The European Commission has established a task force aiming to strengthen import controls on food safety.

The commission said the task force will focus in particular on food and feed safety, pesticide residues and coordinated EU monitoring actions on specific imported products.

The move is part of the EU Commission's efforts to address farmers' concerns about imports under the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement which were outlined in December.

The commission also said it will increase its export related audits in non-EU countries by 50% over the next 2 years - starting from January 1, 2026.

Food safety

According to the commission, the new task force, which brings together expertise from the commission and member states, will contribute to:

Further harmonising of import controls across the EU;
Developing recommendations for joint actions between the commission and member states;
Identifying where additional administrative or regulatory measures are needed to strengthen controls.

"Strict import rules with respect to food and feed hygiene, consumer safety and animal and plant health status aim at assuring that all imports fulfil the same high standards as products from the EU itself.

"Import controls are crucial in verifying compliance of food and feed products with relevant requirements. EU rules apply to all products sold in the EU, whether produced domestically or imported," the commission added.

EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Oliver Varhelyi formally launched the task force at yesterday's European Council meeting.

"European citizens already benefit from the highest food safety standards in the world. These rules protect human health, animal health and welfare, plant health, and the environment.

"This is essential for citizens and for farmers, who expect fair competition," he said.

"Import controls are crucial and the task force launched today, in line with the Vision for Agriculture and Food, will help us in reinforcing import controls by ensuring that strong rules are matched by more consistent and effective implementation across the Union," the commissioner added.