# C_2006325EN.01004001.xml

| 30.12.2006 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 325/40 |
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30.12.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 325/40

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Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation EC No .../... on the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods

COM(2006) 606 final — 2006/0193 (COD)

(2006/C 325/10)

On 15 November 2006, the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 95 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned proposal.

On 25 October 2006, the Bureau of the European Economic and Social Committee instructed the Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment to undertake the preparatory work.

In view of the urgency of the matter, at its 431st plenary session held on 13 and 14 December 2006 (meeting of 13 December), the European Economic and Social Committee appointed Mr Kapuvari as its rapporteur-general and adopted the following opinion by 107 votes in favour with one abstention.

1.   Conclusions

| 1.1 | The EESC welcomes the inclusion in the Regulation of the regulatory procedure with scrutiny. The EESC concurs with the European Commission that it is important to make Community law simpler and more transparent. |
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1.1

The EESC welcomes the inclusion in the Regulation of the regulatory procedure with scrutiny. The EESC concurs with the European Commission that it is important to make Community law simpler and more transparent.

2.   Introduction

| 2.1 | The present proposal aims to introduce in the Regulation (EC) No .../... of the European Parliament and the Council on the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods, reference to the new Regulatory procedure with scrutiny in all cases where the Commission is empowered to adopt quasi-legislative measures within the meaning of Article 2 of Decision 1999/468/EC laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred to the Commission, as amended by Council Decision 2006/512/EC. |
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2.1

The present proposal aims to introduce in the Regulation (EC) No .../... of the European Parliament and the Council on the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods, reference to the new Regulatory procedure with scrutiny in all cases where the Commission is empowered to adopt quasi-legislative measures within the meaning of Article 2 of Decision 1999/468/EC laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred to the Commission, as amended by Council Decision 2006/512/EC.

| 2.2 | The amendment is needed because of the new comitology procedure, i.e. the ‘regulatory procedure with scrutiny’. |
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2.2

The amendment is needed because of the new comitology procedure, i.e. the ‘regulatory procedure with scrutiny’.

| 2.3 | The proposal is limited to the amendments strictly necessary to align the Regulation to the Comitology Decision. |
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2.3

The proposal is limited to the amendments strictly necessary to align the Regulation to the Comitology Decision.

3.   General comments

| 3.1 | The EESC welcomes the inclusion in the Regulation of the regulatory procedure with scrutiny. The EESC concurs with the European Commission that it is important to make Community law simpler and more transparent. |
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3.1

The EESC welcomes the inclusion in the Regulation of the regulatory procedure with scrutiny. The EESC concurs with the European Commission that it is important to make Community law simpler and more transparent.

| 3.2 | The regulatory procedure with scrutiny makes for more effective amendment of non-essential elements of the basic instrument, inter alia, by deleting some of those elements or by adding new non-essential elements. |
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3.2

The regulatory procedure with scrutiny makes for more effective amendment of non-essential elements of the basic instrument, inter alia, by deleting some of those elements or by adding new non-essential elements.

| 3.3 | The European Economic and Social Committee adopted an opinion on the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods in March 2004, and given that the current proposal for an amendment is essentially an amalgamation exercise, no new opinion on the matter is necessary. |
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3.3

The European Economic and Social Committee adopted an opinion on the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods in March 2004, and given that the current proposal for an amendment is essentially an amalgamation exercise, no new opinion on the matter is necessary.

| 3.4 | The new rules on the regulatory procedure with scrutiny have been in force since 23 July 2006. |
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3.4

The new rules on the regulatory procedure with scrutiny have been in force since 23 July 2006.

| 3.5 | It has been ensured that the new Regulation contains no changes of substance and serves only the purpose of presenting Community law in a clear and transparent way. The EESC strongly endorses this objective and in view of this, welcomes the proposal. |
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3.5

It has been ensured that the new Regulation contains no changes of substance and serves only the purpose of presenting Community law in a clear and transparent way. The EESC strongly endorses this objective and in view of this, welcomes the proposal.

Brussels, 13 December 2006.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Dimitris DIMITRIADIS

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