欧盟修订非动物源性食品和饲料进口的官方控制

(1)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 (2) lays down rules concerning the increased level of official controls to be carried out on imports of feed and food of non-animal origin listed in Annex I thereto (‘the list’), at the points of entry into the territories referred to in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004.

(2)

Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 provides that the list is to be reviewed on a regular basis, and at least biannually, taking into account at least the sources of information referred to in that Article.

(3)

The occurrence and relevance of recent food incidents notified through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, the findings of audits to third countries carried out by the Directorate for Health and Food Audits and Analysis of the Commission Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, as well as the biannual reports on consignments of feed and food of non-animal origin submitted by Member States to the Commission in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 indicate that the list should be amended.

(4)

In particular, for consignments of dried grapes from Turkey and Iran, peppers (Capsicum spp.) from Sri Lanka, groundnuts (peanuts) and derived products from Senegal and sesamum seeds from Nigeria and Sudan, the relevant sources of information indicate the emergence of new risks requiring the introduction of an increased level of official controls. Entries concerning those consignments should therefore be included in the list.

(5)

The list should also be amended by increasing the frequency of official controls for the commodities for which the available information shows a higher degree of non-compliance with the relevant Union legislation, thereby warranting an increased level of official controls. The entry in the list concerning dried apricots from Turkey should therefore be amended accordingly.

(6)

In addition, the list should be amended by decreasing the frequency of official controls of the commodities for which the relevant sources of information indicate an overall improvement of compliance with the relevant requirements provided for in Union legislation and for which the current level of official control is therefore no longer appropriate. The entries in the list concerning peas with pods from Kenya and Brassica oleracea(‘Chinese broccoli’) from China should therefore be amended accordingly.

(7)

The list should also be amended by deleting the entries for commodities for which the available information indicates an overall satisfactory degree of compliance with the relevant safety requirements provided for in Union legislation and for which an increased level of official controls is therefore no longer justified. The entries in the list concerning aubergines from Cambodia and enzymes from India should therefore be deleted.

(8)

In order to ensure consistency and clarity, it is appropriate to replace Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 by the text set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

(9)

Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(10)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,