The Commission has adopted today (24 July) a regulation to allow known or emerging risks in feed and food of non-animal origin to be countered more effectively.
This regulation requires Member States to step up controls on certain imports of feed and food of non-animal origin. Member States are required to designate points of entry, which comply with the minimum requirements laid down in the regulation (logistics, staff, access to appropriate laboratory capacity, etc) through which consignments must enter the territory of the EU.
The enhanced control mechanism means systematic (100 per cent) checks on documents accompanying the consignments, as well as physical checks, including laboratory analysis, at a frequency related to the risk identified.
For the first time, the regulation also lays down the list of products that are subject to these stepped-up controls. The imported products listed are products which merit an increased level of attention and control at borders on the basis of information from various sources (RASFF notifications, reports from the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), from Member States and from third countries).
Most of the risks thus identified relate to risks that have in the past resulted in the adoption of safeguard measures. The list in question will be reviewed regularly in order to ensure that it corresponds to the most recent information available. In this context, a key source of information will be the reporting requirement laid down in the regulation, according to which Member States are asked to provide the Commission with detailed information on controls carried out and on unfavourable results from laboratory tests.
The regulation will enter into force at the end of January 2010.
New EU Import Controls on Feed Ingredients
EU - The Commission has adopted a new regulation for import controls on certain food and feed of non-animal origin. It will come into force at the end of January 2010.
