FSA Interested Parties Letter (OCR 087), 27 July 2010

OFFICIAL CONTROLS - EU Regulation No 669/2009 (as amended) implementing Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 as regards the increased level of official controls on imports of certain feed and food of non-animal origin (Non-POAO)

Further to my letter of 16 July [see 16 July 2010], I am writing to inform you about the European Commission’s advice on how Member States should deal with the amended Annex I list to Regulation (EC) No 669/2009, that received a favourable opinion by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH) at its meeting on 14 July and is expressed to enter into force as law on 1 October 2010.

Following a request by the UK to DG SANCO for advice on how to deal with checks on products that will be de-listed as of 1 October 2010, or for which a lower frequency will be applicable, the Commission has agreed that it would be reasonable to de-prioritise controls on those commodities with immediate effect. We have advised the designated points of entry (DPEs) accordingly.

For ease of reference the commodities affected are:

• bananas from the Dominican Republic (removal);
• basmati rice from India (removal); and
• basmati rice from Pakistan (reduction of frequency of checks to 20%).

This will mean that the two products that have been de-listed will not have to be pre-notified through the use of a Common Entry Document (CED) and pass through a DPE for official controls.