EFSA’s Management Board in a nutshell

EFSA is governed by an independent Management Board whose members are appointed to act in the public interest and do not represent any government, organisation or sector. The 15-member Board is responsible for ensuring that EFSA works effectively and efficiently. It sets EFSA’s budget, approves the annual work programme and appoints the Executive Director as well as the experts of EFSA’s Scientific Panels and Scientific Committee.

The Management Board guarantees that EFSA delivers on its mandate as defined in EFSA’s Founding Regulation. All decisions of the Board are taken by a majority of its members and each member has to sign EFSA’s Code of Conduct, which upholds core principles and values such as integrity, objectivity and serving in the public interest.

Appointment of the Board

EFSA’s Management Board comprises 14 members appointed by the EU Council (representing EU Member States’ governments) in consultation with the European Parliament. The European Commission (Directorate General for Health and Consumers, DG SANCO) is also represented on the Board.

Board members are required to have a wide range of expertise related to the food chain. In accordance with EFSA’s Founding Regulation, four of the members have a background in organisations representing consumers and other interests in the food chain but they act in their own capacity.

Every two years seven positions in the Management Board are renewed. The renewal procedure starts with an open call for expression of interests, which is published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

In a nutshell >>