After successful negotiations between the European Parliament and the Member States in the Council, the new Official Controls Regulation adopted today will enhance and reinforce the EU system as an international reference for integrated rules covering the entire agri-food chain.

Harmonised EU rules have been established to prevent, eliminate or reduce the level of risk to humans, animals and plants, along the agri-food chain. Official controls, undertaken by competent authorities in each Member State, serve to check whether these rules are correctly implemented.

The new rules overhaul the current system. They will provide a single framework for all official controls along the agri-food chain. Businesses and authorities will benefit from reduced administrative burdens, more efficient processes and strengthened controls. Consumers will benefit from more transparency on how controls are carried out to ensure food safety and high standards for plant health, animal health and welfare and to prevent fraud.

1) What are official controls and why do we need them?

Official controls consist in checks performed by EU countries to verify that businesses comply with agri-food chain rules. These rules cover the safety and quality of food and feed, plant health, animal health and welfare. They also apply to agri-food chain products entering the EU from third countries.

The previous Regulation, adopted in 2004, initiated the integration of rules on official controls. The new Official Controls Regulation (OCR), proposed by the Commission in 2013, takes it further in providing comprehensive risk-based control rules along the agri-food chain. This will allow national authorities to put their resources where they are most needed. Rigid, inflexible rules are revoked and a more integrated IT system will allow control authorities a more modern approach to tracking trade practices.

2) What do the new rules change?

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Via europa.eu