EFSA European Food Safety Authority

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Communications
Communication on food safety perspective and
experience of EFSA
Anne-Laure Gassin Director of Communications
Safe Foods Meeting Rome, 3-4 March 2008
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Agenda

• EFSA's role in risk communications
• How we work
• risk perception consumer understanding
• importance of co-operation with key actors
• A practical example
• animal cloning work in progress

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Communications
Purpose

• Provide appropriate, consistent, accurate and
  timely communications on food safety issues to
  all interested parties, stakeholders and the
  public at large, based on the Authoritys risk
  assessments and scientific expertise

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Risk Communications
Source WHO/FAO 1997
Need for close co-operation between risk
assessors and risk managers
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EFSA Risk Communication What are we trying to
achieve ?

• Visibility for EFSA as Europe's food safety
  watchdog
• (risk assessment)
• Open and transparent access to all EFSA outputs,
  largely via website (www.efsa.europa.eu)
• Timely and accurate public announcements on risk
  assessments and key EU-wide issues
• Accessible and relevant messages on food safety
  issues
• Close co-ordination of communications with
• Member States to achieve more consistent and
  culturally sensitive output (eg Advisory Forum
  Working Group on Communication)
• European Commission and other risk managers to
  achieve overall coherence in risk communications

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Defining a Communications Strategy key
considerations

• Scientific significance of the risk assessment
  findings
• Nature of the risk (emerging, possible,
  identified and confirmed)
• Potential public health impact, taking into
  account exposure of vulnerable groups
• Public perception and anticipated reactions
• Legislative and market contexts, as appropriate

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Two different worlds meet

• SCIENCE
• Facts and data
• Authoritative statements and opinions
• Precise scientific terms
• Cautious advice
• Identify and explain where uncertainties lies
• No definitive conclusions where evidence is
  lacking

• MEDIA
• News facts (objective report)
• But also (subjective) interpretation
• A story has to SELL
• News what is different (deviates, the
  sensational, the negative, angle)
• No Jargon
• Interesting, relevant, quotable
• Concise Statements
• Quick response
• Easily accessible information
• Other points of view

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Tailor Communications approach to information
needs

• All opinions published on the EFSA website
• Explanatory/web context notes
• Web news stories
• Publications (eg EFSANews)
• Press statements/releases for sensitive
  opinions
• Press briefings for highly sensitive opinions
• Webstreaming to expand reach

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Audiences
Who does EFSA communicate with?
General Public
Risk Assessors (e.g. MS)
Risk Managers (EC, EP, MS)
Stakeholders (Environment, Consumer,Health NGOs,
Industry)
Policy Makers (EU beyond)
Stakeholders (Scientists/ Academics)
Media (Food, Health, EU Affairs)
Concerned Individuals
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Growing media interest
EU agency asked to rule on cloned meat and milk
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How we work

• Understand CONSUMER PERCEPTION of food and food
  safety risks(Eurobarometer report, Feb 2006)

• Bridge the GAP between science and the consumer
• (Advisory Group on Risk Comm)

• Promote COHERENT risk communications(Advisory
  Forum WG on Comm Pre-notification of
  press releases)

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Risk perception (Eurobarometer, 2006)
Top concerns
PESTICIDES Greece, Italy, Hungary, France,
Portugal, Slovenia, Germany, Spain, Finland
CONTAMINATION BY BACTERIA Czech Republic,
Luxembourg, Slovakia
NEW VIRUSES LIKE AVIAN INFLUENZA Malta, Latvia,
The Netherlands
POLLUTANTS LIKE MERCURY OR DIOXINS Belgium
GMOs Austria
RESIDUES IN MEAT Cyprus, Greece, Belgium
ADDITIVES Lithuania, Estonia
FOOD HYGIENE OUTSIDE HOME Poland, United
Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Spain
WELFARE OF FARMED ANIMALS Denmark, Sweden
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Coherence in communications

• Advisory Forum Working Group on Communications
  since November 2003
• Network of communications units from EFSA, Member
  States and Commission
• Key to promoting coherence in communications
• Co-ordination of risk communications exchange
  information evaluate efforts develop best
  practices
• Early warning on emerging/topical issues
• Pre-notification of press releases sent under
  embargo

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EFSA Risk Communications

• Animal Cloning
• a practical example of work in progress

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Animal cloning
Mandate

• The European Commission requested EFSA to advise
  on food safety, animal health, animal welfare and
  environmental implications of live animal clones
  obtained through somatic cell nuclear transfer
  (SCNT) technique, their offspring and of the
  products obtained from those animals.

February 2007
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Animal Cloning EFSA timetable

• Acceptance of mandate and timeframe after
  discussion with EFSA Scientific Committee April
  2007
• Request for scientific data April May '07
• Draft opinion endorsed for public consultation on
  19 December 2007
• Public consultation 11 Jan 25 Feb 2008
  --dedicated Stakeholders meeting (7 Feb)
• Final opinion of Scientific Committee (expected
  May 2008)

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Animal Cloning background

• EFSA does not have a mandate to consider ethical,
  moral or other societal issues beyond its
  scientific remit but focuses on the scientific
  risk assessment and its final opinion will help
  inform risk managers in considering any future EU
  measures
• The European Group on Ethics in Science and New
  Technologies (EGE) provided the EC with an
  Opinion which complements EFSAs work (16.01.08)
• USA the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  issued an Opinion on the food safety risks (risk
  assessment risk management) 15.01.08

