The European Commission has announced a significant reinforcement of controls on food products and goods of animal and plant origin entering the EU market. This measure, communicated through an official statement by the European Executive, aims to preserve the Union’s high food safety standards and ensure a level playing field for European producers in relation to third-country competitors.
The announcement follows a dialogue process with stakeholders on the implementation of import controls. In this context, the European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi, outlined a set of actions designed to strengthen supervision both at EU borders and in exporting countries.
Among the main measures announced is a 50% increase in audits carried out in non-EU countries over the next two years, as well as enhanced controls at European border control posts, with a 33% increase in inspections to verify that Member States are correctly applying EU requirements. In addition, closer monitoring of raw materials and non-compliant countries will be implemented, with the frequency of controls adjusted according to the level of risk identified.
The Commission will also support Member States in carrying out these additional controls and will establish a dedicated EU task force to improve the efficiency of import controls. This group will focus in particular on pesticide residues, food and feed safety, and animal welfare, and will assess the possibility of coordinating EU follow-up measures for certain imported products.
The package of measures also includes the training of around 500 staff members from national authorities and the updating of rules governing the authorisation of imports containing traces of particularly hazardous pesticides banned in the EU, in line with the most recently updated international standards.
According to the European Commission, protecting citizens’ health is a key priority. For this reason, all live animals, food, feed, plants and plant products entering the Union must comply, without exception, with EU sanitary, phytosanitary and animal welfare requirements. These non-negotiable standards apply to all trading partners and are essential to protect European agri-food production, the environment and consumer confidence.
