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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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