Experts for cross-checks (other EU/EEA countries) - Apply for approval

Nationals of other EU/EEA countries can work in Germany as private cross-checking experts on the basis of the German Food and Feed Code. You have the following options:

• You are established as an expert or expert for cross-checking in your country of origin and wish to work in Germany on a permanent basis. In this case, you will need a license. In addition to the general licensing requirements, special regulations apply.
• If you only wish to work as an expert or expert witness in Germany temporarily and occasionally in the context of providing services, you must notify the competent authority of your activity.

To the regional council in whose district you have your head office.

• Written application stating the test area for which approval is requested and the address of your head office
• Proof that you have a testing laboratory in accordance with Section 5 of the GPV that is accredited for the requested testing area
  (You must provide the address of the recognized testing laboratory and its identification number issued by an accreditation body)
• Written curriculum vitae with professional background
• Proof that the admission requirements have been met by
  • Certificates,
  • diplomas,
  • certificates of service or employment,
  • certificates of qualification or other documents, such as authorizations to use academic titles and degrees or other professional titles (officially certified copies)
• Proof of at least two years of examination and assessment activity
• for proof of personal reliability: certificate of good conduct
• Proof that you do not work in official food, feed and consumer goods inspection and testing
• Declaration of employment

You must also submit

• Declaration that no criminal proceedings or investigations by the public prosecutor are pending
• Declaration that there are no grounds for disqualification and that the expert activity can be carried out independently and free of any conflict of interest
• Declaration of commitment

The competent authority may request further documents to verify personal reliability.

For further details, please refer to the Ordinance on the Licensing of Private Cross-check Experts and on Regulations for Official Cross-checks (GPV). The documents must not be older than three months at the time of application. Certificates of training and qualifications are exempt from this deadline.

The requirements are:

• You must either
  • a state-certified food chemist or a state-certified food chemist or
  • a licensed veterinarian with a specialist veterinary qualification
    • in the field of investigation applied for approval or
    • for public veterinary medicine or
  • have a university degree in natural sciences (you must provide evidence of relevant specialist and legal knowledge by means of suitable documents).
• You must have at least two years of testing and assessment experience in the field of investigation applied for.
• You must have a suitable accredited testing laboratory with appropriate accreditation for the field of investigation applied for.
• They must be reliable and no conflicts of interest may be expected.
• They must not be active in official food, feed or commodity monitoring and testing.

Note: For further details, please refer to the Ordinance on the Accreditation of Private Counter-Sample Experts and on Regulations for Official Counter-Samples (GPV).

The application for approval as a private or private expert for cross-checking must be submitted in writing to the competent body. It must be signed by hand or have a qualified electronic signature.

The competent body will check whether the requirements for approval have been met and inform you of its decision.

If the decision is positive, the approval will be published in the nationwide list of cross-check experts approved by the federal states.

The granting of approval as a cross-check expert is subject to a fee. The fees are determined in accordance with the Administrative Cost Regulations for the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Protection, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (VwKostO-MUKLV).