UK National Control Plan published

Thursday 14 December 2006

The first National Control Plan for the UK is now available online. The plan aims to ensure that effective control systems are in place for monitoring and enforcing feed and food law, animal health and welfare rules and plant health law.

The plan meets a requirement in EU Regulation 882/2004 on official controls that all Member States must have a multi annual (three to five years) national control plan in place by 1 January 2007.

It was prepared jointly by the Agency, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and the Agriculture/Rural Affairs Departments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The plan describes the regulatory landscape in the UK in these sectors and it gives details of the roles and responsibilities of the different authorities and associated bodies that are involved.

It also provides an overview of how these authorities and other bodies meet the requirements set out for them in Regulation 882/2004 and how they work together to safeguard public, animal and plant health, to protect consumer interests, and to promote the welfare of animals.

The strategic objectives of the plan and the planned official control activities during the period of the plan are also set out.

Stakeholders were invited to comment on the various elements that made up a draft UK plan earlier in the year.

The responses that were received have been taken into account in the preparation of the final integrated document.