1 Workshop 3: Health Lessons learned Finn Sheye EFSA Community agencies: Partners in Accession 26 November 2009, Sintra, Portugal

2 Pre-Accession Programme for Turkey and Croatia EFSA & EU Enlargement –Programmes so far Pre-Accession Programme 2008 for Turkey, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Croatia Pre-Accession Programme for the 3 Candidate countries and the 5 Potential Candidate countries Pre-Accession Programme for Bulgaria and Romania

3 Objectives – EFSA Pre-Accession Programme Objectives of EFSA Pre-Accession Programme: to prepare the Competent Bodies in the beneficiary countries for their future participation in EFSA networks, To contribute to the creation of communication and information exchange systems enabling future participation of the beneficiary countries in the EFSA networks, to transfer knowledge on methodologies within the remit of EFSA, in particular on risk assessment and data collection, To support the beneficiary countries in their communication activities linked to risk assessment

EFSA IPA Programme 2009/2010 Content of the Programme: EFSA meetings: The Candidate and Potential Candidate countries will take part in about 55 EFSA meetings during 2009/2010 Study tours: EFSA will arrange 3 study tours to EU Member States during the Programme Training seminars: EFSA will arrange 8 seminars Regional/national meetings on food safety will be supported by the Programme 4

5 2009/2010 Programme Seminars Training seminars in 2009/2010: Candidate Countries Animal Health and Welfare, Risk Assessment Methodology, Chemical Contaminants and Emerging risks, Food Additives and Flavourings, Dietetic products, nutrition and health claims, Practical examples on Risk Analyses. Potential Candidate Countries EU Food Safety system and EFSA in Montenegro, Seminar on Handling Crisis in Parma, Italy

EFSA Pre-Accession Programmes – Experiences so far I EFSA has had the following experiences of technical assistance: Objective 1 - to prepare the IPA bodies for participation in EFSA networks : Participation in a wider range of EFSA scientific meetings, networks and data collection – during about 55 meetings. Objective 2 - creation of communication and information exchange systems: Participation in 8 training seminars on food safety topics and in study tours. Objective 3 - transfer knowledge on methodologies: Specific seminar on methodologies and EFSA meetings on methodologies in risk assessment and data collection. Objective 4 - support the IPA countries in their communication activities: Participation in the communication working groups and training in communication at seminars. 6

EFSA Pre-Accession Programmes – Experiences so far II Higher interest from the competent authorities in the beneficiary countries in the IPA funded training seminars, study tours and EFSA meetings Higher interest in EFSA to include the beneficiary countries in EFSA scientific, network and data collection meetings as observers Active participation in the EFSA events (seminars, study tours and EFSA meetings) Request from the Candidate countries for further training and further participation in EFSA meetings Close cooperation with the national appointed coordinators and employed assistant coordinators 7

What are the key elements of success? The following elements have helped EFSA in improving the Project: Close cooperation between EFSA and the responsible authorities in the beneficiary countries. To achieve this we have got responsible Coordinators appointed by the authorities and employed Assistant Coordinators in the Candidate countries to take care of the practical work. Discussion and agreement between EFSA and the beneficiary countries on topics for training seminars and study tours Step by step involvement of the countries in EFSA meetings – today the Candidate countries are involved in 12 different types of meeting going from network meetings to data collection and scientific meetings Evaluation questionnaires at seminars and study tours to learn from the experiences

9 Main Challenges Challenge: Cooperation at national level on the participation in EFSA seminars, study tours and EFSA meetings Solution: Assistant Coordinators funded by IPA Programme facilitate communication and information exchange Challenge: Limited financial resources within the Programme means that we have to be restrictive about the number of seminars, study tours and participations in EFSA meetings Solution: Further funds in next Programme Challenge: Including the Potential Candidate countries in the work of EFSA Solution: Further funds in the next Programme Challenge: Many languages and interpretation is very costly Solution: Casa by case agreement with the countries on the use of fewer languages

10 Next IPA Programme How will we continue: -Talks with the beneficiary countries on the specific topics for seminars in the future programme during summer Decision on the application by EFSA Pre-Accession Steering Committee in autumn 2010 Biggest change foreseen: Some of the Potential Candidate countries will become Candidate countries in 2010/2011 and further involvement of the Potential Candidate Countries Funds: To run a Programme with 7-8 countries with training seminars, study tours and their participation in more EFSA meeting will require further funds. -Important with a joined initiative from the involved agencies towards the Commission on the amount of funds for the IPA projects!

Thank you for your attention Finn Sheye Pre-Accession Programme Coordinator Policy Officer The Legal and Policy Affairs Unit EFSA Tel