No C 64/18 Official Journal of the European Communities 15.3.82 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Directive amending Council Directive 72/462/EEC 
on health and veterinary inspection problems upon importation of bovine animals and swine 
and fresh meat from third countries 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the 
European Communities No C 250 of 30 September 1981, page 3. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 5 October 1981 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic 
and Social Committee in accordance with Article 43 of the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community. 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Comittee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 
193rd plenary session held in Brussels on 15 and 16 December 1981. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 43 thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of 
the European Communities on 5 October 1981 for an 
opinion on the proposal for a Council Directive 
amending Council Directive 72/462/EEC on the 
health and veterinary inspection problems upon 
importation of bovine animals and swine and fresh 
meat from third countries, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
27 October 1981, instructing the Section for 
Agriculture to draw up an opinion on the matter, 
Having regard to the opinion issued by the 
abovementioned Section on 3 December 1981, 
Having regard to the oral report made by the 
rapporteur, Mr Wick, 
Having regard to its earlier work on this matter, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 193rd plenary 
session on 15 and 16 December 1981 (meeting of 
15 December), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
by a unanimous vote: The Committee approves the draft Directive subject 
to the comments set out below: 
1. General comments 
1.1 The Committee would point out that the 
Community has been involved in the veterinary field 
and the fields of animal breeding and animal 
protection since 1964 with a view to liberalizing trade 
and ensuring that the necessary level of hygiene is 
attained in order to protect the health of consumers 
and to improve the standard of health and breeding 
of livestock in the Community. 
1.2. The Committee welcomes the fact that the 
existing EEC laws are to be consolidated, updated 
and completed in line with the working paper 
approved by the Council in 1978 and the Council 
resolution of 29 July 1981. 
1.3. As regards the communication from the 
Commission to the Council on Community rules in 
the veterinary, zootechnical and animal welfare 
fields (document of 14 September 1981), the 
Committee notes that the proposals put forward by 
the Commission represent an overall package of 
measures in which the interests of producers, the 
protection of persons working with animals and the 
rights of consumers should all be taken into 
consideration. 
1.4. The draft Directive under consideration is a 
part of the overall package of measures on which the 
Committee is expressing its views. The Committee 
15. 3. 82 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 64/19 
welcomes the Commission's intention of updating, 
by means of this draft Directive, Directive 72/462/ 
EEC on health and veterinary inspection problems 
upon importation of bovine animals and swine and 
fresh meat from third countries. In the Committee's 
view it is particularly advisable to remove the 
difficulties which have arisen over the 
implementation of the Directive. 
1.5. The Committee assumes that the provisions 
applicable in the Community do not normally exist 
in or are not normally applied by non-EEC 
countries. In the Committee's view the Standing 
Veterinary Committee must therefore be called upon 
in the majority of cases to give its endorsement to the 
procedures used in non-EEC countries for certifying 
that bovine animals and pigs are free from 
tuberculosis and brucellosis upon importation, so as 
to provide a practicable solution to the problem. 
1.6. The Committee also considers that Annex A to 
Directive 72/462/EEC should be drafted in such a 
way that it accords, as regards both form and 
content, with Annex A to Directive 64/432/EEC on 
intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine. 
Furthermore, the Committee considers that not only 
should the abovementioned two Annexes be identical 
but the draft Directive under consideration should 
make explicit reference to this conformity. 
1.7. The Committee is pleased to note that the 
desirable conformity between the provisions 
covering Community trade in fresh meat and those 
covering meat imported from non-EEC countries 
exists as between Annex B to the draft Directive 
under consideration and Annex 1 to the draft 
Directive of the Commission of 14 September 1981 
amending Directive 64/433/EEC. 
2. Specific comments 
2.1. Article I (3) 
The words 'katarrhalischem Schafsfieber' in the 
German version of the draft Directive (English 
Done at Brussels, 15 December 1981. version: 'blue tongue disease') should be replaced by 
'Blauzungenkrankheit (blue tongue)'. 
The term should be changed as the disease occurs not 
just in sheep but also in cattle and the proposed term 
corresponds to veterinary parlance. In the French 
version of the draft Directive it would be preferable 
to use the term 'fievre catarrhale'. 
2.2. Article 1 (4) 
The words 'Community herds' in the last line should 
be replaced by 'herds within the Comminity' as the 
former expression is misleading. 
2.3. Article 1 (6) 
The use of the word 'Schlachtung' (slaughter) in this 
context is confusing, at least as fas as the German 
version is concerned, as the term implies that it is 
possible to make commercial use of the carcass, 
which is not the case in this event. The word 
'Schlachtung' (slaughter) should therefore be 
replaced by 'Totung' (killing). 
The Committee points out that it has not examined 
all the detailed aspects of Annexes A and B, as they 
are of a very specific technical nature and, 
furthermore, they have already been agreed to by the 
Council. 
2.4. Article 3 
In the Committee's view it is essential to set an 
appropriate deadline for the application of the 
proposed measures so as to provide an adequate 
transitional period during which any technical 
adjustments and adjustments relating to staff which 
may be necessary can be carried out in the enterprises 
concerned. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Tomas ROSEINGRAVE