NoC201/50 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities26.7.93
Opinionon:
—theproposalforaCouncilDirectiveamendingDirective90/539/EEConanimalhealth
conditionsgoverningintra-Community tradeinandimportsfromthirdcountriesof
poultryandhatchingeggs,and
—theproposalforaCouncilDirectiveamendingDirective91/494/EEConanimalhealth
conditionsgoverningintra-Community tradeinandimportsfromthirdcountriesoffresh
poultrymeat(*)
(93/C201/17)
On31March1993,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheEconomicandSocialCommitteeappointedMrProumensasRapporteur-General forits
Opinion.
Atits306thPlenarySession(meetingof27May1993)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
SummaryoftheOpinion
TheCommitteeapprovesthetwoproposalsamending
Directives90/539/EECand91/494/EECrespectively,
buthasafewreservationsaswellasanumberof
suggestionstomake.2.Commentsonthereport
2.1.Thecompetentnationalauthoritiesshouldbring
theproblemtotheattentionofpoultryfarmersinareas
wheremigratorybirdscongregate,andinareaswhere
wildpigeonsareparticularlynumerous.
2.2.Anillustrativelistofrecommended eggfumi­
gationprocedurescouldbeestablished.
2.3.Thenationalauthoritiesshouldbeparticularly
carefulaboutimportsoffreshpoultrymeatfrom
countrieswhereNewcastlediseaseisenzootic.
2.4.Manufacturersoffertilizersincorporatingpoul­
trymanuremustbeinformedaboutmethodsoftreat­
menttoprecludecontamination ,andmustapplysuch
methods.
2.5.Thenationalauthoritiesshouldtakeall
measurestoeradicatethediseaseinwildpigeons,
includingwildpigeonsintowns,butwillneedtobe
awarethatimplementing thesolutionsisnoeasy
matter.
2.6.Surfacewaterpresentshighrisksofcontami­
nationsoheretoothecompendiumoftreatment
methodstobecirculatedshouldbeascomprehensive
aspossible.
2.7.Whilstthereisnoneedtoreviewthepositionof
threeMemberStatesonvaccination (Ireland,Denmark
andNorthernIrelandaspartoftheUnitedKingdom),
theCommitteefeelsthatvaccinationisthebestmethod
ofprotectionagainstthediseaseprovideditiscarried
outunderappropriateconditions.
2.8.Theobligatoryvaccinationcertificateforracing
pigeonsshouldbedeliveredbyanofficialorauthorized
veterinaryofficer.1.Generalcomments
1.1.TheCommitteeconsidersthatthereportfrom
theCommissiontotheCouncilonNewcastledisease
isanimportantpartoftheprocedureforassessingall
thetypesofrisksassociatedwiththisdisease,particu­
larlyinintra-Community tradein,andimportsof,
poultryandhatchingeggs.
1.2.Theeconomicconsequencesofthediseasefor
poultryfarmersarenowawell-established fact.
1.3.BypresentingthesetwoamendmentstheCom­
missionisjustifiablyseekingasfaraspossibletostan­
dardizetheapproachadoptedwhenearliermeasures
wereputforward;indoingsoitmakesuseofthe
experiencesgainedinthemeantime.
1.4.TheCommission isalsoseekingtosimplify
administrative andotherprocedures .
1.5.AlthoughtheCommitteehasnotbeenconsulted
ontheCommissionreport,ithopesthatitsviewswill
beheard.TheESCconsidersthatsomeofthepoints
madeinthisreportshouldbethesubjectofrecommen­
dationsorclarifications ,primarilyforpoultryfarmers
andinparticularsmall-scalepoultryfarmers,butalso
withaviewtoassistingnationalcivilservants,notably
intheirpreventiverole.
(!)OJNoC89,31.3.1993,p.8and12.

26.7.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC201/51
3.4.InthisconnectiononeMemberState,namely
Ireland,hasexpressedconcernregardingnon-vet­
erinarypersonnelworkingundertheauthorityofvet­
erinaryinspectors.Irelandisafraidthatifthelegislation
isappliedrigorously,thejobsofnon-veterinaryperson­
nelwilldisappear;theonlysolutionistoadopttran­
sitionalmeasuresthattakeintoaccounttheirlong
experienceintheveterinaryfield.
3.5.Finally,ifveterinarianshavetonotifytheappro­
priateauthoritiesofcasesorevensuspicionofdisease,
thisdoesnotfreepoultryfarmersthemselvesfromthe
sameresponsibility ,e.g.wheretheysuspectthepresence
ofdisease.
4.AmendmentstoDirective91/494/EEC
4.1.Thevaccinationpositionwillinanyeventhave
tobereviewedby1January1995inthelightofthe
reportsdrawnupbytheStandingVeterinaryCom­
mittee.
4.2.ThenewprovisionsofArticle10(covering
healthconditionsforimportedpoultrymeat )deserveto
beunreservedlyapprovedastheyprovideCommunity
poultryfarmerswithguaranteesagainstunfaircompe­
titionintheeventoftherulesappliedinnon-Member
Statesbeinglesstight.3.AmendmentstoDirective90/539/EEC
3.1.TheaimsoftheCommission'samendmentsare:
—tobringordertothedifferenttexts;
—todefinemoreclearlyconditionsforexport;
—todrawupaneffectivebutlessstringenttimetable
ofinspection.
Theseobjectivesareclearlysetoutanddefinedinthe
textofthenewDirective.
3.2.TheCommissionrecognizesthatvaccinationis
notpracticedinsomeMemberStates(Ireland,Northern
IrelandaspartoftheUnitedKingdomandDenmark).
Ifneedbe,however,thisspecialnon-vaccinating status
couldbewithdrawn .
3.2.1.Subsidiaritycontinuestoplayarolebutifthe
diseaseisindangerofspreading,thenactionmustbe
takeninconformitywithCommunityrules.
3.3.Experiencehasshownthatmonthlyveterinary
inspectionsareappropriateandminimizeredtape.
DoneatBrussels,27May1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN