2003 discharge: European Food Safety Authority

PURPOSE : presentation of the financial statements and balance sheets of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2003.

CONTENT : this report presented by the European Food Safety Authority presents the financial statements and balance sheets of its activities in 2003 which was its first complete financial year since its creation on 28 January 2002 by Regulation 178/2002/EC.

The report highlights that the final budget amounts to EUR 12.6 million of which 99.7% is a Community contribution.

As regards the staffing policy, the Authority, whose temporary headquarters are in Brussels but are due to be transferred to Parma (Italy), has allocated 49 posts in its establishment plan. 27 posts are occupied with +36 other staff (auxiliary contracts, seconded national experts, local and temporary staff) making a total of 63 staff assigned to administrative and operational duties.

In 2003, the Authority concentrated on the following activities :

- setting up its Scientific Committee and all the Scientific Panels in June 2003. It issued 23 public opinions during the remainder of the year;

- in October the Authority held a conference in Ostende (Belgium) with its interested parties, the purpose of which was to determine how to carry out its mandate in the future;

- the Advisory Forum met six times with a view to setting up the network linking the national authorities. This led to increased exchanges of information with the Authority and between the national departments concerned.