1. Overview of the FOOD AND VETERINARY OFFICE Activities of relevance to the European Meat Industry CLITRAVI AGA 8 May Sabine Jülicher, FVO

2. Overview of presentation
Overview over the FVO
History and context
Structure
Functions
Inspection Programme
Outcome of Inspections
Member States
Third Countries

3. History and context
1979 : Commission inspections organised in DG AGRI (veterinary and phytosanitary matters) and DG ENTR (general food hygiene)
1996 : BSE crisis
1997 : Commission response: a new Food Safety Policy
April 1997: FVO established (September 1997 in Ireland)
April 2002 : Grange, Co Meath, Ireland

4. History and context

5. Deputy Director General
Our Structure
Director General
Robert Madelin 01
Audit and evaluation
Principal Adviser 03
Science & Stakeholder
relations 02
Strategy and analysis
Deputy Director General
with special responsibility for Directorates D, E, F and Scientific Matters
P. Testori Coggi 04
Veterinary control
programmes A
General Affairs B
Consumer Affairs C
Public Health & Risk Assessment
Principal Adivser with special responsibility for C3, C6 and C7 D
Animal Health & Welfare E
Safety of the Food Chain F
Food & Veterinary Office A1
Co-ordination
& institutional relations B1
Policy analysis &
development;relations with
consumer organisations;&
international relations C1
Programme management
Animal Health
and Standing Committees D1
Biotechnology
and Plant health E1
Country profiles,
coordination of follow-up F1 C2
Health Information A2
Legal affairs B2
Unfair commercial practices
and other consumer protection
legislation
Animal Welfare
and Feed D2 E2
Hygiene & Control
measures
Food of animal origin:
mammals F2 C3
Health threats A3
Financial resources
and controls
Food of animal origin:
birds and fish F3 B3
Product and service
safety
International
questions
(multilateral) D3 E3
Chemicals, contaminants,
pesticides C4
Health determinants
Information:
systems
and publications A4
Food of plant origin,plant health; processing &
distribution F4 B4
Protection of legal,
economic and other consumer
interests
International
questions
(bilateral) D4 E4
Food Law, nutrition
and labelling
Health strategy C5
Human resources A5
Animal nutrition
import controls,
residues F5 B5
Enforcement and
consumer redress C6
Health measures A6
Administrative
Affairs
Grange
Quality, planning
and development F6
Risk assessment C7
01/12/2007

6. Structure FVO 7 FVO Units -Food of animal origin: Mammals
5 inspection Units (F2-F6)
-Food of animal origin: Mammals
-Food of animal origin: Birds/Fish
-Food of non-animal origin & plant health
-Horizontal: Feed (TSEs), Residues, Import Controls
-Animal health and Animal Welfare
2 non-inspection Units (F1&F7)
- Follow-up, Country Profiles
- Quality, Planning, Development

7. FVO - general information
Staff
175
about 90 inspectors
Inspectors’ qualifications
Veterinarians
Agronomists
Other qualifications

8. Key functions of the FVO
Assess performance of national competent authorities in ensuring and enforcing compliance with EU requirements
Carry out ON-THE-SPOT inspections
Report on findings to Commission Services, Member States, European Parliament, Council, and other stakeholders via internet publication
Make recommendations to Competent Authorities
Follow-up with Competent Authorities

9. Key Functions - Inspections
Different types of FVO Audit/inspections
Sectoral Audits/inspections: Assessment of performance of national competent authorities in ensuring and enforcing compliance with EU requirements, including on-the-spot verifications, in a particular area
Assessment & monitoring missions: Missions in candidate countries to assess initial state of play and subsequent progress with the implementation of the EU acquis up to accession
Fact-finding missions: missions carried out for the purposes of policy formulation or review, eg. Guidelines of national audit systems

10. Key Functions - Inspections (cont.)
General review missions: missions to review Competent Authority progress with follow-up of FVO recommendations at a « horizontal » Member State level
On-the-spot inspections: to verify compliance in individual premises/sites, eg. approval of Border Inspection Posts

11. Key Functions (cont.) Reporting on the Results
Publication of final reports
Follow up on corrective action

12. Key Functions other than inspection
Development of Country Profiles
Desk-verifications (e. g. Third Country residue plans, Member States pesticide reports)
Development of guidelines for Member States (e.g. on official controls)

13. Inspection Programme Programmes published:

14. Inspection Programme 2007 * *

15. SANCO Inspection Programme 200715

16. 2007 Member States - Meat Bulgaria (2) Finland Germany Greece Hungary
Malta
Italy
Poland
Portugal
Romania (2)
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
TOTAL 15

17. 2008 Member States - Meat Bulgaria Belgium Cyprus Czech Republic
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Italy
Poland
Romania
Spain
TOTAL 14

18. 2007 Third Country Inspections

19. 2007/2008 Third Countries - Meat
Argentina 2 1
Australia
Botswana
Brazil
Canada
Chile
China

20. 2007/2008 Third Countries - Meat
Iceland 1
Israel
Namibia
New Zealand
Paraguay
Russian Federation
Serbia

21. 2007/2008 Third Countries - Meat
South Africa 1
Swaziland
Switzerland
United States
Uruguay
Total 15

22. Outcome of inspections
Member States
Third Countries

23. Outcome of inspections - MS
Food Business Operators Compliance
HACCP procedures
Regulation (EC) No 2073/2004 (microbiological criteria)
Traceability
Establishments with derogation till end of 2009 (National Market)

24. Outcome of inspections - MS
Official control systems
Overall improvements
Poor control systems – threat for the entire industry
Exports e.g. to the Russian Federation
Food scandals (e.g. Gammelfleisch)
Still weak MS (5) with slow progress
Romania and Bulgaria not yet included
Four ‚old‘ and one ‚new‘ MS

25. Outcome of inspections - TC
Relation with most TC established for a long time (e.g. NZ, some South American Countries)
Few surprises
Usually good response to FVO recommendations
Not many requests for new TC listings meat

26. Outcome of inspections - TC
Challenges
Residue controls not in line with EU requirements
Disease outbreaks (e.g. Avian Influenza, Foot and Mouth Disease)
Control systems deteriorate
Poor response to recommendations

27. Outcome of inspections
Brazil beef
Regular FVO inspections
Certain deficiencies (e.g. residue controls) addressed by Brazilian authorities
Other deficiencies (holding registration, animal identification, movement control) commitments not respected
FVO mission November 2007
Commission Decision 2008/61/EC
FVO mission February/March 2008
Currently 95 eligible holdings listed

28. Thank you for your attention!
Questions?
Thank you for your attention!