2454 final report.pdf - Agra CEAS Consulting

Evaluation of the Community Plant Health Regime: Final Report
DG SANCO Evaluation Framework Contract Lot 3 (Food Chain)
The majority (16) the MS CAs indicate they collect a fee to cover the costs associated with
inspection at the place of production (AT, BE, DE, DK, FI, FR, HU, IT, LT, LV, NL, PL, PT,
SI, SE and UK). The amount of the fee is either fixed (e.g. in AT), or calculated according to
the time needed for the inspection (e.g. in BE, NL and UK), or according to the surface (in
PL, LV and SE). It can also vary depending on the species of the inspected plants (as in LV,
SI and SE), or depending on the region (as in DE, where the unit fee varies between €15 and
€100 in IT). The analysis of the results of the cost survey indicates that, when MS apply a fee
for inspection at the place of production, the fees collected cover between 30 and 100% of the
costs concerned.
Although it is not a CPHR obligation, the inspection for the issuance of export certificate is
subject to collection of fees in most MS (AT, BE, CZ, DE, DK, EE, FI, FR, EL, IE, IT, LT,
LV, NL, PL, PT, SK, SI, SE and UK). The percentage of recovery for the competent
authorities is usually higher than for the other fees (full cost recovery in 9 MS), and is higher
than 100% in two MS. One MS CA mentioned in the cost survey that they are using receipts
from export inspection to recover other expenditures due to the CPHR such as, for example,
mandatory surveillance.
3.11.5.3 Suggestions to improve the fees system applied under the CPHR in the future
The results of the cost survey concerning what should be done in the future to improve the
fees system applied under the CPHR indicate the following:
Specific cost survey results
Q 1.3.f) Suggestions to improve the fee system in the future:
11 out of 25 MS CAs and 2 out of 7 stakeholders consider that the current fees system should be maintained but
that the fees should be annually adjusted to correct for inflation (4 MS CAs and 2 stakeholders do not know).
6 out of 25 MS CAs and 4 out of 9 stakeholders consider that standard fees should apply throughout the EU (4
MS CAs do not know).
10 out of 23 MS CAs and 5 out of 9 stakeholders consider that fees based on cost calculation should apply
throughout the EU (3 MS CAs and 1 stakeholder do not know).
8 out of 25 MS CAs and 2 out of 8 stakeholders consider that greater subsidiarity or leaving more responsibility
to MS (to fix fees at required levels) should apply (5 MS CAs and 1 stakeholder do not know).
Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 238