French Public Health Code
In forceThe Agence nationale chargée de la sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail is a public administrative body.
It provides independent and pluralist scientific expertise.
Its main contribution is to ensure human health safety in the fields of the environment, work and food.
It also helps to ensure:
-the protection of animal health and welfare ;
-the protection of plant health;
-the assessment of the nutritional and functional properties of foodstuffs;
-environmental protection, by assessing the impact of regulated products on the environment and on flora and fauna.
It provides information to the authorities by carrying out socio-economic analyses in its field of competence.
It carries out tasks relating to veterinary medicinal products under the conditions laid down in Title IV of Book I of Part Five.
For plant protection products and adjuvants mentioned inarticle L. 253-1 of the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code, as well as for fertilisers, adjuvants for fertilisers and growing media mentioned in article L. 255-1 of the same code, it carries out tasks relating to the issue, modification and withdrawal of various authorisations prior to marketing and experimentation.
It is responsible for issuing, amending and withdrawing pre-marketing and pre-testing authorisations for biocidal products mentioned inarticle L. 522-1 of the Environment Code.
It is responsible for issuing, amending and withdrawing approvals for laboratories to take samples and carry out analyses for the health monitoring of water, as defined in article L. 1321-5 of this Code, for water intended for human consumption, natural mineral water, natural bathing water and water from swimming pools and artificial bathing areas, with the exception of approvals for radioactivity analyses, which are the responsibility of the Minister for Health. It authorises the water treatment products and processes mentioned in article L. 1332-8 to meet the water quality requirements for swimming pools and artificial bathing areas.
Pursuant to Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on additives for use in animal nutrition, it is responsible for issuing, amending and withdrawing authorisations prior to use, for scientific research purposes, as feed additives, of substances other than antibiotics that are not authorised by the European Union, when the tests are conducted under farmed conditions or when the animals on which the tests are conducted are intended to enter the food chain.
Within its remit, the Agency is responsible for carrying out risk assessments, providing the competent authorities with all the information on these risks, as well as the expertise and scientific and technical support needed to draw up legislative and regulatory provisions and implement risk management measures. It is responsible for monitoring, vigilance and benchmarking. It defines, implements and finances scientific and technical research programmes where necessary. It implements the toxicovigilance system and other vigilance systems for veterinary medicinal products, the foodstuffs referred to in article L. 1323-1 and plant protection products.
It proposes to the competent authorities any measure likely to protect public health and the environment. When public health is threatened by a serious hazard, it recommends the necessary public health measures to these authorities.
It participates in the work of European and international bodies, and represents France at the request of the Government.
