COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2020/1550

of 23 October 2020

establishing the multiannual programme of controls for the period 2021-2025 to be carried out by Commission experts in the Member States to verify the application of Union agri-food chain legislation

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products, amending Regulations (EC) No 999/2001, (EC) No 396/2005, (EC) No 1069/2009, (EC) No 1107/2009, (EU) No 1151/2012, (EU) No 652/2014, (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 1/2005 and (EC) No 1099/2009 and Council Directives 98/58/EC, 1999/74/EC, 2007/43/EC, 2008/119/EC and 2008/120/EC, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 89/608/EEC, 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC, 91/496/EEC, 96/23/EC, 96/93/EC and 97/78/EC and Council Decision 92/438/EEC (Official Controls Regulation) (1), and in particular Article 118(1)(a) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) The responsibility to enforce Union agri-food chain legislation lies with Member States, whose competent authorities monitor and verify, through the organisation of official controls, that relevant Union requirements are effectively complied with and enforced. Parallel to this monitoring and verification, Article 116 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 requires Commission experts to perform controls, including audits, in Member States to verify the application of Union legislation. These Commission controls should be performed in the areas of food and feed safety, animal health and welfare, plant health, plant protection products, and the functioning of national control systems and competent authorities, which operate them, taking into account synergies with control arrangements under the common agricultural policy.

(2) The Commission has put together a multiannual programme of controls for the period 2021-2025 aligned with the Commission’s term of office and reflecting its priorities. These controls shall be carried out by the Commission’s experts in Member States to verify the application of the legislation in the above areas. Different criteria were used during the prioritisation process, inter alia, identified risk to consumers, animals or plants, past performance of the Member States in the area, production volume, information from relevant sources (for example, the European Food Safety Authority) and from the information management system for official controls (IMSOC) and its components.

(3) This multiannual programme of controls contributes to Commission priority area ‘The European Green Deal (2)’ and to “A Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthier and environmentally-friendly food system” (3). It also contributes to the monitoring of the common agricultural policy in accordance with the rules on cross-compliance set out in Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4). The controls set out in the multiannual programme of controls allow the Commission to fulfil its legal obligations to oversee the application of Union law by verifying that official controls in Member States in the relevant areas are in compliance with Union legislation,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The multiannual programme of controls for the period 2021-2025 to be carried out by Commission experts in the Member States as provided for in Article 116(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 is set out in the Annex.

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the

Official Journal of the European Union

Done at Brussels, 23 October 2020.

For the Commission

The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1)

OJ L 95, 7.4.2017, p. 1

(2) COM(2019) 640 final.

(3) COM(2020) 381 final.

(4) Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 352/78, (EC) No 165/94, (EC) No 2799/98, (EC) No 814/2000, (EC) No 1290/2005 and (EC) No 485/2008 (

OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 549

ANNEX

This Annex sets out the programme of controls to be carried out by Commission experts in the Member States in areas covered by Regulation (EU) 2017/625 for the period 2021-2025.

For the period concerned, the Commission has identified certain priority areas within the areas of food and feed safety, food quality, animal health and welfare, plant health, plant protection products, and the functioning of national control systems and competent authorities.

The Commission controls shall cover all Member States in each of the priority areas. Specific issues covered by individual controls shall be adapted to the situation in each Member State.

Commission experts shall carry out controls, including on-the-spot verifications, audits, and desk-based analyses in accordance with Article 116 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625.

The multiannual programme for Commission controls in Member States for the period 2021-2025 to verify the application of the rules in the areas covered by Article 1(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 covers also other areas provided for in that Regulation, such as fraud and import controls. It is set out in Chapters 1-10 (broken down by area and specific objective) and Chapter 11 (broken down by year) of this Annex.

