2008/47/EC: Commission Decision of 20 December 2007 approving the pre-export checks carried out by the United States of America on peanuts and derived products thereof as regards the presence of aflatoxins (notified under document number C(2007) 6451) (Text with EEA relevance )

15.1.2008 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 11/12
COMMISSION DECISION
of 20 December 2007
approving the pre-export checks carried out by the United States of America on peanuts and derived products thereof as regards the presence of aflatoxins
(notified under document number C(2007) 6451)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2008/47/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to 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 (1), and in particular Article 23 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs (2) lays down permitted maximum levels of aflatoxins in foodstuffs. Only foodstuffs complying with the maximum level may be placed on the market.
(2) Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 provides that Member States shall ensure that official controls are carried out regularly, on a risk basis and with appropriate frequency as to achieve the objectives of the Regulation, that is, inter alia, preventing, eliminating or reducing to acceptable levels risks to humans and animals.
(3) Article 23 of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 provides that pre-export checks carried out by a third country on feed and food immediately prior to export to the Community with a view of verifying that the exported products comply with the Community requirements may be approved.
(4) Such an approval may only be granted to a third country after a Community audit has shown that feed or food exported to the Community meets Community requirements or equivalent requirements and that the controls carried out in the third country prior to dispatch are considered sufficiently effective and efficient as to replace or reduce the documentary, identity and physical checks laid down in Community law.
(5) The United States of America have submitted to the Commission in April 2005 an application for obtaining an approval of the pre-export checks performed by the competent authorities of the United States of America on the aflatoxin contamination in peanuts and derived products intended for export to the Community.
(6) The Commission Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) carried out a mission in the United States of America from 18 to 22 September 2006 in order to assess the control systems in place to prevent aflatoxin contamination levels in peanuts and derived products and to verify that pre-export checks for these products exported to the Community ensure that these products comply with Community requirements. It was concluded that the United States of America have a well defined control system for aflatoxins levels in peanuts and well performing approved laboratories. The competent authorities of the United States of America have committed and taken action to address the minor deficiencies observed.
(7) It is therefore appropriate to grant approval of pre-export checks carried out by the United States of America on peanuts and derived products ensuring compliance with the Community maximum levels of aflatoxins.
(8) Member States are required by Article 16(2) of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 to adjust the frequency of physical checks on imports to the risk associated with different categories of food and taking into account, among other things, the guarantees provided by the competent authorities of the third country of origin of the food in question. Systematic pre-export checks carried out under the authority of the USDA in conformity with the Community approval in accordance with Article 23 of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 provide to the Member States’ authorities strong guarantees. As a consequence, Member States should reduce the frequency of physical checks performed on those commodities to a level appropriate to those guarantees.
(9) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,