SPANISH ORGANISATIONS COOPERATING WITH EFSA

List of competent organisations. Article 36 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002

Scientific cooperation between EFSA and the Member States is supported by a network of cooperating organisations working within EFSA’s areas of competence. This network includes universities, institutes, governmental bodies and other scientific organisations, which contribute to:

  • coordination of activities;
  • exchange of information;
  • development and implementation of joint projects;
  • sharing of expertise and best practices

 

EFSA provides financial support to cooperating organisations for the tasks entrusted to them and encourages the establishment of cooperation agreements and consortia to implement European initiatives and projects.

 

The suitability of organisations seeking to cooperate with EFSA is assessed by EFSA and the Member States against the criteria laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2230/2004, with the support of EFSA Focal Points. EFSA maintains a regularly updated list of cooperating organisations in all Member States.

Designation procedure

As the national representative to EFSA, AESAN is responsible for assessing whether organisations meet the requirements established by the Authority. The Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union is responsible for the formal designation of organisations authorised to cooperate with EFSA.

 

In its role as EFSA’s Focal Point in Spain, AESAN also coordinates the Spanish organisations included in the list. It facilitates scientific cooperation and communication both among these organisations and with EFSA, and organises annual meetings to share information on current funding opportunities and topics of interest. These meetings also provide a forum to highlight successful experiences of Spanish organisations participating in EFSA calls and projects.

 

Requirements

Competent organisations designated by the Member States under Article 36(2) of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 must meet the following requirements:

  • Carry out scientific and technical support tasks within EFSA’s mission, particularly those with a direct or indirect impact on food and feed safety, including data collection and analysis, risk assessment activities and scientific or technical studies.
  • Be legal entities pursuing public interest objectives and have organisational procedures and rules in place to ensure that any tasks entrusted by EFSA are performed with independence and integrity.
  • Possess a high level of scientific or technical expertise in one or more areas within EFSA’s mission.
  • Have the capacity to operate in networks on scientific activities and/or to efficiently perform the tasks that may be entrusted to them by EFSA, as referred to in Regulation (EC) No 2230/2004.
How to apply for inclusion

  1. Submission of the application: Spanish organisations interested in being included in the list must submit their application to AESAN via the SARA Electronic Register. The official application form must be duly completed in accordance with the instructions set out in the Guide for applying for the designation of organisations to cooperate with EFSA, available below.

     

  2. Assessment of the documentation: AESAN assesses the submitted documentation to verify that the organisation meets the eligibility requirements. If the assessment is positive, EFSA verifies compliance with the applicable criteria before proceeding with formal inclusion in the list.

     

  3. Inclusion in the list: Once the assessment and verification process has been successfully completed, EFSA will confirm the organisation’s acceptance and proceed with its formal inclusion in the list of competent organisations.

     

If your organisation is interested in joining this network and meets the established requirements, detailed information and the list of required supporting documents are available below.

 

Guide to apply for inclusion in the list of cooperating organisations

IInstructions for completing the electronic registration (in Spanish)

Information collection template for the assessment of organisations

Guidance on how to complete the information collection template

EFSA Guide for cooperating organisations (in English) 

List of Spanish organisations cooperating with EFSA

 

For any queries, you may contact the EFSA Focal Point via the following email address: pfefsa@aesan.gob.es.

 

Additional information is available on the EFSA website: 

Organisations cooperating with EFSA.