ENVI Committee: "Pesticide risk assessment are under significant pressure" (N. Kriz, EFSA)

"The European Parliament is currently working on two legislative files that are highly relevant for EFSA, the Food and Feed Omnibus and the Biotech Act", declares Nikolaus Kriz, Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority in an ENVI Committee meeting at European Parliament in Brussels on 15/04/2026. "EFSA provides independent scientific risk assessment, while you are responsible for political decisions."

"The legislative proposals under discussion aim to strengthen EFSA by improving policy effectiveness at the speed of our work. We very much welcome these objectives, as adequate resources are essential for EFSA to deliver on its ambition and have the capacity to act", Kriz continues. "A proposed increase in EFSA staff is both very welcome and necessary. In particular, areas such as pesticide risk assessment are under significant pressure due to the volume and complexity of applications."

The ENVI Committee often requests some scientific advice from EFSA, something Nikolaus Kriz "highly values" so that "policy discussions are informed by independent science". "We are…