The European Commission has published a report on 8 July 2026 detailing its use of delegated powers under Regulation (EU) 2017/625, the Official Controls Regulation, covering the period from 16 June 2021 to 15 June 2026. The report, submitted to the European Parliament and the Council, shows that the Commission adopted 26 delegated acts during this period, with no objections from either institution.
The Official Controls Regulation, which entered into force on 28 April 2017, confers on the Commission the power to adopt delegated acts for five-year periods, tacitly renewable unless the European Parliament or Council opposes extension. This second report follows the first report covering the initial period. During the five-year reporting period, the Commission used 12 of the 38 empowerments in the regulation, with 8 partially used. All 26 delegated acts were notified to the co-legislators in accordance with Article 144(5), and neither institution raised objections.
The report notes that several empowerments remain unused but are considered necessary for future implementation, including those related to operator exemptions, official control requirements, reference laboratory conditions, border control post categories, and training requirements. The Commission's active use of delegated powers without legislative pushback indicates a smooth delegation process, though the unused empowerments suggest potential areas for future regulatory action.
Stakeholders affected include national competent authorities, which must implement the delegated acts; food and feed business operators, who face updated compliance requirements; reference laboratories, which may see changes in designation criteria; and EU consumers, who benefit from enhanced official controls ensuring food safety and animal health. The report does not propose any changes to the delegation framework itself, but the identification of unused empowerments may signal future Commission initiatives to fill regulatory gaps.
The European Parliament and Council will now review the report, potentially triggering discussions on the scope of delegated powers or the need for legislative amendments to the Official Controls Regulation.