G/SPS/GEN/1692  
 
13 March  2019 
(19-1544) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
NEW OFFICIAL CONTROL S REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION  
COMMUNICATION FROM T HE EUROPEAN UNION  
The following communication, received on 11 March  2019, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of  the European Union . 
 
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1  THE FRAMEWORK REGULATION  
1.1.  Regulation (EU) 2017/625 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 ("Official Controls Re gulation") was adopted on 15 March 2017 and entered into 
force on 27 April 2017. It replaces Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 on official controls and other pieces 
of legislation that currently govern the enforcement of EU rules along the agri -food chain. With some 
exemptions, the rules of the Official Controls Regulation will apply from 14 December 2019.  
1.2.  The European Commission presented a proposal for a Regulation on official controls in May 
2013 as part of the so called "Smarter rules for safer food" package aiming to strengthen the 
enforcement of health and food safety standards for the whole agri -food chain. The Commission 
proposal was notified under the WTO SPS agreement as G/SPS/N/EU/43 on 17 May 2013. The final 
Regulation was notified as G/SPS/N/EU/43/Add .2 on 26 April  2017.  
1.3.  Regulation (EU) 2017/625 was built upon previous rules with no changes in the basic principles. 
The aim of the regulation is to simplify and clarify the legislative context to cover the whole agri -
food chain. Therefore, compared to Reg ulation (EC) 882/2004, the scope of the Official Controls 
Regulation has been extended and also covers plant health, animal by -products and plant protection 
products rules.  
1.4.  The risk -based approach to controls is maintained. The regulation provides that off icial controls 
are to be carried out on all operators at all stages of production, processing, distribution and use of 
animals, goods, substances, materials or objects that are governed by agri -food chain rules.  
1.5.  The Regulation establishes an integrated app roach to import controls. Common rules will apply 
to controls carried out at borders on animals, products of animal origin, plants and other products 
and goods that must be checked before they enter the European Union.  
1.6.  Border Control Posts (BCPs) will repl ace the existing Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) and 
Designated Points of Entry (DPEs) and a set of minimum requirements will apply for all of them. 
Depending on the risks they pose to human health, animal health and welfare and plant health, 
certain consig nments must be presented at the BCP where they all will undergo documentary checks. 
Identity and physical checks will be carried out at a frequency depending on the risk linked to the 
specific animals or goods. The criteria to determine and modify the freq uency rates for these checks 
will be established in regulatory acts. Additional conditions for entry into the Union, such as the 
listing of countries and establishments authorised to send animals and goods to the European Union, 
may also be laid down by re gulatory acts.  
1.7.  A single standard document, the Common Health Entry Document (CHED), will be used by 
operators for the prior notification of consignments. It will be transmitted to the BCP through a new G/SPS/GEN/1692  
 
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  integrated computerised system for official controls ( Integrated Management System for Official 
Controls - IMSOC).  
1.8.  The new Regulation introduces a set of general rules in order to create a uniform and 
harmonised framework for official certification in all areas covered by the scope of the Regulation.  
2  REGULATO RY ACTS  
2.1.  The European Commission will adopt a number of regulatory measures throughout 2019, 
mainly related to import controls, in order to ensure the continuity of trade. These acts will, in most 
cases, apply as from 14 December 2019.  
2.2.  A regulatory act has already been adopted on additional categories of goods to be checked 
(notified as G/SPS/N/EU/281). As regards meat inspection practices and the role of the veterinarian 
in meat inspections, the relevant acts are expected to be adopted by the middle of 2019 . 
2.3.  As for border controls, several acts will be adopted during the first half of 2019, including:  
− transit, transshipment and onward transportation;  
− frequency of identity and physical checks at borders;  
− derogations from BCP controls, for instance as regards personal luggage;  
− specific border controls, for instance on wood packaging material;  
− official controls performed at control points other than BCPs;  
− intensified controls, upon suspicion of fraudulent or deceptive practices or serious or 
repeated infringements with respect to certain goods entering the European Union;  
− the IMSOC which will collect data at the Union level and function as a basis for poss ible 
actions to be taken.  
2.4.  In addition to the above, rules on certain import conditions relating to public health 
requirements are also expected to be adopted during the first half of 2019.  
2.5.  During the drafting of these regulatory acts, the European Commissi on, in accordance with 
good regulatory principles, is duly consulting experts, EU member States and stakeholders. Any 
measure affecting international trade will be notified to the WTO SPS Committee.  
2.6.  More information about the new Official Controls Regulati on is available on the European 
Commission website: http://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/official_controls/legislation_en . 
 
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