- This event has passed.
EFSA Scientific Colloquium XVIII on Towards holistic approaches to the risk assessment of multiple stressors in bees
15th May 2013 @ 12:00 am - 16th May 2013 @ 12:00 am
Bees play an important role in the ecosystem and the food chain through pollination, plant biodiversity maintenance and the provision of food and derived-hive products for human uses and therefore their protection is essential. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which improves EU food safety and ensures a high level of consumer protection also need to protect bees and the ecosystem services they provide to humans. This task is currently undertaken by the Pesticides Risk Assessment (PRAS), Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW), Plant Health (PLH), Genetically and Modified Organisms (GMO), Scientific Assessment and Support (SAS) and the Emerging Risks (EMRISK) Units.
Given the consensus reached among scientists about the multifactorial origin of bee colony losses and the increasing body of scientific evidence showing the way stressors in bees may interact rather than acting solely, it is timely to assess the risks posed to bees and their services in a more integrated and multidisciplinary manner.
In line with the EFSA strategy which is to consider risk assessments (RA) in a wider integrated manner promoting in-house scientific expertise, tightening transversal collaborations across units and enhancing the inclusion of environmental aspects in the RA scheme, the EMRISK Unit of the Science Strategy and Coordination Directorate (SCISTRAT) whose mission is to identify and coordinate horizontal scientific issues, established an internal task force to reinforce the protection of bees and their ecosystem services. In particular, the task force which includes representatives of the PRAS, AHAW, PLH, GMO, SAS and EMRISK Units and Communications Directorate has the objectives to identify cross-cutting issues, gaps of knowledge, research needs and recommendations based on the most recent developments made in the areas of bees and pollination, monitoring and risk assessment (EFSA, 2012). To perform this exercise, that is to review the state of the art of the work and research produced on bees in these areas, both inside and outside EFSA, the internal task force needs to liaise and exchange with stakeholders, from national, European and International Organisations.
This Colloquium untitled “Towards holistic approaches to the risk assessment of multiple stressors in bees” will offer a unique opportunity to both international experts and EFSA for an open scientific debate on the most recent scientific progress made on pollination, monitoring and risk assessment of multiple stressors in bees along with current and futures challenges for food risk assessment in the European Union.
Registration is limited to 100 experts and closes on 3 April so for further information including the draft programme and how to register, please visit http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/events/event/130515.htm [SOURCE: EFSA]