COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the withdrawal of the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down detailed rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption

1. On 14 July 2000 the Commission has adopted a package of 5 proposals that constitute a recast of existing Community legislation on food hygiene and veterinary legislation that is contained in 17 Directives [document COM (2000) 438]. One of these proposals deals in particular with official controls that must be carried on food of animal origin [document 2000/180(COD)]. These proposals are:

- A proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the hygiene of foodstuffs [2000/0178 (COD)].

- A proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin [2000/179 (COD)].

- A proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down detailed rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption [2000/180 (COD)].

- A proposal for a Council Regulation laying down the animal health rules governing the production, placing on the market and importation of products of animal origin intended for human consumption [2000/181 (CNS)].

- A proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council repealing certain Directives on the hygiene of foodstuffs and the health conditions for the production and placing on the market of certain products of animal origin intended for human consumption, and amending Directives 89/662/EEC and 91/67/EEC [2000/182 (COD)].

These proposals are at present under discussion in the European Parliament and in the Council in accordance with the procedures laid down for that purpose.

2. Since the time these proposals were made new developments have taken place and in particular:

- New scientific advice has become available in particular on issues that relate to meat safety. This information allows for meat inspection to be organised on a basis that is takes account of hazards that threaten human health today thus making it more science based and risk based. It also allows to integrate in a more efficient way the stable-to-table approach, an element that is believed to be of great importance with regard to meat safety.

- The Commission is preparing, as announced in the White Paper on Food Safety [document COM (1999) 719] a proposal for a Regulation laying down in a horizontal way for all feed and food the principles that must be the basis for official feed and food controls. These principles will also be applicable to the organisation of meat inspection.

These developments require that the Commission's proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down detailed rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption [2000/180 (COD)] be revised in a fundamental way.

3. Under these circumstances the Commission believes that, in order to ensure that future discussions on official controls and in particular on meat inspection be based on the most recent scientific advice, the proposal contained in Document 2000/180 (COD) must be withdrawn. The withdrawal will also ensure that the procedure in the European Parliament and the Council on the hygiene package continues in the most effective and transparent way so as to allow the necessary progress in the decision making process.

4. The Commission herewith informs the European Parliament and the Council that it has decided to withdraw the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down detailed rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption [2000/180 (COD)]. It will be replaced at a later date by a new proposal. The Commission services are in the process of preparing such a proposal. It is foreseen that it can be submitted within a time period of six months. It will replace document 2000/180 (COD) in its entirety.