Brussels, 3 September 2026
The European Commission has published its 2027 programme of audits in the areas of food and feed safety, animal health and welfare, plant health and import controls. The aim of these audits is to ensure continued protection of EU citizens’ health through the effective implementation and enforcement of EU food safety rules, which are among the strictest in the world.
Next year, the Commission plans to carry out 144 audits and 8 fact-finding visits to reinforce controls on products imported into the EU.
These audits and visits will cover EU Member States, third countries exporting or wishing to export to the EU, and candidate countries in the context of pre-accession support.
The Commission had already increased the number of planned audits on third countries for 2026, and this will be built upon in 2027. Next year’s programme has a strong emphasis on trade-related onsite audits in third countries – with a planned increase of 107% compared to 2025 – and audits on EU border control posts – with a planned increase of 60% compared to 2025. 12 audits are planned in EU candidate countries, and four fact-finding visits will be dedicated to advancing the One Health approach, which recognises that now more than ever, the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment are closely interconnected.
The priorities for 2027 were established on the basis of legal requirements, food safety and health risks, trade volumes, evidence of non-compliance, and results of previous audit activities. The programme may be adapted during the year in response to emerging issues or concerns.
More information on the audits programme for 2027 is available online.
Source – EU Commission