Taskforce on official controls launched!

Firstly, what are official controls?

Official controls refer to the procedures and activities implemented by the European Union to ensure that food and feed products entering the EU market comply with established safety standards. These controls are crucial for safeguarding public health, animal welfare, plant health, and environmental protection, and are a large priority of this European Commission mandate. They encompass a range of activities, including inspection, sampling, testing, and certification, administered by both EU and Member State authorities.

Through these measures, we verify that products, whether produced locally or imported, adhere to the stringent safety criteria that European citizens trust. This framework not only maintains high safety standards but also ensures fair competition among producers by holding all products to the same benchmarks.

Can you tell us a bit more about the taskforce?

To begin with the Commission Communication on A Vision for Agriculture and Food sets out the establishment of a dedicated task force, pulling expertise and forces from the Commission and Member States. On 26 January, in the margins of the AGRIFISH Council, the European Commission formally launched the Task Force on official controls aimed at strengthening the EU’s ability to ensure imports meet Union standards, while supporting the competitiveness of EU producers.

The task force is a collaborative effort aimed at enhancing the EU's import control mechanisms. It is comprised of experts from both the European Commission and Member States, and provides a platform to share experiences, address challenges.

Our focus areas include food and feed safety, pesticide residues, and specific monitoring actions for imported goods. By fostering collaboration, the task force aims to harmonise the implementation of controls across the Union, and to develop recommendations for joint actions that effectively strengthen the regulatory framework. We intend to adopt a flexible approach, ensuring actions align with available resources at both EU and national levels.

Why the launch of a taskforce?

The launch of the taskforce follows an announcement made on 9 December, which proposed a reinforcement of controls on food, animal and plant products entering the EU. At the conclusion of an Implementation Dialogue on import controls with stakeholders, Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi, set out various measures to strengthen controls at EU borders and in third countries. These measures will ensure that EU citizens continue to benefit from the highest levels of food safety, while EU producers have a level playing field vis-à-vis their global competitors.

The launch of the taskforce on official controls was only one of many measures put forward on this date. The others include: A 50% increase in the number of audits carried out on non-EU countries over the next two years, while maintaining the level of control in EU countries;  A 33% increase in audits of European Border Control Posts, to verify that Member States are carrying out border inspections in line with EU requirements; Closer monitoring of non-compliant commodities and countries, with frequency of checks increased as required; Commission support to Member States carrying out these additional checks; Training for around 500 national authority staff on official controls, via a dedicated EU programme and finally, updated rules on allowing imports of products with traces of particularly hazardous pesticides that are banned in the EU, in line with recently updated international standards

How does this fit into the current European Commission agenda?

Strengthening import controls is crucial to maintaining the safety standards that EU citizens rely on. As global trade expands, the variety and volume of imported products continue to rise, increasing the complexity of monitoring compliance with EU regulations. The task force addresses challenges identified by stakeholders, such as inconsistencies in control measures across Member States, and potential risks posed by non-compliant products.

By reinforcing these controls, we protect consumer health and ensure fair competition for EU producers, aligning with the overarching Vision on Agriculture and Food. Harmonised, consistent import controls are vital to safeguarding the integrity of our internal market and ensuring that products entering the EU meet our high safety standards.