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National Control Plan

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Glossary

Glossary
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The National Control Plan includes general information on the structure and organisation of the control systems covering feed and food law, animal health, animal welfare, and plant health.

Single integrated National Control Plan for the United Kingdom (January 2007 to March 2011)

Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 (external link) ensures that European Union (EU) Member states comply with the feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules, and ensured that they produced a single, integrated National Control Plan, and which was implemented by 1 January 2007.

The National Control Plan (NCP) is to include general information on the structure and organisation of the control systems covering feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare, and plant health under Directive 2000/29/EC.

The task of drafting the National Control Plan was divided between the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

  • The FSA were responsible for compiling the feed and food and the plant health elements.
  • DEFRA, with support from the Welsh Government, the Scottish Executive Environment & Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD), and the Department for Agriculture & Rural Development, Northern Ireland (DARDNI), drew up the animal health and animal welfare elements.

Regulation (EC) 882/2004 on official controls requires Member States to keep National Control Plans under review and amend them in order to keep them up-to-date.  In line with this obligation it was agreed that the United Kingdom (UK) NCP will be reviewed formally every six months (at the end of July and end of January each year).  

The second review of the NCP has now been completed and Revision 2 of the Plan is available below

The purpose of the Plan, which is required under EU Regulation 882/2004 on official controls, is to ensure that effective control systems are in place for monitoring and enforcing feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules, and plant health law. The UK National Control Plan was prepared jointly by the Food Standards Agency, the Welsh Government, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Rural Affairs Departments in Scotland and Northern Ireland.  It describes the regulatory landscape in the UK in these sectors and gives details of the roles and responsibilities of the different authorities and associated bodies that are involved. It also sets out the planned official control activities of these authorities and bodies during the period of the plan, and provides an overview of how they work together to safeguard public, animal and plant health, to protect consumer interests, and to promote the welfare of animals.

National Control Plan - Second Review (external link)

The revision has been prepared jointly by DEFRA, the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Government, DARDNI, and the Food Standard Agency (FSA).  

The tables  below are extensions of the National Control Plan and provide additional information to what is already contained in the UK single integrated multi-annual National Control Plan, specifically in relation to Appendix D (paragraph 26). They provide details of the animal health and animal welfare legislation for which DEFRA, the Scottish Executive and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD), the Welsh Government and the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development (DARDNI) are responsible, and which falls within the scope of the official controls Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 882/2004).

Please click on the following external links to be redirected to the DEFRA website for further information.

Please note that, every effort will be made to ensure that these tables provide a comprehensive list of all the animal health and animal welfare legislation that is considered relevant under the Official Feed and Food Controls (OFFC) Regulation (EC) No 882/2004.

Related external links

Comments on any aspect of the National Control Plan relating to animal health and animal welfare controls can be directed to:

Office of the Chief Veterinary Office
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cathays
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ

E-mail: OFFCConsultation@wales.gov.uk