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Communications approach

• Proactive, clear and open communications with
  regular updates at each stage
• From mandate, to public consultation, stakeholder
  meeting etc
• Website, media relations, stakeholder engagement
• Dialogue with key actors and interested parties
• Stakeholder Consultative Platform
• Participation in EGE roundtable on ethical
  aspects of animal cloning in the food supply
  (Sept '07)
• Scientific discussion at EFSA Scientific Forum
  Nov '07
• Dedicated stakeholder meeting (7.02.08)
• Ongoing dialogue with European Commission

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Communications approach

• Prerequisite for effective risk communications
  understand both science and public perceptions
• Advice sought from social scientists to help
• Assess public(s) perceptions and anticipate
  reactions
• Underpin appropriate communications strategies,
  messages and stakeholder dialogue
• ?Workshop organised (June 07) with social science
  experts
• ?Report to EFSA on consumer perceptions of food
  products from cloned animals (published Feb 08)

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Cloning on EFSAs Website
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Media coverage cloning timeline Jan 07-Feb 08
- EFSAs draft scientific opinion - FDA
opinion - EGE report on ethical aspects of cloning
- EFSA received mandate from EC
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Media coverage cloning per country
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Key messages mandate March 2007

• EFSA has received a request from the EC to assess
  possible implications of cloning for food safety,
  animal health, animal welfare and environment in
  the EU. Priority will be given to this work
• EFSAs Scientific Committee will lead the work as
  animal cloning issues cut across different
  scientific panels
• EFSA understands the EC request for opinions both
  from EFSA and the EGE as cloning involves ethical
  aspects
• At present in Europe cloning is not a commercial
  practice and there is no specific regulation on
  the autorisation of food products from cloned
  animals for human consumption. EFSAs opinion
  will help inform any future EU measures for
  cloned animals and their products

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Key messages draft opinion January 2008

• EFSAs draft conclusions suggest that it is not
  likely that food from cloned animals or their
  offspring would introduce any new food safety
  issues compared to food derived from
  conventionally bred animals. EFSA recognises that
  uncertainties exist, particularly due to limited
  data, and acknowledges that there are health and
  welfare issues for animal clones
• EFSA is now publicly consulting on the draft
  opinion and hope to receive feedback before
  finalisation of conclusions in the spring
• EFSAs work will help inform any future European
  measures in relation to animal clones and their
  products such as milk and meat

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Overview of media coverage January 2008

• Significant level of coverage with several peaks
  in January due to
• Topical and sensitive issue
• New technology
• Ethical resonance
• Animal welfare concerns
• Other actors in media
• Close proximity of the draft with the FDAs final
  report
• Close follow-up of the EGE opinion
• Risk management concerns, eg
• Questions re regulatory framework/authorisation
• Consumer information requirements
• Possible US/international trade implications

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EFSA risk assessment January 2008
Cloned animal meat is safe to eat, says EU food
watchdog
Europe rules eating cloned animals is safe
La UE aprueba el consumo de animales clonados (EU
approves consumption of cloned animals)
Food From Cloned Animals Seems Safe, a Panel Finds
'Dolly burgers' a step closer
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Other actors in the media European Commission

• MIDDAY EXPRESS
• News from the Press and Communication Service's
  midday briefing
• Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi du Service
  Presse et Communication
• 17/01/2008
• Commission receives scientific and ethics
  opinions regarding food from cloned animals

EU probes food safety of animal clones (15
Januray 2008) The public will be able to have a
say when the European Commission carries out a
survey of attitudes towards cloned food
USA, OK alla carne clonata. E in Italia è già
allarme (16 January 2008) LUnione Europea non
si è ancora espressa ufficialmente in merito. Ma
se è vero che per oggi ha incaricato il proprio
Comitato etico di esprimersi in merito e che
entro lanno avvierà una consultazione fra tutti
i cittadini del continente..
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Other actors in the media EGE
EU ethics panel opposes cloning on livestock
Panel doubts animal cloning ethics
EU ethics group advises against cloning animals
for food
LEurope se divise sur la viande clonée
AFP
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Other actors in the media FDA report
17 January 2008
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Communications challenges

• Address media interest in diverging views and
  knowledge gaps regarding role of institutions.
• Clarify positioning of EFSA with respect to
• Risk Managers in the EU and globally ie
• EFSA (risk assessor) different from FDA (risk
  assessor risk manager)
• Other consultative bodies (EGE) no diverging
  views but different mandates
• DRAFT opinion at that stage
• Stakeholders reactions (criticism from some
  industry groups and NGOs)

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Pursuit of communications activities

• EFSA statement published welcoming EGE opinion,
  addressing important ethical and societal
  concerns outside EFSA's scientific remit
• Technical meeting with stakeholders on EFSA draft
  opinion involving all key actors EFSA, EGE,
  European Commission. Opportunity for open
  dialogue and to further clarify
• content and conclusions of EFSA opinion,
  remaining information gaps and next steps in
  finalising opinion
• Respective remits of EFSA, EGE and European
  Commission
• Report published on EFSA website (with agenda,
  presentations etc..)

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Conclusions work in progressthe story will
continue

• New technology, likely to be socially sensitive
• Best practice openness and transparency at all
  stages
• Coherence importance of proactive and
  coordinated communications
• Dialogue between and with all interested parties
  is key
• EU food safety system (RA/RM) still needs to be
  explained
• A European and a global issue