24.4.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 95/14

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Call for expressions of interest for external experts in order to establish a working group of scientific experts of the European Food Safety Authority (Parma, Italy)

2009/C 95/06

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the keystone of European Union (EU) risk assessment regarding food and feed safety. In close collaboration with national authorities and in open consultation with its stakeholders, EFSA provides independent scientific advice and communication on existing and emerging risks.

The Authority has set up a selection procedure that aims to draw up a reserve list of:

EXTERNAL EXPERTS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE MEMBERSHIP OF A WORKING GROUP OF SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS TO EXTERNALLY REVIEW THE QUALITY OF THE SCIENTIFIC OUTPUTS OF THE EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY

Ref.: EFSA/E/2009/001

The Authority intends to have a scientific working group in order to assess the quality of the scientific outputs (1) in the areas covered by EFSA’s Scientific Directorates and the Scientific Committee and Advisory Forum Unit.

External scientific experts are invited to submit their application in order to be considered for membership in the above mentioned working group.

THE EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY

EFSA is the cornerstone of the EU system of risk assessment for food and feed safety; its scientific advice on existing and emerging risks underpins the policies and decisions of risk managers in the European Institutions and EU Member States. The Authority’s most crucial role is to provide transparent and independent scientific advice and clear communication grounded in the most up-to-date scientific methodologies and data available.

EFSA brings together Europe’s best experts in risk assessment in the field of food and feed safety. They act in an independent capacity for the Authority — an autonomous, self-governed organisation that provides the European Institutions and Member States with scientific advice of the highest standard.

The Authority is committed to the core standards of scientific excellence, openness, transparency, independence and responsiveness. By working independently, openly and transparently EFSA delivers the best possible scientific advice and therefore contributes to strengthening the European food and feed safety system.

A detailed overview of EFSA’s Scientific Panels and the workflow for scientific opinions can be found on EFSA’s website.

Scientific Panels: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/efsa_locale-1178620753812_ScientificPanels.htm

Workflow for scientific opinions: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/AboutEfsa/HowWeWork/efsa_locale-1178620753812_WorkflowForScientificOpinions.htm

For more information regarding EFSA’s internal rules: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/AboutEfsa/WhoWeAre/efsa_locale-1178620753812_managementdocuments.htm

The role of the external evaluators of EFSA’s scientific outputs

Following the Scientific Committee’s proposal for a three-part system to review the quality of EFSA’s scientific activities (2), EFSA implemented in the first half of 2008, the first two components, self-review and internal review. It is now in the process of implementing the third part, the external review.

The external review will cover an evaluation of a sample of already adopted and published EFSA’s scientific outputs (3) to evaluate whether:

—	best assessment practices were followed in the development of the output with respect to the collection, description, evaluation and interpretation of the scientific data;

—	conclusions and recommendations were supported by an adequate description of the reasoning underlying the interpretation of the scientific data, with due attention paid to assumptions and uncertainties;

—	the terms of reference were adequately addressed in the conclusions.

In order to ensure the above mentioned items, the external reviewers would receive a questionnaire, similar one used to the internal review questionnaire, to be completed during their review focusing on:

—	addressing the Terms of Reference;

—	specifying the objectives;

—	boundaries between risk assessment and risk management;

—	applied statistical and other analyses methods;

—	balance between major and minor findings;

—	indication of what possibly further research or information may be needed;

—	coherence between conclusions and the main content of the opinion/report;

—	expressing and reporting minority opinions;

—	coherence between summary, context of the question and content of the opinion;

—	clarity of the summary for the risk managers.

External Review subgroups (ERS) consisting of three experts, i.e. a Chair and two Rapporteurs, will be set up in the Working Group for each of the seven areas of activity (4).

The 24 ERS experts are planned to meet one day at EFSA in a plenary meeting. The ERS would then review the scientific output off-site and reconvene at EFSA for 2–3 days to draft and agree on the evaluation, to provide feedback on the procedure and the work undertaken in this process. The experts will be supported by the Scientific Committee and Advisory Forum Unit.

The external evaluation of all the activity areas should be finalised by the end of October 2009.

Reimbursement

External experts are entitled to an indemnity of Euro 300 for each full day of meeting attendance to defray other costs derived from their contribution to and participation in the work of the External Review Subgroup. As a compensation for costs incurred by the preparatory work for meetings, the Chair of each External Review Subgroup is entitled to one additional daily indemnity per meeting. Each Rapporteur is entitled to an indemnity of Euro 600 to defray costs linked to the coordination of preparatory work for draft the evaluation report.

Travel and subsistence expenses incurred by external experts in connection with meetings relating to the External Review Subgroup may be reimbursed under the conditions foreseen for the reimbursement of travel and subsistence expenses incurred by Members or external experts in connection with meetings relating to the Scientific Committee or Panel.

