English only
|
|
| Agenda Item 5 | Conference Room Document 31 English only |
second fao/who global forum of food safety regulators
Bangkok, Thailand, 12-14 October 2004
(Prepared by the European Community)
Proposed by the Commission in February 2003, the Regulation on Official Food and Feed Controls was adopted in April 20041. It will streamline previously scattered controls and reinforce the efficiency of control services performed by both Member States and the Commission.
With regard to Member States, it clearly defines the responsibility of the competent authorities to ensure that feed and food business operators apply EU legislation correctly. Performance criteria are introduced for the Member State competent authorities so as to ensure that there is optimal efficiency of and co-ordination between the different control entities and bodies. Contingency plans have to be established and a harmonised EU-wide approach to the design and development of control systems is set out. A sufficient number of accredited laboratories must be available to the service of the competent authorities, and these laboratories shall work in accordance with validated methods of analysis whenever such methods exist. The competent authorities will further have to organise the work of its control officials in accordance with documented procedures, and have procedures in place to verify the effectiveness of the official controls. Internal audits have to be carried out so as to ensure optimal performance at all times.
Furthermore, great emphasis is placed on the training of control staff. Member States shall ensure that their staff performing official controls receive appropriate training enabling them to undertake their duties competently and to carry out official controls in a consistent manner, and that they are kept up-to-date and receive additional training as necessary. In addition, the Commission aims to organise training courses for the staff of the competent authorities of the Member States. These training courses shall serve to develop a harmonised approach to official controls. These training courses are open to participants from third countries, in particular developing countries.
The Regulation also sets out the role of the Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) as "auditor" of the Member States' performance. To that effect, the Community audits are carried out against multi-annual control plans established by each Member State. These control plans contain general information on the structure and organization of the systems of feed and food control in the Member State concerned. This includes the strategic objectives and how the prioritisation of controls and allocation of resources reflect these objectives, the risk categorisation of the control activities, the general organization and management of official controls at all levels etc.
The Regulation also establishes a common regime for controls on food and feed imports, basing the nature and frequency of controls on risk. This means for example that import conditions can be more stringent for products with a higher risk profile, such as certain nuts that may contain aflatoxins. However, the existing system whereby products of animal origin must be systematically presented at a border inspection post for control will be maintained.
The Regulation will also provide a framework to support developing countries in meeting EU import requirements. For that purpose, the Commission shall promote, in the context of the Community's development cooperation policy, support to developing countries with regard to feed and food safety in general and compliance with feed and food standards in particular, in order to build the institutional capacity required to meet EC requirements.
Under the Regulation, the existing network of Community Reference Laboratories will be extended. These laboratories will provide national reference laboratories with details of analytical methods including reference methods, and coordinate practical arrangements needed to apply new analytical methods.
Besides the official controls carried out by the veterinary , feed or food authorities, the private food/feed companies are supposed to put in place, in the framework of the HACCP programmes a set of microbiological and chemical examinations. These examinations should demonstrate that the raw materials, the products at intermediary steps and the final products, meet the appropriate microbiological and chemical guidelines.
Contact point: Willem DAELMAN - DG SANCO - European Commission - 1049 Brussels - Belgium [email protected]
1 Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules (Official Journal L 191 of 28 May 2004.