Council Resolution

of 12 March 1968

on Community measures to be taken in the veterinary sector

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Whereas progress has already been made in gradually harmonizing and coordinating Member States' veterinary action;

Whereas, however, a single market for products subject to veterinary regulations can only really be created when more comprehensive veterinary measures than those so far possible have been taken;

Whereas intensification of trade movements, leading to greater concentration of production and distribution and bringing together in industrial establishments, and on the market animals and animal products from diverse sources, and increased trade due to the creation of a single market give rise to greater health risks;

Whereas the principles underlying Community measures to be taken in the veterinary sector are as follows:

- to guarantee sufficient protection of human and animal health within the Community,

- to apply specific Community veterinary rules to limit obstacles to the free movement of animals and animal products.

- to apply measures to control epizootic disease in order to limit resultant losses for Community agriculture and the public expenditure to which such disease gives rise;

Whereas the European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee have previously emphasized in their Opinions on proposals for Directives submitted to them the need for more rapid harmonization in the veterinary field;

Whereas the above objectives can only by attained by adoption and uniform implementation of Community measures; whereas this can only be effected gradually and it is therefore desirable to establish a timetable of priorities,

I. HAS AGREED:

That the aim of Community veterinary measures must in particular be to carry out the following programme:

1. The creation of a single market for animals and animal products makes it a matter of urgency to implement Community veterinary measures, progressively to harmonize regulations in force in Member States and to coordinate measures designed to protect human and animal health.

2. Community veterinary rules must allow free movement of animals and animal products within the Community, irrespective of whether they come from the Community or from third countries.

Regulations governing importation of these animals or animal products into the Community must not be more favourable than those applied within the Community.

3. These rules must in particular permit:

- progressive relaxation of veterinary inspections applied in trade between Member States, in particular inspections carried out at internal frontiers, so that the latter inspections can be abolished as soon as possible;

- subsequent extension of the Community rules for the control of animal disease in trade between Member States to replace the rules at present in force in the Member States, some of which in principle prohibit imports;

- uniform implementation of measures to control animal disease regardless of national frontiers, in any part of the Community where there is an outbreak of a contagious or infectious disease, under existing or future Community provisions, so that animals and animal products may continue to circulate in the rest of the Community.

4. To achieve this end, current work on harmonization must be accelerated so that:

- the Council may adopt before 31 March 1968 the Commission proposals listed in the Annex under A which have already been presented to it;

- the Commission may, as a matter of priority, present proposals on the more important subjects which are listed in the Annex under B;

- The Commission may submit proposals on the other subjects which are listed in the Annex under C and D as soon as possible.

5. Measures must be taken with sufficient speed and efficiency to meet agricultural requirements and to adjust to developments in the health situation. There must also be close, practical collaboration between Community bodies and Member States. Provision must therefore be made for recourse to the procedure of a Standing Veterinary Committee.

6. Member States shall provide the Commission with such information as the latter may require to carry out its work on Community veterinary measures.

Requests for information and replies thereto shall be made in writing.

7. The Community shall closely follow technical and scientific developments in the veterinary field in order where necessary to revise and adapt Community provisions and measures. To this end the exchange of scientific information between Member States and the Commission in the Scientific Veterinary Committee set up in 1961 must be maintained and intensified. The Commission shall also maintain contact with the International Office for Epizootic Diseases and other international organizations concerned with veterinary questions, such as the FAO, WHO and OECD.

8. If Community livestock is threatened by dangerous epizootic disease arising either in the Community or in third countries, the Community may initiate or support any appropriate action, in particular measures to control the disease. The Commission shall in any case conduct an investigation into the outbreak,

II. INVITES THE COMMISSION:

To submit suitable proposals for the execution of this programme.

Done at Brussels, 12 March 1968.

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ANNEX

A. Proposals before the Council for adoption before 31 March 1968

- Proposal for a Council Directive on health problems affecting trade in fresh poultrymeat, submitted 19 December 1963,

and

- Proposal for an amendment laying down the procedure of the Standing Veterinary Committee, submitted 30 May 1967;

- Proposal for a Council Directive on health problems affecting trade in meat-based products, submitted 19 December 1963,

and

- Proposal for an amendment laying down the procedure of the Standing Veterinary Committee, submitted 30 May 1967;

- Proposal for a Council Directive on animal disease and health protection problems affecting imports of bovine animals and swine and fresh meat from third countries, submitted 20 September 1965,

and

- Proposal for an amendment laying down a new procedure for the Standing Veterinary Committee, submitted 30 May 1967;

- Proposal for a Council Decision setting up a Veterinary Committee, submitted 20 September 1965,

and

- Proposal for an amendment to that Decision, submitted 30 May 1967.

B. Proposals to be drafted by the Commission as a matter of urgency

- Second set of amendments [1] to the Council Directive of 26 June 1964 on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat [2];

- Second set of amendments to the Council Directive of 26 June 1964 on animal health problems affecting intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine [3];

- Animal health measures to combat the following contagious and infectious diseases:

- foot and mouth disease,

- classical swine fever,

- tuberculosis,

- brucellosis;

- Meat in pieces, whether or not boned, and whether or not prepacked;

- Origin and preparation of casings for meat;

- Compulsory or optional trichinoscopic tests on pigmeat.

C. Proposals to be drafted by the Commission as soon as possible

- Transit of meat;

- Transit of livestock;

- Precautions against salmonelloses in establishments where meat is handled or processed;

- Hygiene in farm milk production;

- Hormone substances in livestock, poultry and meat produced therefrom — uniform inspection methods for exports;

- Standards to be met by meat cold stores;

- Source and inspection rules of offal removed from the carcase;

- Health requirements for imports of eggs for hatching and one-day chicks;

- Uniform rules for the analysis of egg-based products.

D. Other proposals to be submitted in due course

- Animal health precautions against contagious and infectious diseases other than foot and mouth disease, classical swine fever, tuberculosis and brucellosis;

- Standardization of vaccines and serums to be used to combat contagious and infectious disease;

- Coordination of measures to ensure a supply of vaccines in the event of epizootic disease;

- Assistance to be given to official veterinarians by specially trained auxiliaries;

- Rendered animal fats;

- Precautions against salmonelloses in stock-rearing establishments;

- Treatment of meat by ionising and ultraviolet radiation;

- Uniform methods for health inspection and assessment of meat;

- Transport of animals;

- Medicinal substances used in animal feeding stuffs;

- Substances liable to leave residues in meat, eggs, milk (antibiotics, thyreostatic substances, tenderisers etc);

- Domestic animals other than bovine animals and swine (goats, sheep and lambs and solipeds);

- Meat of solipeds;

- Fish, molluscs and crustaceans and products thereof;

- Live game (including feathered game);

- Game meat;

- Knackers yards;

- Non-edible animal products (horns, nails, skins, wool, etc) as potential carriers of infectious disease.

[1] This proposal was submitted to the Council on 19 February 1968.

[2] OJ No 12,29.7.1964, p. 2012/64.

[3] OJ No 12,29.7.1964, p. 1977/64

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