Health inspections of third countries' products of non-animal origin for human consumption

26.4.2016

Question for written answer P-003323-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero Fernández (S&D)

The scope of EU legislation on health inspections of imports of food and other products of non-animal origin from third countries at the borders of the Union is limited to certain hazards and products from certain countries.

Health inspections for products not subject to any form of control under EU legislation are left to the discretion of Member States.

There is no single EU list of food of non-animal origin requiring sanitary inspection upon importation, so each Member State maintains its own list of products not covered by EC law.

This leads to market distortions because economic operators seek to use ports with the least stringent inspection requirements, to the detriment of those carrying out more comprehensive food safety checks.

Is the Commission aware of the market distortions caused by insufficient legal harmonisation concerning health inspections of these products?

Will the Commission take measures to harmonise legislation on health inspections of imports of these products and to correct the current distortions in the single market?