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Brussels, |
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Alert and Cooperation Network
The Alert and Cooperation Network (ACN) is the EU’s administrative cooperation framework for official controls in the agri-food chain. Its purpose is to help Member States exchange information quickly and coordinate follow-up action when risks, irregularities or suspicions arise in food, feed, animal welfare, plant health or fraud-related cases.
The network is supported by the iRASFF digital platform, through which members send and receive notifications. ACN does not consist of a single channel: it brings together several specialised modules, including RASFF for food and feed risks, AAC for administrative assistance and cooperation, FFN for agri-food fraud, AWN for animal welfare, PAN for pet animals, and PHN for plant health. This structure allows the EU to route different types of cases through the appropriate cooperation mechanism while keeping them within one broader system.
Its legal basis lies in the EU rules on official controls. The Commission page explains that ACN is governed by the administrative assistance and cooperation provisions of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and that iRASFF support is established under Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1715 on IMSOC. In practice, this means the network is not just an informal exchange tool, but part of the formal EU enforcement architecture for the agri-food chain.
Operationally, the Commission manages the ACN and provides technological support, guidance and coordination. It maintains standard operating procedures, organises meetings among members, checks the quality of information circulated through the system, and asks for clarifications where needed so that national authorities can take informed follow-up measures. The Commission also ensures that RASFF notifications are made rapidly available across the network.
A key feature of the ACN is that it connects EU cooperation with third countries as well. According to the Commission, it communicates daily with non-member countries on RASFF matters through the RASFF Window, email exchanges and the INFOSAN network. It must also notify third countries when a flagged product has been exported to them, or when a notified product originated there, so that those countries can take appropriate action.
The ACN has expanded over time. The Commission states that from March 2021 the core networks composing the ACN — RASFF, AAC and FFN — began working together more closely, while the Plant Health Network had already been integrated earlier, and the Animal Welfare Network and Pet Animals Network were added in 2024. This shows that the system has evolved into a broader cross-sector platform rather than remaining limited to classic food alerts alone.
Overall, the ACN can be understood as the EU’s central cooperation infrastructure for enforcement and information exchange in the agri-food chain. It combines rapid notification, administrative cooperation, fraud coordination, sector-specific follow-up and international outreach, making it a key instrument for protecting food safety, market integrity and regulatory compliance across the Union.
The network is supported by the iRASFF digital platform, through which members send and receive notifications. ACN does not consist of a single channel: it brings together several specialised modules, including RASFF for food and feed risks, AAC for administrative assistance and cooperation, FFN for agri-food fraud, AWN for animal welfare, PAN for pet animals, and PHN for plant health. This structure allows the EU to route different types of cases through the appropriate cooperation mechanism while keeping them within one broader system.
Its legal basis lies in the EU rules on official controls. The Commission page explains that ACN is governed by the administrative assistance and cooperation provisions of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and that iRASFF support is established under Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1715 on IMSOC. In practice, this means the network is not just an informal exchange tool, but part of the formal EU enforcement architecture for the agri-food chain.
Operationally, the Commission manages the ACN and provides technological support, guidance and coordination. It maintains standard operating procedures, organises meetings among members, checks the quality of information circulated through the system, and asks for clarifications where needed so that national authorities can take informed follow-up measures. The Commission also ensures that RASFF notifications are made rapidly available across the network.
A key feature of the ACN is that it connects EU cooperation with third countries as well. According to the Commission, it communicates daily with non-member countries on RASFF matters through the RASFF Window, email exchanges and the INFOSAN network. It must also notify third countries when a flagged product has been exported to them, or when a notified product originated there, so that those countries can take appropriate action.
The ACN has expanded over time. The Commission states that from March 2021 the core networks composing the ACN — RASFF, AAC and FFN — began working together more closely, while the Plant Health Network had already been integrated earlier, and the Animal Welfare Network and Pet Animals Network were added in 2024. This shows that the system has evolved into a broader cross-sector platform rather than remaining limited to classic food alerts alone.
Overall, the ACN can be understood as the EU’s central cooperation infrastructure for enforcement and information exchange in the agri-food chain. It combines rapid notification, administrative cooperation, fraud coordination, sector-specific follow-up and international outreach, making it a key instrument for protecting food safety, market integrity and regulatory compliance across the Union.
