The EU will audit Ireland in 2021 on veterinary medicine residues in live animals and food, and will also audit Ireland on food safety law.

The EU’s health and food safety department has said that the audit will “verify member states' compliance with the applicable EU legislation governing residues of veterinary medicinal products, pesticides and contaminants in live animals and food of animal origin”.

Estonia, Germany, Luxembourg and Slovakia will also be audited.

The EU will also audit Ireland next year on EU food safety law and it will “verify member states' compliance with the applicable EU food safety legislation governing the production and placing on the market of meat of mammals and birds and products thereof, and the implementation of official controls thereon”.

Cyprus, Czech, Republic, Greece, Italy, Poland and Spain will also be audited.

UK audit

From 2021 to 2025, the EU will audit the UK in respect of Northern Ireland and the operation of the Northern Ireland protocol.

EU auditors will look at verifying that the UK in respect of Northern Ireland complies with EU requirements in the context of Brexit and the operation of the Ireland/Northern Ireland protocol to the withdrawal agreement between the UK and the EU.

“This will include the assessment of the planned border control posts in UK-NI, verification of implementation of official controls on imports of animals and goods in the border control posts, and application of other EU legislation in the region,” according to the Commission’s work programme of audits for 2021.

The EU will also inspect that Britain complies with EU requirements as regards exports of animals and goods to the EU.