Division 3.2.2 GUIDANCE/DEFINITION OF REQUIREMENT

National control plans are required to contain general information on the structure and organisation of the Member States systems of official controls covering all sectors and all stages of the feed and food production chain, animal health, animal welfare and, as is provided for by Article 27a of Directive 2000/29/EC, plant health. Although general in nature, the national control plans are required to include information on the specific issues provided for in Article 42(2)(a) to (k) of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004. Guidance on those specific issues is set out in Sections 3.3 to 3.13 of these Guidelines. In addition, Section 3.14 of these Guidelines contains guidance on adjustments of the national control plans.

Specific control plans, provided for under other relevant Community legislation are not replaced by the national control plans. However, the national control plans should integrate the planning and implementation of such specific control plans into the overall national control plans. A general description of the structure and organisation of the system of official controls for each of these specific areas should be included in the national control plans, and that description may make cross-references to the specific control plans.