OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC106/17 27.4.92
3.20.AnnexF amendedsoastostipulatethat,inthecaseofstunning
bycaptiveboltorfreebullet,pithingandbleedingshall
bestartedwithinoneminuteofstunning. TheuseofCO,shouldalsobeauthorized .
DoneatBrussels,25March1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveamendingDirective85/73/EEConthe
financingofhealthinspectionsandcontrolsoffreshmeatandpoultrymeat (M
(92/C106/09)
On14January1992,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforAgricultureandFisheriesadoptedthispresentOpinionatitsmeetingon
12March1992.TheRapporteurwasMrWick.
Atits295thPlenarySession(meetingof25March1992)theCommitteeunanimouslyadopted
thefollowingOpinion.
2.3.Directive85/73/EEClaysdownprovisionsfor
thecollectionoffeesforinspectionsofanimalsfor
slaughterandtheirmeatandforhealthcontrolson
freshmeat.
2.4.Theaimofthepresentproposalistoextendthe
fee-chargingsystemtocontrolsofallproductstraded
betweentheMemberStates(Directive89/662/EEC)(3)
andtocontrolsofallanimalproductsenteringthe
Communityfromthirdcountries(Directive90/675/
EEC)(4).
2.5.TheCommitteewouldreferinthisconnection
toitsOpinionsonDirectives89/662/EECand90/675/
EECwelcomingtheintroductionofprinciplesgovern­
ingcontrolsofanimalproductsinthedomesticmarket
andenteringtheCommunityfromthirdcountries;these
Directivesdetailthenatureandscaleofthecontrols.1.TheCommitteeapprovestheCommissionpro­
posalsubjecttothefollowingcomments.
2.Generalcomments
2.1.TheCommitteewouldrecallitsOpinionof
26September1984ontheProposalforaCouncilDirec­
tiveonthefinancingofhealthinspectionsandcontrols
offreshmeat(2).InthisOpiniontheCommitteecon­
sideredthefee-chargingsystemtobebasicallyappropri­
ateforremovingthedistortionsofcompetionstemming
fromthecostsofthecontrolsandtheirfinancing.The
Committeealsowelcomedthemovetoharmonizethe
rulesinquestion.
2.2.TheCommitteenoteswithsatisfactionthatnew
technicalimplementingprovisionshaveinthemean­
timebeenadoptedandthatinspectionandcontrol
procedureshavebeenupdated.
(')OJNoC36,14.2.1992,p.9.
(2)OJNoC307,19.11.1984.(3)OJNoL395,13.12.1989,p.13.
(4)OJNoL373,31.12.1990.

NoC106/18 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 27.4.92
3.3.Article1(5)
3.3.1.TheCommitteenotesthattheproposedStand­
ingVeterinaryCommitteeprocedurediffersdrastically
fromtheexistingprocedure,whichprovidesfora
Councildecisionbyaqualifiedmajority.Insetting
standardlevelsfornewfees,however,carefulconsider­
ationshouldbegiventoactualcostsandveterinary
structuresinindividualMemberStates;thesameistrue
whenitcomestothedetailedrulesofapplication .For
thispurpose,MemberStatesshouldhaveaqualified
say.However,theproposedprocedureisonlyacon­
sultativeonewithMemberStatesnothavingany
decision-making powers.Itisthereforenecessary,the
Committeethinks,tocontinuewiththepresentpro­
cedure(Councildecisionsbyaqualifiedmajority)—or
atleasttheprocedureappliedelsewhereinveterinary
legislation (decisionstakenintheStandingVeterinary
Committeebyaqualifiedmajority).
3.4.InthisconnectiontheCommitteewouldrefer
toitsOpinionontheProposalforaCouncilRegulation
(EEC)layingdowntheprinciplesgoverningtheorgan­
izationofveterinarychecksonanimalsenteringthe
Communityfromthirdcountries(doc.ESC871/91)(!)
inwhichtheCommitteestatesthatitwouldlikethe
Commissiontodrawupregularreportsindicatingwhat
mattershavebeendealtwithundertheStandingVet­
erinaryCommitteeprocedureandwhatspecific
infringements havebeenuncovered.TheCommittee
wouldasktheCommissiontofollowasimilarpro­
cedureinthecaseofthepresentproposal.
3.5.Article2
3.5.1.TheCommitteewouldonceagainstatehow
amazeditisthattimeandagainthedeadlinesproposed
bytheCommissionforMemberStates'transposition
ofCommunitylegislationareunrealistic.
3.5.2.ItisparticularlysurprisingthatArticle2(1)
laysdownthedeadlineof31December1991whenthe
Commissionproposalonlycameouton26November
1991.Generallyspeaking,realisticdeadlinesshouldbe
setforthetranspositionofCommunitylegislation.2.6.Innowproposingtoextendthefee-charging
systemintheinterestsofensuringthattradeinanimal
productsisasfreeaspossible,caremustbetaken,as
before,toavoiddistortionsofcompetition .
2.7.TheCommitteealsoconsidersthattheproposed
extensionofthefee-chargingsystemisacceptablein
thelightofthedecisionsoftheEuropeanCourtof
Justiceonthecollectionoffeesforveterinarycontrols.
ExtendingthegroundruleslaiddowninDirective
85/737/EECtocoveranimalproductsingeneralis
consideredtobetherightapproach.
2.8.TheCommitteenotes,however,thatthestan­
dardlevelsoffeesalreadyintroducedhavefailedto
leadtoasatisfactorylevelofuniformity.Thisisbecause
MemberStateshavebeenallowedtochargehigher
feeswhenneededtocoverrealcosts.TheCommittee
considersthatthismustbeavoidedasfaraspossible,
especiallywhenintroducingnewfees.
3.Specificcomments
3.1.Article1(3)—firstindentofnewparagraph3
3.1.1.TheCommitteeispleasedthatinrespectof
intra-Community tradeinanimalproducts,feesareto
becollectedonlyforcontrolsinthecountryoforigin
andnotinthecountryofdestination .Spotchecksin
thecountryofdestinationandcontrolswhilethegoods
areintransitaretoremaintheresponsibilityofthe
publicauthoritiesoftheMemberStateinquestion.
3.2.Article1(4)—firstindentofnewparagraph3
3.2.1.TheCommitteebelievesthattheprocedure
providedforunderthenewArticle4(a)cannotbeused
forthepurposeofdeterminingstandardlevelsoffees
orforlayingdowndetailedrulesofapplication [cf.
commentsonArt.1(5)].
3.2.2.Furthermore ,ifdistortionsofcompetition
causedbysettingdifferentlevelsoffeesaretobe
avoidedasfaraspossible,itwillbenecessarytolay
downstandardlevelsoffeeswhichdonotdiffersub­
stantiallyfromthelevelsactuallyleviedintheMember
States. (i)OJNoC269,14.10.1991,p.36.
DoneatBrussels,25March1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH