International
Food safety issues are often global issues. International trade, travel, migration and even climate change can impact food safety regulation at local, national and regional levels.
EFSA has developed close working contacts with international organisations and food agencies in different parts of the world.
International organisations
EFSA supports the European Union in its international commitments by providing scientific and technical advice to United Nations Codex Alimentarius-related activities.
- This involves ties with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committees and contacts with third countries outside the EU.
- When the European Commission requests our support, EFSA experts participate in meetings organised by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. This is a body set up under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme to develop food standards, guidelines, codes of practice and related texts. EFSA has contributed to various relevant meetings, for example, on the principles of risk analysis and on biotechnology.
- We also work with international organisations responsible for providing scientific advice or setting international standards. These organisations include FAO, WHO, the International Plant Protection Convention, the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Organisation for Animal Health.
Food Agencies
EFSA continues to build relationships with its counterparts across the world.
- Sometimes this is done through formal agreements with regulatory agencies with a risk assessment mandate, such as in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the USA.
- Cooperation with counterparts across the world, including Brazil, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
EU enlargement
Before joining the EU, applicant country must meet certain requirements. Food safety issues play an important role in accession negotiations for EU membership.
- EFSA has worked with the EU enlargement countries since 2005. Currently candidate countries are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine. Georgia and Kosovo* have the status of potential candidates.
- Extensive contacts exist between EFSA and the food safety authorities in the IPA beneficiaries (currently: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye) under the EFSA Pre-Accession Programmes funded from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). The Programmes aim to increase preparedness of the national authorities for their possible future co-operation with EFSA as full members of the EU.
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
Documents
- Implemented activities under the EFSA Pre-Accession programme 2017-2019
- Implemented activities under the EFSA Pre-Accession programme 2015-2017
- Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance
- Implemented activities under the EFSA Pre-Accession programme 2011-2014
- Pre-Accession programme reports
- Candidate country profiles
- Potential candidate countries
EU neighbourhood
Food safety is an important element of the EU’s European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The EU works with its southern and eastern neighbours through the ENP to achieve the closest possible political association and the greatest possible degree of economic integration.
- Neighbourhood countries’ awareness of EU regulations and procedures on consumer safety – including food crisis response – and the free movement of food/feed are crucial for protecting consumers while promoting regional trade. They require information about EFSA, risk assessment and risk communication, and the European food safety system to align their systems, as far as possible, with those in Europe.
- EFSA started to cooperate with the EU neighbouring countries via the Programme funded from the European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument (ENPI) in February 2014. Through this Programme EFSA is actively pursuing greater integration of the following countries into its work: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Palestine**, Tunisia and Ukraine.
** This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue