The European Commission has published its 2027 programme of audits covering food and feed safety, animal health and welfare, plant health, and import controls.
The Commission plans to carry out 144 audits and eight fact-finding visits next year, including checks linked to products imported into the EU, it informed in a statement on Thursday.
The work will cover EU member states, third countries that export or want to export to the EU, and candidate countries receiving pre-accession support.
A stronger focus on third countries and borders — and candidate countries
Trade-related on-site audits in third countries are set to increase by 107% compared with 2025, while audits of EU border control posts are planned to rise by 60% over the same period, the Commission said.
It added that 12 audits are planned in EU candidate countries.
Four fact-finding visits will be dedicated to the One Health approach — a framework that treats the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment as connected.
Priorities for 2027 were set using legal requirements, food safety and health risks, trade volumes, evidence of non-compliance, and results from earlier audits, according to the Commission, which added the programme may be adapted during the year in response to emerging issues or concerns.
