The EU’s Italian-based central food science and safety agency will livestream key plenary meetings from Parma including the health claim-assessing Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) on 4-6 April.
EFSA has been criticised for being a 'black box' but has in recent years made gains in transparency and communications with industry, academia, consumer groups and other regulators and governments.
“Following a pilot phase in Brussels, which did not significantly increase attendance, all open plenary meetings will move back to Parma in 2017,” EFSA said.
“Registered observers will still be able to attend the meetings but now they also have the option of following open sessions of the meetings on EFSA’s website and taking part in the question and answer sessions with EFSA’s experts while online.”
It added: “We encourage attendees to pose questions to EFSA’s scientific experts.”
Physical attendance will still be possible and EFSA can be contacted at publicmeetings@efsa.europa.eu about that.
2017 Parma plenaries
- Plenary meeting of the Panel on Plant Health (PLH)
- Parma, 29-30 March 2017
- Plenary meeting of the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA)
- Parma, 4-6 April 2017
- Plenary meeting of the Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW)
- Parma, 10-11 May 2017
- Plenary meeting of the Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM)
- Parma, 16-18 May 2017
- Plenary meeting of the Panel on Plant Protection Products and their Residues (PPR)
- Parma, 5-6 July 2017
- Plenary meeting of the Scientific Committee (SC)
- Parma, 12-13 July 2017
- Plenary meeting of the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP)
- Parma, 26-28 September 2017
- Plenary meeting of the Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)
- Parma, 25-26 October 2017
- Plenary meeting of the Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Food (ANS)
- Parma, 20-23 November 2017
- Plenary meeting of the Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF)
- Parma, 28-30 November 2017
- Plenary meeting of the Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ)
- Parma, 6-7 December 2017