Simplification of EU food and feed safety rules

Call for evidence: Food and feed safety – simplification omnibus [download]

Update

The European Commission intends to simplify a large number of existing rules, including:

• authorisation and renewal procedures for pesticides and biocidal products for use in the EU
• clarifications of terminology and transitional measures related to pesticide maximum residue levels (MRLs)
• authorisations and labelling requirements for feed additives
• a surveillance and risk management framework for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)
• flexibility in official checks of plant consignments at border control posts
• clarification of the legal status of fermentation products manufactured using genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs).

The aim is to reduce the burdens and costs of the current EU food and feed safety rules for operators and competent authorities.

There is an opportunity to provide feedback until 14 October 2025 suggesting further initiatives that could be taken in relation to EU food and feed safety rules to support the EU’s objective of streamlining procedures, for example by highlighting operational challenges, unnecessary burdens, or potential for cost savings.

What is changing?

The European Commission is proposing to review and simplify a large number of existing rules. The following lists those that are of most relevance to non-EU countries.

Pesticides and biopesticides (Regulation (EC) 1107/2009)

Accelerate procedures for approving biopesticides.

Why? EU farmers have fewer tools to fight pests and diseases as older pesticides lose their authorisation, and the procedure to approve new alternatives (particularly biopesticides) takes time.

Maximum residue levels (MRLs) (Regulation 396/2005)

Improve terminology used, and transitional measures, to make individual MRL regulations clearer.

Why? Current terminology is sometimes confusing for operators.

Biocidal products (Regulation 528/2012)

Reduce administrative burdens for operators and competent authorities.

Why? There are consistent delays in approvals of substances used in biocidal products and the authorisation of products, hindering access to the market and discouraging innovation.

Feed additives (Regulation 1831/2003)

Simplify rules on modifying authorisations (e.g. changes to authorisation holders) and renewing authorisations; and greater flexibility in labelling requirements, including digital labelling for certain non-safety information.

Why? To reduce compliance costs and administrative burdens.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) (Regulation (EC) 999/2001)

Modernise rules to allow measures to respond more quickly to new scientific risk assessments.

Why? Current rules make it difficult for the EU to respond quickly to scientific developments and evolving international standards; for example, the rules on specified risk materials are too burdensome now the risk from BSE has reduced.

Official Controls Regulation (Regulation 2017/625)

Allow more flexibility in clearance of consignments at border control posts, in particular where phytosanitary certificates cover diverse batches requiring different types of checks.

Why? Border control posts today cannot release the compliant part of a consignment if another part of it still needs further checks. This can lead to unnecessary delays, particularly for plant consignments.

Animal welfare (Regulation (EC) 1099/2009)

Reduce administrative burden on EU Member State competent authorities, who will no longer be required to submit annual reports on depopulation (urgent mass killing) operations under Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing.

Why? This information is already submitted according to the Official Controls Regulation (2017/625).

Fermentation products (Regulation (EC) 1829/2003)

Clarify whether foods resulting from genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) used as production strains should be considered “produced from” or “produced with” GMMs.

Why? Confusion on how to classify GMM creates uncertainty for operators and results in divergent enforcement by different Member States.

Why?

To improve the competitiveness and resilience of EU food and feed systems, the EU is looking to simplify legislation by removing unnecessary regulatory obstacles. It does not intend to change rules in a way that will reduce the current level of consumer protection provided by these rules.

Timeline

The Commission plans to propose rules to amend the laws listed above in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Recommended Actions

Stakeholders in non-EU countries can provide feedback through the European Commission’s Have your say webpage until 14 October 2025.

While the EU does not intend to review its basic policy in any of the above areas, stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on initiatives that support the objective of streamlining food and feed safety procedures, for example by highlighting operational challenges, unnecessary burdens, or potential for cost savings.

Organisations wishing to respond must be registered. First Create an EU login account, then register your organisation on the Transparency Register.

Background

The EU Vision for Agriculture and Food 2025–2029, published in February 2025, set out a number of priorities, which included ensuring the competitiveness and resilience of the EU agri-food sector.

The current proposals reflect the views of Member States and stakeholders across a number of areas of food law regarding simplifying food and feed safety rules. They also reflect recent evaluations of EU legislation, including a review of pesticides and feed additives legislation (European Commission 2020, 2024).

Resources

Sources