Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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183. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which legislation and regulations in respect of labelling of food and food products is observed fully in all European countries without exception; the extent to which such regulations have applied to imports from third countries with particular reference to meat, meat products and other non-animal generated food; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20598/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Food production and labelling in the countries of the European Union operates in accordance with harmonised rules and member states controls are subject to audit and supervision by the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) of the EU. The FVO also audit the controls of the importing countries for equivalent standards before that country is authorised to import meat into the EU. Such products are required to comply with EU labelling legislation.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), under the aegis the Minister for Health, has overall responsibility for the enforcement of food safety and labelling requirements in Ireland. It carries out this remit through service contracts with my Department and other agencies including the Health Service Executive (HSE), Local Authority Veterinary Service and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority. Inspections to ensure compliance with traceability and labelling legislation are carried out by inspection services provided by these agencies under the aforementioned contracts.

The enforcement of food law, including food labelling is a matter for the control authorities in each Member State (MS). Data on the extent of compliance or detected non compliance is currently not gathered centrally, but may be reflected in the separate annual reports of each MS in respect of its multi annual national control plan. The European Commission, through the annual audit programme of its Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), has oversight of the work of the control authorities, which does include checks on enforcement of labelling rules by the Member States. A Member State is obliged to take corrective actions in the event of any deficiencies being noted by the FVO.

EU rules on food labelling apply equally to foods produced in the EU or imported from third countries. Products of animal origin from third countries enter the EU via the official Border Inspection Posts and can therefore be subject to checks at that stage. Products of non animal origin are subject to spot checks during import and distribution. Finally, and without prejudice to the framework of public controls described above, primary responsibility to ensure compliance with food labelling rules throughout the food chain rests with the food business operator - such as the producer or importer.