NoC19/16 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 25.1.93
placingonthemarketofaquacultureanimalsandprod­
uctsshouldbeincludedamongtheannexes,asthis
Directivecontainsfrequentreferencestothefishdis­
easeslistedinthatAnnex.3.11.Annex
AnnexAtotheCouncilDirectiveof28January1991
concerningtheanimalhealthconditionsgoverningthe
DoneatBrussels,24November1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveamendingDirective90/679/EEConthe
ProtectionofWorkersfromRisksRelatedtoExposuretoBiologicalAgentsatWork(1)
(93/C19/06)
On10August1992theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle118aoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforSocial,Family,EducationalandCulturalAffairs,whichwasresponsiblefor
preparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon19November1992.
TheRapporteurwasMrEtty.
Atits301stPlenarySession(meetingof24November1992),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
1.Introductoryremarks 1.2.ThepresentdraftamendmenttoDirective90/
679/EECwasalreadyannouncedinthetextofthe
Directive.Article18ofthisinstrumentsaysthatwithin
sixmonthsofthedateofimplementation oftheDirec­
tiveafirstlistofgroup2,group3andgroup4biological
agentsshallbeadoptedbyCouncil,i.e.by28May
1994.
1.3.AnnexIIIinDirective90/679/EECwasreserved
forthelistofbacteria,viruses,parasites,andfungi
presentedbytheCommission ,togetherwithnoteson
theapplicationofthescheme.1.1.ThisdraftDirectiveisamendingDirective90/
679/EEContheprotectionofworkersfromrisksto
exposuretobiologicalagentsatwork.ThelatterDirec­
tivewasoneoftheindividualDirectivesunderthe
'framework'Directive89/391/EEContheintroduction
ofmeasurestoencourageimprovements inthesafety
andhealthofworkersatwork.TheCommitteegave
anOpiniononthedraftforDirective90/679/EECin
December1988.
1.4.InitsOpinionofDecember1988theCommittee
didnotmakeobservationspertainingtotherelevant
partsofthedraftofDirective90/679/EEC. (i)OJNoC217,24.8.1992,p.32.

25.1.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC19/17
1.5.TheCommitteenotesthattheAdvisoryCom­
mitteeonSafety,HygieneandHealthProtectionat
Workmadeapositivejudgementonearlierdraftsfor
theproposalsnowsubmittedbytheCommission ,whilst
notinganumberofshortcomings .Thesepertainedto
boththeproposedclassificationandtheproposedlist
ofbiologicalagents.3.2.Geneticallymodifiedmicro-organisms havenot
beenconsideredinthisfirstlist.TheCommitteehas
beeninformedthattheCommission intendstodeal
withtheminafutureextensionofthelistinAnnexIII.
TheCommitteenotesthatthisseemstobeanobjective
verydifficulttorealize.Whileitisofgreatimportance
thatadequateprotectivemeasureswillbedevelopedfor
workerswhomightbeexposedtothesebiological
agentsattheirworkplace,theCommitteedoubtsthat
aclassificationlistastheonepresentedhereisthe
adequateinstrument .
2.Generalremarks
3.3.Thelistproposedisbasedontheeffectofthe
biologicalagentsonhealthyworkers.IntheGeneral
remarkstheCommitteehasaddressedthematterof
specialriskgroupsespeciallypregnantwomenorthose
intendingtobecomepregnant.Theutmostattention
shouldbegiventotheprovisionofadequateinfor­
mationtoworkersemployedintheenterprisescon­
cerned.ThisaspectisnotfullycoveredinArticles10
and14(6)oftheparentDirective.2.1.TheCommitteewelcomestheproposedamend­
menttoDirective90/679/EEC.ItnotestheCom­
mission'sassurancethatthelistreflectsthepresent
stateofknowledge .Itrecognizesthatadditionsand
amendmentstothelistofagentsmayberealizedinthe
lightoffutureinformationafterconsideration bythe
Commissionandnationalexperts.Withaviewtorapid
developments inthefielditrecallstheprovisionsfor
adaptationstotechnicalprogress,laiddowninArticle
19oftheframeworkDirective89/391/EEC.
