Austria tightens import controls to align food and feed with EU standards
Austria will increase checks on agricultural imports from non-EU countries, focusing initially on feed traceability, pesticide active substances and prohibited materials. Farm representatives also want EU policy to assess production methods, rather than relying solely on the characteristics of the finished product.
Austria expands scrutiny of third-country imports
Austria is increasing controls on agricultural imports from non-EU countries in an effort to ensure that imported food and feed comply with standards comparable to those imposed on domestic producers. The initiative has received backing from Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig, Lower Austria Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf and Lorenz Mayr, vice-president of the Lower Austria Chamber of Agriculture.
According to Fruchtportal, the three officials argue that Austrian farmers operate under strict requirements covering plant protection, environmental and water protection, and food safety. Their concern is that products can still reach the European market after being produced under conditions, including the use of certain pesticides, that are prohibited in Austria or elsewhere in the European Union.
Totschnig said fair competition requires comparable rules. He supports linking new import quotas in modern trade agreements to sustainable production conditions aligned with the EU’s production standards. Austria’s stronger inspection programme is intended to verify compliance at the border and along import supply chains, while limiting what the government and farm representatives regard as a competitive disadvantage for domestic agriculture.
Feed checks will focus on origin and prohibited substances
The Federal Office for Food Safety, known as BAES, will examine single and compound feeds in the coming months. Checks will cover traceability and origin, pesticide active substances, undesirable materials and prohibited substances. The source did not specify particular supplying countries, products, shipment volumes or a timetable beyond the coming months.
BAES inspections will operate alongside feed companies’ own controls and checks conducted through the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, or RASFF. Together, these measures are intended to identify non-compliant feed and provide oversight beyond inspections of finished food products.
The approach could increase documentation and testing requirements for importers, feed companies and overseas suppliers serving the Austrian market. The practical effect will depend on the frequency of inspections, the substances targeted and how authorities respond to non-compliant consignments. No new penalties, rejection thresholds or estimated compliance costs were detailed in the announcement reported by Fruchtportal.
Farm groups seek production-based standards
Mayr called for policy to move beyond a system focused mainly on product standards and give greater weight to production standards. His position is that a finished product does not by itself show the conditions under which it was made. Under such an approach, authorities would examine both residue compliance and whether production methods meet requirements comparable to those faced by EU farmers.
The proposal also includes further development of maximum residue limits for pesticide active substances that are not authorised in the EU and are considered particularly hazardous. Supporters are seeking more controls and audits throughout import chains, as well as additional audits in third countries. These measures would broaden scrutiny from testing consignments to examining how suppliers produce and document agricultural goods.
Austria’s National Council recently supported, by a large majority, consistent implementation of agreed safeguards and safety provisions for agricultural imports. Measures cited by Fruchtportal include stronger import controls, additional audits in third countries and stricter residue checks on imported products. Food security, consumer protection and the competitiveness of Austria’s agricultural and food industries are also to be treated as strategic priorities.
Totschnig, Pernkopf and Mayr have called on the European Commission to enforce and further develop existing safeguards. The debate now shifts to implementation: how Austria applies the additional checks, how EU rules accommodate production-based conditions and what evidence exporters will need to demonstrate compliance. For agricultural suppliers, traders and feed companies, traceability and records covering pesticide use are likely to become increasingly important when accessing the Austrian market.
