The objective of this regulation is to modernise the financial provisions for this area in accordance with the conclusions of the European Council of 7 and 8 February 2013 on the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2014-2020. This regulation replaces the financial provisions currently laid down in multiple legal texts by one single financial framework which optimises the implementation and the functioning of financial management of expenditure in the field of food and feed. The financial management structures will be simplified on the basis of clear objectives and indicators. Funding rates will also be clearer and simplified further.

This regulation is part of the ´Healthier Animals and Plants for a Safer Food Chain Package´ and offers a framework to finance measures provided for in the animal health and plant health regime, the regime for production and making available on the market of plant reproductive material and the rules which govern official controls.

This regulation finances in particular the veterinary eradication programmes. These are essential for the progressive elimination of a number of listed animal diseases which are endemic in certain areas of the EU, by means of a wide range of measures including vaccination, testing of animals and compensation for slaughtering and culling. EU funding to support these measures gives priority to diseases of public health importance and with major economic impacts for trade and farmers.

In addition, the financial framework also offers support to the EU plant health and plant reproductive material regimes which give priority to the protection of EU agriculture and forestry by preventing the entry and spread of non-native pests of plants and to the availability and use of healthy plant material at the beginning of the chain of plant production. New compensation measures to owners for the value of the destroyed plants, plant products or other objects are proposed.

Finally, it finances expenditure for official controls with a view to improving the effectiveness of controls performed by the Member States and the enforcement of the agrifood chain acquis in general. Furthermore, this includes the financing of the Better Training for Safer Food programme for training Member State and candidate country national authority staff involved in official controls as well as the network of the EU Reference Laboratories which ensure the uniformity and reliability of the methods of analysis or tests.

The European Parliament adopted its position at first reading on the Commission proposal on 2 April 2014.