prominent European agencies. Its broader purpose, however, is to discuss the future role played by EFSA within the rapidly-evolving area of EU food law and policy. By revisiting and discussing the milestones in the history of EFSA, the collection provides forward-looking views of food leaders and practitioners on the future scientific and regulatory challenges facing the European Union. In particular, by presenting a critical assessment of the agency’s activities within its different areas of work, the book offers readers a set of innovative tools for evaluating policy recommendations and better equips experts and the public to address pressing regulatory issues in this emotive area of law and policy. Despite its celebratory mood, the book’s focus is more about the future than the past of EU food law and policy. Each chapter discusses how EFSA’s role has evolved and identifies what it should have done differently while presenting an overall assessment of how the agency has discharged its mandate.

Foreword, Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle; Introduction: foundations of EU food and law policy, Alberto Alemanno; Part I EFSA from Within: Section 1 The Genesis: The genesis of EFSA and the first 10 years of EU food law, David Byrne. Section 2 Scientific Advice: EFSA’s science strategy: taking stock and looking ahead, Vittorio Silano; A taxonomy of EFSA’s scientific outputs, Citlali Pintado; The scientific governance of EFSA: status quo and perspectives, Simone Gabbi; Scientific regulatory cooperation within the EU: on the relationship between EFSA and national food authorities, Gabriele Abels, Alexander Kobusch and Jennifer Träsch; EFSA under pressure: emerging risks, emergencies and crisis, James Lawless; Scientific advice in the GMO area, Sara Poli; From BSE to obesity: EFSA’s growing role in the EU’s nutrition policy, Marine Friant-Perrot and Amandine Garde. Section 3 Scientific Communication: EFSA’s communication strategy: a critical appraisal, Raymond O’Rourke; EFSA stakeholder and public involvement policy and practice: a risk governance perspective, Marion Dreyer and Ortwin Renn. Part II EFSA from Outside: Section 1 The Institutional Perspective: The European Food Safety Authority: a view from the European Commission, Paola Testori Coggi and Patrick Deboyser; Scientific expertise and open government in the digital era: a view from the EU agencies, Alessandro Spina; EFSA the respondent: a view from the Court of Justice of the European Union, Caoimhin MacMaoláin; A view of EFSA from the European Parliament, Dagmar Roth-Behrendt; A view of EFSA from the member states, Isidora Maletic. Section 2 The Stakeholders’ Perspective: Ten years of EU food law: an industry perspective, Roberto Ciati; The consumers’ perspective on EFSA, Sue Davies; A Yankee in King Arthur’s Court: a lawyer's perspective of EFSA, Luis González Vaqué and Sebastián Romero Melchor; Rule of science: a food law professor’s perspective, Bernd van der Meulen and Rozita Spirovska Vaskoska. Section 3 The International Perspective: The European Food Safety Authority: a look from the United States, Stephanie Tai; EFSA in the international arena: caught in a legal straightjacket - or performing an autonomous role? Martijn Groenleer and Simone Gabbi; The European Food Safety Authority in global food safety governance: a participant, a benchmark, and a model, Ching-Fu Lin; Index.