The European Commission outlines the steps for the next few years in terms of official controls in the agri-food chain.
The Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1550 of 23 October 2020 establishes the multiannual control program for the period 2021-2025 to be carried out by Commission experts in the Member States in order to verify the application of European legislation for the agri-food chain.As we know, Member States must carry out official control activities in the supply chain to ensure the application of legislation on food, animal and plant health standards and plant protection products.
In this sense, the European Commission must carry out checks and audits in the Member States, carried out by its team of experts to verify the application of the legislation and the correct functioning of the national control systems. To this end, the multiannual control program for the period 2021-2025 was issued.
The actions of the European Commission focus on the risks identified for consumers, animals or plants and are based on:
- past performance by Member States,
- the volume of the different production
- information from relevant sources such as EFSA
The guidelines outlined for the next five years mainly touch on these points:
| Priority area |
Specific Objectives |
| Foods of animal origin |
Particular attention is paid to meat from mammals and birds and to products based on these meats, to milk and milk-based products, to fish products and to live bivalve molluscs, as well as the implementation of the corresponding official controls. |
| Foods of non-animal origin |
To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union food safety legislation governing the production and placing on the market of food of non-animal origin (covering also traceability and labelling, including of genetically modified organisms), with a particular focus on microbiological safety, and the implementation of official controls thereon. |
| Residues in live animals and food of animal origin |
Verify the compliance of residue monitoring plans submitted by Member States with the requirements of the relevant Union legislation. |
| Contaminants in food of non-animal origin |
Verify compliance of official controls on contaminants in food of non-animal origin |
| Medicated feed |
Verify the production of medicated feed |
| Outbreaks of harmful organisms for plants |
Particular attention to harmful organisms such as Xylella fastidiosa, ToBRFV virus, pine nematode, Asian woodworm, Trioza |
| Phytosanitary products |
Verify the marketing and use of plant protection products and pesticide residues |
| Geographical indications |
Verify production and labeling of PDO, PGI and TSG geographical indications |
| Frauds |
Verify the identification and follow-up of fraudulent or deceptive practices along the agri-food chain |
It is important to know which aspects of the supply chain on which the Commission pays more attention, in order to better guarantee the quality of the products and avoid penalties.
