Article 44 (4) and (6) of Regulation (EC) No. 882/2004 requires the Commission to establish, and submit to the European Parliament and Council, an annual report on the overall operation of controls in the Member States in the light of: (a) the annual reports submitted by the national authorities on their control activities; (b) Commission controls carried out in the Member States; and (c) any other relevant information. The Report on the overall operation of official controls in the Member States on food safety, animal health and animal welfare, and plant health [COM(2013)681] is the third such report submitted by the Commission. Its main sources are:

(a) the annual reports from the Member States for 2010;

(b) the results of the Commission’s own control activities; and

(c) other relevant information related to controls, including: reports from Member States to the Commission on controls in specific sectors; the results of EU rapid alert systems; Commission enforcement actions (including infringement cases) related to observed non-compliances in the Member States; and reports from international standard setting bodies.