1. The residue control plan is aimed at surveying and revealing the reasons for residue hazards in foods of animal origin on farms, slaughterhouses, dairies, fish processing plants, and egg collecting and packing stations.

Official samples are to be taken in accordance with the relevant chapter of Annex IV.

Wherever official samples are taken, sampling must be unforeseen, unexpected and effected at no fixed time and on no particular day of the week. The Member States must take all the precautions necessary to ensure that the element of surprise in the checks is constantly maintained.

2. For Group A substances, surveillance should be aimed at detecting the illegal administration of prohibited substances and the abusive administration of approved substances, respectively. The emphasis of such sampling must be concentrated according to the relevant chapter of Annex IV.

The samples must be targeted taking account of the following minimum criteria: sex, age, species, fattening system, all available background information, and all evidence of misuse or abuse of substances of this group.

The details of these criteria will be laid down in the Commission Decision provided for in Article 15 (1).

3. For Group B substances, surveillance should be aimed particularly at controlling the compliance with MRLs for residues of veterinary medicinal products fixed in Annexes I and III to Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90, and the maximum levels of pesticides fixed in Annex III to Directive 86/363/EEC, and monitoring the concentration of environmental contaminants.

Unless random sampling can be justified by Member States when presenting their national plans to the Commission, all the samples shall be targeted according to criteria laid down in the Commission Decision provided for in Article 15 (1).