Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, executive director of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), inaugurated the EFSA’s new purpose-built headquarters in Parma, Italy recently. Sue Davies, the chair of EFSA’s Management Board, unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion. The building’s completion was a testament to European cooperation and in particular to cooperation between EFSA and the Italian authorities in Parma and Rome, Geslain-Lanéelle told the gathering. “We are proud that the EU flag is waving in Parma,” she adds.

Each of the guests highlighted the spirit of cooperation and the vital contribution EFSA’s independent scientific advice has made to improving food safety in the EU since the authority’s establishment 10 years ago.

Geslain-Lanéelle thanked the architects Art and Build, the site managers Studio Valle, the constructors UNIECO and the Comune di Parma, who she says had delivered a building that is practical, safe, ecologically well designed, and – importantly in the midst of a city so rich in art, history and culture – aesthetically harmonious. As well as EFSA’s 450-strong staff, the building is used regularly by more than 1,000 scientific experts who visit the authority to attend scientific meetings.