2.2.TheCommitteeemphasizesthatthisinstrument
anditsparentDirective90/679/EECrelatespecifically
toprotectionofworkersfromrisksfrombiological
agentsatwork.TheCommitteenotesthatthedistinc­
tionbetweenoccupationalandotherexposuresrequires
carefuldefinitionandmaybecomplicatedbysystems
indifferentstates.3.4.TheCommitteeforeseesdifficultiesasconcerns
thespecialindicationVaccinationrecommended given
intheproposedlist.ItisclearthattheCommission
cannotgoanyfurtherthantheprovisionsgivenin
Article14ofDirective90/679/EEC,andthereisroom
fordoubtwhetherthisArticlerequiresvaccinationfor
workerswhoarenotalreadyimmunetothebiological
agenttowhichtheyareexposedorarelikelytobe
exposed.Itisalsonotclearwhowillbearthecostsof
vaccination .TheCommitteethinksthatthispointneeds
clarification .Further,theCommitteeisconcernedthat
vaccinationshouldbeavailabletoworkersatrisk.2.3.TheCommitteeconsidersitimportantthatrel­
evantprotectivemeasuresforspecialcategoriesofwor­
kers(notablypregnantwomenbutalsoothervulnerable
groups)shouldbedeveloped,whilstavoidingoverlap
orconflictwithotherCommunityinstruments .The
additionofotherspecialnotationsinthelist(forexam­
pleP:specialriskinpregnancyandC:particularhazard
ofcancer)shouldbereferredtotheCommissionfor
expertconsideration .3.5.Thelistofundertakings ,givenintheImpact
noteappendedtotheCommissionproposal,isnot
identicalwiththeoneinAnnexIofDirective90/679/
EEC(IndicativelistofActivities).Inparticular,work
inagricultureisomittedintheImpactnotelist.The
Committeenotesthatmanyundertakingsintheagricul­
turalfieldaresmall-andmedium-sizedenterprises .
2.4.TheCommitteeregardsitasimportantthat
whennewprotectionmeasuresareidentified,they
shouldbeintroducedrapidly.Itisknownthatintensive
workisinprogressondevelopmentofvaccines.3.5.1.TheCommittee isawareofthefactthatthe
CommissionproposalexclusivelydealswithAnnexIII.
Neverthelessitraisesthequestion,inadditiontothe
previouspoint,whethertheIndicativelistofActivities
inAnnexIisstilladequate.
3.Specificremarks3.6.TheCommittee isoftheviewthatitshouldbe
madeclearthatthelistsofenterprisesareonlyindica­
tiveandthatArticle3of90/679/EECrequiresarisk
assessmentfor'activitiesinwhichworkersare,orare
potentially,exposedtobiologicalagentsasaresultof
theirwork'.InthiscontexttheCommitteeseesthe
classification listasavaluabletoolforuseinrisk
assessment .3.1.Discrepancies havebeenfoundbetweenthe
EnglishandtheFrenchtextsoftheCommissionpro­
posals.TheCommitteehasbeenassuredthatmostof
thedifficultieswhicharosefromdifferencesindifferent
languagetextshavenowbeencorrected.

NoC19/18 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 25.1.93
3.7.Finally,whilstrecognizingtheprotectiveinten­
tionofassignmentofbiologicalagentsnotyetidentified
toriskcategories,theCommitteeadvisesthattheCom­missionshouldarrangeforanexaminationoftheimpli­
cationsofthisaction;includingitsscientificvalidity
anditsplaceasaprincipleinaDirective.
DoneatBrussels,24November1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation(EEC)onmeasurestoadapttheprofession
ofcustomsagentstotheinternalmarket
(93/C19/07)
On13August1992,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforSocial,Family,EducationalandCulturalAffairs,whichwasresponsiblefor
preparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon19November1992.
TheRapporteurwasMrMiillerR.
Atits301stPlenarySession(meetingof25November1992)theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionbyamajorityvote,withoneabstention.
1.Generalcomments
1.1.TheCommitteewelcomesthedraftRegulation,
subjecttothecommentsbelow.1.3.Inthiscontext,boththeEuropeanCommunity
asawholeandtheindividualMemberStatesand
regionsprimarilyaffectedshareresponsibilityforman­
agingthetransitioninasocially-aware manner.Signifi­
cantsumsofmoneyhavealreadybeencommittedto
easingthistransitionunderexistingECmeasuresfinan­
cedthroughtheEuropeanSocialFundandInterreg.
TheCommission ,moreover,canbecomplimented in
havingclassifiedaslong-termunemployedallcustoms
agentsintheCommunitywhohavelosttheirjobs.The
factthatthisone-offbudgetofurgentsupplementary
measureshasnowbeenproposednonethelessindicates
thatthereisaserioussenseofunease,thatperhapsthe
CommunitybutalsotheMemberStates,regionsand
sectorsdirectlyconcernedhavenotpreparedthemselves
sufficientlyfortheinevitableshake-outofemployment
andeconomicactivity.
1.4.TheCommissionproposalisthereforewelcome
inprinciplebuthasbeencriticisedinsomequartersas
beingimplementedtoolate.[Itshouldbenotedthat1.2.Itmustbestressedthattheabolitionoftax
frontiersandcustomscontrolsattheECsinternalfron­
tierson1January1993isadirectconsequenceofthe
completionoftheinternalmarketdecidedunderthe
SingleEuropeanAct.Therepercussionsasregardsthe
activityofcustomsagentsinvolvedinfrontierformaliti­
esandactingasintermediariesbetweenthecustomsand
economicoperatorswillbeconsiderable .Community­
wide,theindustryhasanannualturnoverofECU5694
millionandembracesmorethan16000firmswith
239000employees.Intermsofexpectedjoblosses,
63100jobs(around25%)willgo,withparticularprob­
lemsforolderworkersconcernedasregardsre-training,
adaptationandre-allocationofemployment .