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Focal Point in Germany
The EFSA Focal Points are the contact points between the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the national food and feed safety authorities of the Member States of the European Union (EU). They were established in 2008 with the aim of coordinating scientific co-operation between EFSA and the Member States.
The Focal Point Network comprises contact points in the 27 EU member states as well as Iceland and Norway. There are also observers in Switzerland and the EU candidate countries who are represented in the network.
The national focal point in Germany is located at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). The Focal Point team at the BfR helps to coordinate the flow of information between EFSA and the German Article 36 organisations. These organisations are named after Article 36 of EFSA's founding regulation, which requires the networking of organisations working in areas within EFSA's mission. The Article 36 organisations, also known as competent organisations, are therefore national bodies, universities, authorities or institutes of the EU Member States that are active in EFSA's areas of work and support EFSA in fulfilling its mission. There are currently over 300 of these organisations across Europe. They support EFSA's work by, among other things, providing scientific opinions and technical and scientific support for carrying out risk assessment activities. They also help to collect data and identify emerging risks.
In addition to the BfR, six other organisations in Germany are currently part of the Article 36 network:
- Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (food and feed, consumer products, plant protection products, veterinary drugs, genetic engineering)
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (animal health)
- Julius Kühn-Institut (cultivated plants)
- Max Rubner Institute (nutrition and food)
- Federal Environment Agency (environmental protection)
- Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (food safety, health, animal health, occupational health and safety and product safety)