1. Food and food safety

Priority area	Specific Objectives
Food of animal origin (e.g. safety of meat of mammals and birds and products thereof, milk and products thereof, fishery products and production hygiene of live bivalve molluscs)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union food safety legislation governing the production and placing on the market of food of animal origin (covering also traceability and labelling, including of genetically modified organisms), with a particular focus on meat of mammals and birds and products thereof, milk and products thereof, fishery products, and live bivalve molluscs, and the implementation of official controls thereon.
Foodborne zoonoses (e.g. Salmonella)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing the control of foodborne zoonoses, with a particular focus on the level of implementation and effectiveness of the national veterinary programmes co-funded by the Commission and the implementation of official controls thereon.
Food of non-animal origin (e.g. safety of fruit and vegetables, herbs, spices and sprouts)	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 (residues of veterinary medicinal products, pesticides and contaminants)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing residues of veterinary medicinal products, pesticides and contaminants in live animals and food of animal origin. To verify that residue monitoring plans submitted by Member States comply with the requirements laid down in the relevant Union legislation.
Contaminants in food of non-animal origin (e.g. mycotoxins)	To verify, based on Member States' multiannual national control plans and reports thereon, that official controls on contaminants in food of non-animal origin comply with the requirements laid down in the relevant applicable Union legislation.

2. Feed and feed safety

Priority area	Specific Objectives
General feed hygiene (feed hygiene, approval and registration of establishments, traceability, labelling and contaminants)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing feed hygiene (with a particular focus on feed hygiene, approval and registration of establishments, contaminants, traceability and labelling, including of genetically modified organisms) and the implementation of official controls thereon.
Medicated feed	To verify Member States' compliance with the Union legal requirements governing the production of medicated feed, applicable from January 2022.
Animal by-products and derived products (meat sector, processing plants)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing the handling, use and disposal of animal by-products and derived products generated in the Union or placed on the Union market and the implementation of official controls thereon, with a particular focus on the meat sector and processing plants.

3. Animal health

Priority area	Specific Objectives
Active epizootic diseases (e.g. African swine fever, highly pathogenic avian influenza)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing the control of the major active animal diseases, such as African swine fever and highly pathogenic avian influenza, and the implementation of official controls thereon.
Non-foodborne zoonoses (e.g. rabies)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing the control of non-foodborne zoonoses, with a particular focus on the level of implementation and effectiveness of the national veterinary programmes co-funded by the Commission, and the implementation of official controls thereon.
Enzootic diseases (e.g. tuberculosis, brucellosis)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing the control of enzootic diseases, with a particular focus on the level of implementation and effectiveness of the national veterinary programmes co-funded by the Commission, and the implementation of official controls thereon.
Preparedness and prevention (contingency planning)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing preparedness to cope with multiple outbreaks of epizootic diseases and the implementation of official controls thereon.

4. Animal welfare

Priority area	Specific Objectives
Transport (unfit animals, livestock vessels, unweaned calves, control posts used for animal transit)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing animal welfare during transport, with a particular focus on unfit animals, livestock vessels, unweaned calves and control posts used for animal transit, and the implementation of official controls thereon.
On farm (laying hens)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing the welfare of laying hens during rearing and the implementation of official controls thereon
Slaughter (ruminants, poultry)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing the welfare of ruminants and poultry at slaughter, and the implementation of official controls thereon.

5. Plant health

Priority area	Specific Objectives
Plant pest outbreaks (presenting a significant threat)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing the control of plant pests found on the Union territory, with a particular focus on pests presenting a significant threat, for example, Xylella fastidiosa, tomato brown rugose fruit virus, pinewood nematode, anoplophora long-horn beetles, trioza and other harmful organisms identified as a priority and the implementation of official controls thereon.
Preparedness and prevention (contingency planning)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing the drawing up and update of plant health contingency plans.
Movement of plants, plant products and other objects within the Union (plant passports)	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union plant health legislation governing the movement of plants, plant products and other objects within the Union, with a particular focus on plant passports, and the implementation of official controls thereon.

6. Placing on the market and use of

plant protection products

and the

sustainable use of pesticides

Priority area

Specific Objectives

Plant protection products

(authorisation, marketing and use of pesticides, pesticides residues)

To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing the authorisation, marketing and use of plant protection products and pesticide residues, and the implementation of official controls thereon.

Sustainable use of pesticides

To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing the sustainable use of pesticides, and the implementation of official controls thereon.

7. Food quality

Priority area	Specific Objectives
Organic farming	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing the production and labelling of organic products (including traceability and labelling of genetically modified organisms), and the implementation of official controls thereon.
Geographical indications	To verify Member States' compliance with the applicable Union legislation governing the production and labelling of geographical indications (protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI) and traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG)), and the implementation of official controls thereon.

