Professor Anthony Hardy appointed Chair of EFSA’s Scientific Committee

At the inaugural meeting of their new 3-year mandate, members of EFSA’s Scientific Committee have appointed Professor Anthony Hardy Chair and professors Jan Alexander and Robert Luttik as Vice-Chairs.

Professor Hardy is a biologist and environmental chemist who has worked in the UK’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Central Science Laboratory for more than 30 years. He has worked on the impact of agricultural pesticides on wildlife and has been involved in national and international risk assessment and ecotoxicology for over 25 years. Prior to his appointment as Chair of EFSA’s Scientific Committee, Professor Hardy was Chair of EFSA’s Panel on Plant Protection Products and their Residues since 2003.

Commenting upon his recent appointment, Professor Hardy said “It is a privilege to have been appointed Chair and to lead a Scientific Committee of such a high calibre of expertise. Over the years, EFSA’s Scientific Committee has addressed many challenging areas of increasingly complex science. With EFSA’s Science Strategy firmly in place this committee will play a pivotal role in the development of new risk assessment methodologies.”

EFSA Executive Director, Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, commented “EFSA is delighted to have professors Hardy, Alexander and Luttik supporting our work as well as the Chairs of each of EFSA’s Scientific Panels and the external experts who together form EFSA’s Scientific Committee. In welcoming our new Scientific Committee, it is appropriate to mention and thank the members of the outgoing committee for their expertise and commitment. In particular I would like to extend my gratitude on behalf of the Authority to Professor Vittorio Silano, who so ably chaired EFSA’s Scientific Committee since 2003.”

The main task of EFSA’s Scientific Committee is the preparation of scientific advice in the area of new and harmonised approaches for risk assessment of food and feed. In doing so, the Scientific Committee produces scientific opinions and advice for risk managers, to provide a sound foundation for European policies and legislation and to support risk managers in taking effective and science based decisions.

• Scientific Committee and Panel renewal 2012
• Overview of Chair & Vice-Chair appointments to EFSA’s Scientific Panels and Committee 2012-2015