EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY DELEGATED DECISION No 271/21/COL

of 3 December 2021

establishing a multiannual programme of controls for the period 2022-2026 to be carried out in Iceland and Norway to verify application of EEA legislation in the food and veterinary area [2022/293]

THE EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY,

Having regard to the Agreement between the EFTA States on the Establishment of a Surveillance Authority and a Court of Justice, and in particular Protocol 1 thereto,

Having regard to the act referred to at Point 11b in Part 1.1 of Chapter I and Point 31q of Chapter II of Annex I and Point 164 of Chapter XII of Annex II to the EEA Agreement, Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 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, amending Regulations (EC) No 999/2001, (EC) No 396/2005, (EC) No 1069/2009, (EC) No 1107/2009, (EU) No 1151/2012, (EU) No 652/2014, (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 1/2005 and (EC) No 1099/2009 and Council Directives 98/58/EC, 1999/74/EC, 2007/43/EC, 2008/119/EC and 2008/120/EC, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 89/608/EEC, 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC, 91/496/EEC, 96/23/EC, 96/93/EC and 97/78/EC and Council Decision 92/438/EEC (Official Controls Regulation) (1) (‘Regulation (EU) 2017/625’), and in particular Article 118(1) thereof,

as amended and as adapted to the EEA Agreement by Protocol 1 thereto and the sectoral adaptations referred to in Annexes I and II thereto,

Whereas:

The responsibility to enforce EEA legislation in the food and veterinary area lies with the EEA States whose competent authorities monitor and verify, through the organisation of official controls, that relevant EEA requirements are effectively complied with and enforced.

It follows from Article 116 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 that EFTA Surveillance Authority (‘Authority’) experts shall carry out controls, including audits, in Iceland and Norway to verify the application of EEA legislation. These Authority controls are to be performed in the areas of food and feed, animal health and animal welfare, animal by-products and derived products, plant protection products, organic production and the functioning of national control systems and competent authorities which operate them.

It follows from Article 118(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 that the Authority is to establish a control programme for the controls to be performed by its experts in Iceland and Norway as provided for in Article 116(1) of that regulation.

This multiannual programme of controls is set out for certain priority areas for the period 2022-2026. The criteria used for prioritisation include, inter alia, identified risks and emerging topics (for example animal diseases or food or feed crises), the relevance of a sector in Iceland and Norway, past performance of Iceland and Norway in the relevant area and information from relevant sources, including the priorities set by the European Commission in its control programme. (2)

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

1. The multiannual programme of controls for the period 2022-2026 to be carried out by Authority experts in Iceland and Norway as provided for in Article 116(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 is set out in the Annex to this Decision.

2. This Decision is addressed to Iceland and Norway.

3. This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its signature.

4. This Decision shall be authentic in the English language.

Done at Brussels, 3. December 2021. For the EFTA Surveillance Authority, acting under Delegation Decision No 130/20/COL, Högni S. KRISTJÁNSSON Responsible College Member Melpo-Menie JOSÉPHIDÈS Countersigning as Director, Legal and Executive Affairs

(1) Incorporated into the EEA Agreement by Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 210/2019 of 27 September 2019.

(2) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1550 of 23 October 2020 establishing the multiannual programme of controls for the period 2021-2025 to be carried out by Commission experts in the Member States to verify the application of Union agri-food chain legislation (OJ L 354, 26.10.2020, p. 9).