8. Entry into the Union of animals and goods from third countries

Priority area	Specific Objectives
Official controls on animals and goods	To verify that Member States meet their obligations with regard to conducting official controls on animals and goods entering the Union from third countries. To verify that animals and goods entering the Union from third countries comply with the applicable general and specific Union requirements for entry into Union. There will be a special focus on rules established by Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and related delegated and implementing acts.
Compliance of border control posts	To verify that border control posts proposed for designation by Member States comply with the minimum requirements for border control posts including inspection centres laid down in the applicable Union legislation before such posts are designated. To verify that border inspection posts, designated points of entry, points of entry and first points of introduction re-designated in accordance with Article 61(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 comply with the applicable minimum requirements. To verify that control points other than border control posts, referred to in Article 53(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625, comply with the applicable minimum requirements.
Official plant health controls	To verify that Member States meet their obligations with regard to conducting official plant health controls on plants, plant products and other objects entering the Union from third countries. To provide assurances that plants, plant products and other objects entering the Union from third countries comply with the applicable Union plant health requirements for entry into the Union.

9. Antimicrobial resistance

Priority area	Specific Objectives
Monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic and commensal bacteria	To verify Member States' compliance with the legislation governing the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic and commensal bacteria and by this to contribute to the full implementation of the 2017 European One Health Action Plan against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)(1).

10. General aspects within the agri-food chain

Priority area	Specific Objectives
Fraud	To verify Member States' compliance with applicable Union legislation governing the identification and follow-up of fraudulent or deceptive practices along the agri-food chain and the implementation of official controls thereon.
Follow-up of audit recommendations (sectoral and general)	To verify that Member States take appropriate follow-up measures to remedy any specific or systematic shortcomings identified by Commission controls.
Export controls	To verify Member States’ official controls on the implementation of certification requirements for exports.

11. 2021-2025 multiannual control programme broken down by year

Area	Priority area	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Food & food safety	Food of animal origin	Safety of meat of mammals and birds and products thereof, milk and products thereof, fishery products, live bivalve molluscs
	Foodborne zoonoses	Priority zoonoses (for example: Salmonella)
	Food of non-animal origin	Safety of fruit and vegetables, herbs, spices and sprouts
	Residues	Residues in live animals and food of animal origin
	Contaminants	Contaminants in food of non-animal origin
Feed & feed safety	Feed safety	General feed hygiene
				Medicated feed
		Animal by-products and derived products
Animal health	Active epizootic diseases	Priority diseases (for example: African swine fever, highly pathogenic avian influenza)
	Non-foodborne zoonoses	Priority zoonoses (for example: rabies)
	Enzootic diseases	Diseases with active eradication programmes (for example: tuberculosis, brucellosis)
	Preparedness & prevention		Animal health contingency planning
Animal welfare	Transport		Unfit animals, livestock vessels, unweaned calves
			Control posts used for animal transit
	On farm	Laying hens
	Slaughter	Ruminants, poultry
Plant health	Plant pest outbreaks	Priority pests (for example: Xylella fastidiosa, tomato brown rugose fruit virus, pinewood nematode, anoplophora long-horn beetles, trioza)
	Preparedness & prevention				Plant health contingency planning
	Movement of plants, plant products and other objects within the Union		Plant passports
PPP & SUD	Plant protection products (PPP)		Authorisation, marketing and use of pesticides
			Pesticides residues
	Sustainable use of pesticides (SUD)	Sustainable use of pesticides

Area	Priority area	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Food quality	Organic farming	Organic farming
	Geographical indications	Use and labelling of PDO/PGI/TSG
Entry into the Union of animals and goods from third countries	Official controls on animals and goods	Official controls on animals and goods
	Border control posts	Compliance of border control posts
	Official plant health controls	Official plant health controls on plants, plant products & other objects
AMR	Monitoring		Monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic and commensal bacteria
General aspects within the agri-food chain	Fraud	Arrangements in place to fight fraudulent or deceptive practices
	Follow-up	Follow-up of audit recommendations
	Exports	Commission oversight of Member States’ controls on the implementation of certification requirements for exports

(1) COM(2017) 339 final.