Europe’s top food safety body has approved €73 million (£70m) of investment into scientific development and expertise.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA’s) Management Board adopted EFSA’s five-year strategic plan, its full budget of €73 million and its management plan, setting out key priorities for 2009.

In its plan, which will run from 2009-2013, EFSA outlines how it will maximise the benefits of the scientific expertise at its disposal across Europe and strengthen its integrated approach to risk assessment to provide Europe’s decision-makers with relevant, up-to-the-minute scientific advice.

EFSA plans to ensure the delivery and strengthen the quality of its scientific advice, and boost its strategy on co-operation and networking by increasing the number of bodies that can help the authority with work such as data collection to 366 organisations, through contracts and grants worth €7.5m (£7.1m).

EFSA will also strengthen its capacity to identify emerging risks and develop a strategic approach to international activities while ensuring a stimulating and rewarding environment for its staff.

Executive director Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle told the Board EFSA had almost doubled its scientific outputs in 2008 compared to last year, while the number of staff had increased by 27 per cent.

EFSA was helped in its work by its strengthened co-operation with member states, its ever-widening network of experts, its dialogue with risk managers, its improvements in efficiency and productivity and by the efforts of all of its staff, Geslain-Lanéelle said.

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