xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term ‘competent authority’ shall mean the central authority of a Member State competent for the organisation of official checks referred to in point VII of Annex XIa to Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 or any other authority to which that competence has been conferred; it shall also include, where appropriate, the corresponding authority of a third country.