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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(78)596
Vol.1978/0228

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(78)596 final
- „ Brussels.15November1978
/
//.
COMMISSION COMMUNICATION TOTHECOUNCIL
onadraftInternational Conventionforthecontrolof
thespreadofmajorcommunicable fishdiseases
»
■ \
C0M(78)596final

COMMISSION COMMUNICATION TOTHECOUNCIL
onadraftInternational Conventionforthecontrolofthe
spreadofmajorcommunicable fishdiseases
1.AnInternational Conventionforthecontrolofthespreadofthemajorfish
diseasesis?beingpreparedundertheauspicesoftheFAOandtheIOE.It
consistsofgeneralenactingtermsandtechnicalannexes.Theenactingterms
specifythebasicobligations ofthecontracting parties,thehealthstandards
tobeobservedininternational transportoffishandfishroes,theconditions
forcertification andthefinancialarrangements ;asecretariat andscientific
advisorycommitteearealsoprovidedfor.Thetechnicalannexesinclude
specimencertificates ,instructions fortheissueofcertificates ,
classification standardsforfish-breeding establishments ,isolation and
identification methodsforpathogens andthelistofdiseasesto!>becovered.
2.Afirstgovernmentconsultation onadraftConvention washeldatAviemore
inScotlandinApril1972andasecondinParisinJanuary1977.Atthe
conclusionofthelattertheopinionwasexpressedthatitwas'neither
necessarynordesirabletohaveathirdconsultation ontheenactingtermsof
theConvention butthatmoreworkmightbeneededonthetechnical annexes.
Itwasconfirmedthattheultimateaimwasdefinitive adoptionofthe
Convention byaconferenceofplenipotentiaries .Arecommendation wasadopted
«
thatthedelegations shouldconsulttheirgovernments tofindonewhichwould
beinterestedinactingashosttosuchaConference.Becauseofthedelays
thatcouldbeexpectedbeforeitwascalledtheconsultation considered the
questionoftransitional measuresandrecommended thatthecontentofthe
Convention,particularly thehealthcertificates andcertification procedures,
beintegratedintotheIOE'sinternational animalhealthcode,whichhas
recommended status. 1

Atthesecond government Consultation theUnited Kingdom Delegate read the
following statement : , _ ,
"Asrepresentative ofthecountry which atpresent holds thePresidency of
theCouncil oftheEuropean Communities ,ishould like topoint outthat the
subject matter covered bythis draft Convention is,amatter ofCommunity '
interest andthat itisplanned tointroduce Community legislation inthis field .
> '-■ ~ ■ .
Ishould therefore like toreserve thepossibility fortheCommunity to
communicate atalater stage itsviews ontheterms ofthedraft Convention .
Theobservations oftherepresentatives oftheMember States 6ftheCommunity
should beunderstood against this background ." i>
Themotive behind thepreparation oftheConvention bythe FAOandthe IOE
\
is-theneed ,following theintensification ofinternational trade in .fish and
* •
fish roes ,toestablish health standards forthis trade inorder toprevent
thespread ofcommunicable diseases .Thepurpose oftheConvention isto
facilitate international trade and atthesame time create asystem of :
international cooperation inthestudy ,prevention ,control anderadication
ofthemajor communicable diseases offish .
The .Commission shares thepoint ofview ofthe FAOand the IOEontheneed
todraw upmeasures toprevent thespread ofdisease inanexpanding sector ,
andapproves their /Initiative ;asfarastheCommunity isconcerned ,however ,
itfeels that theattainment ofasingle market based ontheliberalization
ofinternal trade ,theadoption ofacommon position towards non-member countries
andtheapplication ofhealth regulations forpreventing thespread ofinfectious
diseases through trade andimports canbebetter achieved byCommunity
legislation inthis sector .Such legislation could bebetter adapted tothe
Member States *administrative structures ,totheir health situation ,-andtothe"
pathology andepizootologic conditions ,prevailing intheCommunity ,andwould
therefore bemore likely tosolve theproblems with which theCommunity hasto
deal .This point ofview wasalso taken bydelegates from theMember States \ .'■!
atameeting on7June 1977 .TheCouncil initsResolution of12March 1968V
onCommunity measures tobetaken intheveterinary sector (OJNoC22of
18March 1968 )hadalready provided for^Community legislation inthis area ,
andtheCommission intends tobegin studies assoon aspossible . .

-3-
6.Itshould also bestated that thedraft Convention contains anumber of
principles ,provisions andprocedures which donot .correspond totheprinciples
andstandards adopted inthevarious sets ofrules already inforce inthe
Community .
The Community 'saccession totheConvention would therefore have tobesubject
tothe following conditions :
-theConvention would have toallow the Community 'saccession assuch asdeem
itthe competent body for allacts andobligations ;
-trade within theCommunity would have toberegulable bytheCommunity 's
ownprovisions .
7.Itisobvious from paragraph 5above that thesubject ofthedraft Convention
isunquestionably -despite theabsence ofappropriate legislation -amatter
ofCommunity competence .TheMember States must therefore ,inaccordance with
therulings oftheCourt ofJustice ,notably thejudgment inCase 22/70 (AETR )
andOpinion 1/76,adopt acommon position andfrom themoment when the
Community ,inorder toattain anobjective defined intheTreaty ,hasdecided
todeal with the subject they aredebarred from either individually or
collectively entering into anyagreement with countries outside theCommunity
orwith international organizations .
This does notofcourse exclude participation bythe Member States inthe work
tobedone ;onthecontrary ,close cooperation
between theinstitutions andtheMember States will beextremely useful in
considering theproposals which ,byaprocedure tobedetermined ,will beput
tothfc FAO and the I0E .
8.Taking theabove into account andthefact that astudy must beundertaken
atCommunity level onthesubject covered bythedraft convention inorder to
establish Community legislation ,itisnotatpresent possible forthe i
Community togive anopinion andvalid comments ontheConventions articles
andtechnical annexes ortodefine itsposition onpossible adhesion .
TheCommission proposes totransmit themain points .formulated inthis
communication tothe FAOandthe I0Eassoon aspossible .
H
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