Paola Testori Coggi joined the European Commission in 1983 in the DG for Environment where she worked until 1989 in the field of the control of dangerous chemicals and industrial risks. She was then Member of the Cabinet of the Vice-President of the European Commission, Filippo Maria Pandolfi, and was responsible for the research programmes on life sciences, environment and energy. Thereafter, she worked as Advisor for consumer health in the Cabinet of Commissioner Emma Bonino. She was then appointed Director for the Safety of the food chain at the DG for Health and Consumers (SANCO), and was responsible for the White Paper on food safety and the legislative action programme as well as the management of emergencies.