Application

In order to be considered for membership of the working group for the review of the quality of EFSA’s scientific outputs, experts are invited to fill in the online application and to provide their preferences for a maximum of three out of seven areas of activities. These areas include:

—	Chemical risk assessment and connected fields (5)

—	Nutrition and novel foods

—	Biological risk assessment and zoonoses data collection

—	Animal health and welfare

—	Plant health

—	Genetically Modified Organisms

—	Risk assessment methodologies and emerging risks.

Requirements

In order to be considered for membership of the working group for the review of the quality of EFSA’s scientific outputs, the following qualifications and professional experience are required (6):

A.

Eligibility criteria (i) A university degree in areas including Toxicology, Ecotoxicology, Environmental Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Food Technology, Pharmacology, Veterinary Medicine, Human Medicine, Pharmacy, Biology, Life Science, Agronomy/Agricultural Science, Food microbiology, Epidemiology, Occupational Medicine, Public Health or in areas related to public health, at postgraduate level. (ii) At least ten (10) years of professional experience relevant to the remit of the preferred area of activity at a level to which the above required qualifications provide eligibility. (iii) Good knowledge of the English language. (iv) Candidates must comply with EFSA’s policy on Declaration of Interests and complete the Declaration of Interests form included in the application in an extensive, accurate and complete manner. Please note that failure to fill in this part of the form in a complete manner will result in the rejection of the application. For more information regarding Declarations of Interests: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/AboutEfsa/WhoWeAre/efsa_locale-1178620753812_DeclarationsInterest.htm (v) Candidates must be nationals of a Member State of the European Communities, European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries and EU accession countries. Experts from non-European countries may also apply but will be considered only when the required level of expertise cannot be found among European experts. (vi) Candidates must not have been actively contributing to EFSA’s scientific output during the last two years, i.e. after 15 June 2007.

B.

Selection criteria — Experience in carrying out scientific risk assessment and/or providing scientific advice in fields related to food and feed safety in general and, in particular in the one or more areas of activity covered by the Scientific Committee or the Scientific Panels, — Proven scientific excellence in one, or preferably several areas covered by the Scientific Committee or the Scientific Panels, — Experience in peer reviewing scientific work and publications, preferably in areas covered by the Scientific Committee or the Scientific Panels, — Professional experience in auditing the quality of scientific work and good risk assessment practices.

Independence and declarations of commitment and interest

External experts are appointed on a personal basis. Applicants are required to include a declaration that they will undertake to act independently of any outside influence and a declaration of interests which may be deemed to be prejudicial to their independence.

Equal opportunities

EFSA takes great care to apply the principles of equal treatment in its procedures.

EFSA external expert database

Please note that application for inclusion in the external expert database is carried out through a separate procedure, se:

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/AboutEfsa/WhoWeAre/efsa_locale-1178620753812_1178712806106.htm

Candidates who are currently included in the expert database are not excluded from participation in this call if they have not actively contributed to EFSA’s scientific output during the last two years.

Handling of Personal Data in the context of this Call for Expressions of Interest

All personal information on candidates shall be processed by EFSA pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data.

The EFSA Executive Director is identified as controller for the processing of personal data related to the selection procedure based on this Call for Expressions of Interest.

The purpose of the processing is to organise a selection of evaluators for the EFSA external review exercise and all personal data shall be processed solely for this purpose.

Candidates have a right to access their data and to update or correct their identification data. On the other hand, data demonstrating compliance with the eligibility criteria and selection criteria may not be updated or corrected after the closing date for this Call for Expressions of Interest.

Candidates are entitled to have recourse at any time to the European Data Protection Supervisor.

Submission of applications

Candidates are kindly invited to submit online their application together with their Declaration of Interests and to fill in the application form in English in order to facilitate the selection procedure.

All candidates applying to this call for expressions of interest will be informed by mail about the outcome of the selection process.

Applications must be submitted no later than 15 June 2009 at midnight (local time, GMT +1). For those sent by registered mail, the postmark date will serve as proof.

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(1)  EFSA’s scientific output can be classified in two broad categories: 1.Scientific Opinions of the Scientific Panel/Scientific Committee, i.e. Opinion, Statement or Guidance of the Scientific Committee/Scientific Panel, and 2.Other scientific outputs of EFSA, i.e. Statement of EFSA, Guidance of EFSA, Conclusion on Pesticides Peer Review, Reasoned Opinion or Scientific or Technical Report.

(2)  http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/efsa_locale-1178620753812_1178628825410.htm (3 August 2007).

(3)  i.e. two outputs per Unit of which one has been internally reviewed, plus any sensitive ones.

(4)  Chemical risk assessment and reports in connected fields (to be divided into two review groups), Group 1: Nutrition and novel foods, Biological risk assessment and Zoonoses data collection; Group 2: Animal Health and Welfare, Plant health, GMO, Risk assessment methodologies and emerging risks.

(5)  Covers ANS, CEF, CONTAM, DATEX, FEEDAP, PRAPER and PPR.

(6)  EFSA reserves the right to consult third parties on the professional experience of applicants in the context of their application.

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