The Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety), a public administrative body under the supervision of the Ministers for Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, the Environment, Health and Labour, carries out the tasks and prerogatives mentioned in Article L. 1313-1.
With regard to genetically modified organisms, the Agency carries out its duties under the conditions laid down in Article L. 531-3 of the Environment Code.
In order to carry out its duties, the Agency shall :
1° Organise expertise in its field of competence as defined in Article L. 1313-1, relying in particular on the specialist expert committees mentioned in Article L. 1313-6 ;
2° Sets up a network of organisations and coordinates their work for the purpose of assessing health risks in its field of competence;
3° Contributes to information, training and the dissemination of scientific and technical documentation and to public debate, which it stimulates and nurtures;
4° Contributes to the definition of national and Community research policies in its fields of competence;
5° Creates or contributes to the creation of scientific and technical databases in its fields of competence;
6° Organise national vigilance systems under the conditions laid down in Chapter III of Title II and in the preliminary chapter of Title IV of this Book, and in Section IX of Title IV of Book I of Part Five of this Code and in Article L. 253-8-1 of the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code, and coordinate the vigilance activities of the poison control centres mentioned in Article L. 6141-4 of this Code;
6° bis Participates in the collection and monitoring of information relating to the products mentioned in Title I of Book V of Part Three of this Code;
7° Acts as a national reference laboratory in its field of competence;
8° Provides the competent authorities with its expertise and scientific and technical support;
9° Coordinates expertise on vectors, as defined in 7° of article R. 3115-3 of the same code, drawing on the skills of the structures mentioned in article R. 1313-3.
The Agency is informed by the competent ministries of the health control and surveillance programmes implemented. At its request, it is given access to the results of inspections and controls which have revealed a risk falling within its remit, in particular by the agents mentioned in article L. 215-1 of the Consumer Code.