Mr. David Lynch:

We rely on the Commission to carry out inspections in third countries outside the EU. It carries out inspections on both food and live animals. Few live animals are imported into the EU. The inspections relate mainly to food producers. The Commission tries to arrive at the conclusion that equivalent standards apply. It has taken action against countries where it felt those standards did not apply. A good effort is made to try to ensure there is a level playing field for operators in the EU regarding competition from third countries.

Deputy Ferris asked whether farmers are considered micro-enterprises in the context of the official controls. They are, because micro-enterprises are defined as employing fewer than ten people and having a turnover of less than €2 million. Perhaps huge feed lots might be different, but in most cases farmers will be exempt from the fees structure.

I will hand over to my colleague to answer the other questions about fees.