Executive Agency for Health and Consumers

The Executive Agency for Health and Consumers supports the Commission in the management of Community programmes and measures in the fields of health, consumer policy and training in matters of food safety.

ACT

Commission Decision 2008/544/EC of 20 June 2008 amending Decision 2004/858/EC in order to transform the “Executive Agency for the Public Health Programme” into the “Executive Agency for Health and Consumers”.

SUMMARY

The Executive Agency for Health and Consumers was established on 20 June 2008 under Regulation 58/2003 laying down the statute for European Union executive agencies. It replaces the Executive Agency for the Public Health Programme (PHEA). It was established in Luxembourg for the period 1 January 2005 until 21 December 2015.

The Agency is responsible for implementing the programmes of Community action in the field of health 2003-2008 and 2008-2013, the programme of Community action in the field of Consumer policy for 2007-2013 and food safety training measures, with regard to the legislation on foodstuffs, animal feeds, animal health and animal welfare, as well as plant health rules.

The detailed tasks of the Agency were defined in the Commission decision delegating authority to the Agency adopted on 9 September 2008. Its general mission is to:

• manage and supervise the life cycle of the projects;
• adopt the instruments of budget implementation and implement the programmes and measures;
• produce reports to help the Commission evaluate the programmes and measures.

Function and management

Management of the Agency is provided by a Steering Committee of 5 members and a director. The Commission shall appoint them for a renewable term of office for two years and four years respectively. The Agency is accountable to the Commission for the programmes’ performance.

Finance

For its running costs the Agency receives subsidies entered in the general budget of the European Communities. They are distributed from the funds allocated to the Public Health Programme 2008-2013, the Consumer Programme 2007-2014 and the food safety training measures.

Last updated: 22.01.2009