On discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Food Safety Authority for the financial year 2022

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SUGGESTIONS

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety calls on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution:

1. Welcomes the European Food Safety Authority's ('EFSA's') contribution to the safety of the Union food and feed chain, and its considerable efforts in providing risk managers with comprehensive, independent and up-to-date scientific advice on questions linked to the food chain, communicating clearly to the public on its outputs and the information on which they are based, and cooperating with interested parties and institutional partners to promote coherence and trust in the food safety system;

2. Notes that EFSA's final budget for 2022 was EUR 149,76 million representing an increase of 16 % compared to 2021; notes that the budget monitoring efforts during 2022 resulted in an implementation rate of 100 % for commitment appropriations and 90 % for payment appropriations;

3. Notes that the 2022 has been the first year of implementation of the Strategy 2027, focused on the implementation of the Transparency Regulation in the short term and on addressing new evolving EU policies, such as the Farm to Fork Strategy, in the longer term; notes that the implementation of the Transparency Regulation induced considerable investment in terms of organisational changes, including the development of new processes, a reviewed organisational design and the leveraging of EFSA’s technology and information management capabilities;

4. Highlights the fact that, in 2022, the Authority finalised 586 questions through scientific opinions, technical reports and supporting publications, 118 fewer than the questions finalised in 2021 and 115 less than the initial plan of 701;

5. Notes that, according to the Annual Strategy Survey launched by EFSA asking for feedback from its customers, partners, and stakeholders who are directly or indirectly involved in the delivery of EFSA’s scientific opinions, EFSA’s ability to provide its advice in a timely manner remains a point of attention;

6. Notes that EFSA has been given 31 new staff posts for the implementation of the new Transparency Regulation as well as 15 additional CAs, reaching a total capacity of 572 statutory staff posts; notes that 571 of the available 587 posts were occupied (including officials, temporary agents, contract agents and seconded national experts) on 31 December 2022;

7. Recommends, based on the facts available, that discharge be granted to the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority in respect of the implementation of the Authority's budget for the financial year 2022.