{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2017-625/article-44",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2017-625/article-44.json",
  "legislation": "eur/2017/625",
  "legislation_title": "Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products, amending Regulations (EC) No 999/2001, (EC) No 396/2005, (EC) No 1069/2009, (EC) No 1107/2009, (EU) No 1151/2012, (EU) No 652/2014, (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 1/2005 and (EC) No 1099/2009 and Council Directives 98/58/EC, 1999/74/EC, 2007/43/EC, 2008/119/EC and 2008/120/EC, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 89/608/EEC, 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC, 91/496/EEC, 96/23/EC, 96/93/EC and 97/78/EC and Council Decision 92/438/EEC (Official Controls Regulation) (Text with EEA relevance)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2017-625",
  "path": "article/44",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "44",
  "heading": "Official controls on animals and goods other than those subject to official controls at border control posts under Section II",
  "text": "1. To ascertain compliance with the rules referred to in Article 1(2), the competent authorities shall perform official controls regularly, on a risk basis and with appropriate frequency, on animals and goods entering Great Britain and to which Articles 47 and 48 do not apply.\n2. On animals and goods referred to in paragraph 1 the appropriate frequency of the official controls shall be determined, taking into account:\n(a) the risks to human, animal or plant health, animal welfare or, as regards GMOs and plant protection products, also to the environment, associated with different types of animals and goods;\n(b) any information indicating the likelihood that consumers might be misled, in particular as to the nature, identity, properties, composition, quantity, durability, country of origin or place of provenance, method of manufacture or production of goods;\n(c) the history of compliance with the requirements established by the rules referred to in Article 1(2) applicable to the animals or goods concerned:\n((i)) of the third country and establishment of origin or place of production, as appropriate;\n((ii)) of the exporter;\n((iii)) of the operator responsible for the consignment;\n(d) the controls that have already been performed on the animals and goods concerned; and\n(e) the guarantees that the competent authorities of the third country of origin have given with regard to compliance of the animals and goods with the requirements established by the rules referred to in Article 1(2) or with requirements recognised to be at least equivalent thereto.\n3. The official controls provided for in paragraph 1 shall be performed at an appropriate place within the customs territory of the United Kingdom, including, but not limited to:\n(a) the point of entry into Great Britain;\n(b) a border control post;\n(c) the point of release for free circulation in Great Britain;\n(d) the premises of the operator responsible for the consignment;\n(e) any warehouses used for the storage of the consignment;\n(f) the place of destination;\n(g) a control point.\n4. Notwithstanding paragraphs 1 and 3, the competent authorities at border control posts and other points of entry into Great Britain shall perform official controls on the following whenever they have reason to believe that their entry into Great Britain may pose a risk to human, animal or plant health, animal welfare or, as regards GMOs and plant protection products, also to the environment:\n(a) means of transport, including where empty; and\n(b) packaging, including pallets.\n5. The competent authorities may also perform official controls on goods that are placed under one of the customs procedures defined in point (16)(a), (b) and (c) of Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 and in a temporary storage defined in point (17) of Article 5 of that Regulation.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in Art. 44(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1481), regs. 1, 10(1)(a) (with reg. 46)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in Art. 44(3) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1481), regs. 1, 10(1)(b) (with reg. 46)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in Art. 44(3) substituted (10.2.2025) by The Official Controls (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/102), regs. 1(1)(b), 7(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in Art. 44(3)(a) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1481), regs. 1, 10(1)(a) (with reg. 46)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in Art. 44(3)(c) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1481), regs. 1, 10(1)(a) (with reg. 46)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Art. 44(3)(d)-(g) substituted for Art. 44(3)(d)(e) (10.2.2025) by The Official Controls (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/102), regs. 1(1)(b), 7(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in Art. 44(4) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health etc.) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1481), regs. 1, 10(1)(a) (with reg. 46)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2017/625/article/44",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T14:45:04.117110+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}