No C 87/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 9. 4. 85 
APPENDIX 
to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee 
Defeated amendments 
The following amendments, tabled in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, were rejected by the 
Committee during plenary session discussions : 
Point 1.7 
At the end of point 1.7 add: 
The Committee would emphasize the importance of ensuring that control is effective. Inspection 
should be concentrated on those products most under suspicion, notably groundnuts and cottonseed, 
and should take place where possible at the port of entry. Sampling should be sufficiently thorough 
to allow for the fact that aflatoxin occurs in pockets. It will also be necessary to ensure that there is 
adequate laboratory capacity for the somewhat sophisticated test required.' 
Voting 
For: 37, Against: 62, Abstentions : 7. 
After point 1.8, add the following new paragraph : 
'1.9. The Committee points out that paradoxically there is as yet no corresponding Directive stipu­
lating maximum permitted levels for harmful substances and products in food for human consump­
tion. The Committee calls on the Commission to draft a proposal to remedy this shortcoming in 
order to improve consumer protection and to facilitate the free movement of food products.' 
Voting 
For: 15, Against: 54, Abstentions : 30. 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Directive on public health and animal 
health problems affecting the importation of meat products from third 
countries (*) 
(85/C 87/03) 
On 22 October 1984 the Council, acting under the optional consultation clause of the 
Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, decided to ask the Economic 
and Social Committee for an opinion on the abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for Agriculture, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work 
on the subject, adopted its opinion on 10 January 1985 in the light of the oral report by 
Mr Wick. 
At its 223rd plenary session (meeting of 30 January 1985) the Economic and Social 
Committee adopted the following opinion with no votes against and two abstentions : 
1. General comments 
1.1. The Committee welcomes the Commission's 
submission of a specific Directive designed to ensure 
that imports of meat products from non-EC countries 
do not 
(') OJ No C 286, 25. 10. 1984, p. 5. (a) introduce any exotic infectious animal disease into 
the Community; 
(b) endanger public health. 
The draft Directive thus complements the existing 
Directives covering intra-Commurtity trade in meat 
products and the corresponding rules for the importa­
tion of cattle, pigs and fresh meat from non-EC coun­
tries. 
9. 4. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 87/7 
1.2. The Committee notes that the draft Directive 
has been closely modelled on Directive 72/462/EEC 
on health and veterinary inspection problems upon 
importation of bovine animals and swine and fresh 
meat from third countries. The Committee would refer 
to its earlier opinions on the matter. 
1.3. The Committee points out that the references in 
the recitals to the latest amending Directives are 
incomplete. The Committee expects these references 
to be supplemented accordingly. 
2. Specific comments 
2.1. Fourth recital 
The Committee points out that the animal health situ­
ation in some non-EC countries or parts of non-EC 
countries precludes them from exporting fresh meat to 
the EC. 
The Committee notes that, until such time as the 
abovementioned countries have introduced animal 
health measures which meet current EC requirements, 
the only way to exclude certain contagious diseases 
from the Community will be to limit imports to heat-
sterilized processed meat. 
The Committee calls upon the Commission to spare 
no effort in ensuring that the measures applying to the 
Done at Brussels, 30 January 1985. abovementioned countries or regions are complied 
with. 
2.2. Article 1 (1) 
The Committee is concerned that the draft Directive 
does not cover the importation of meat products 
prepared wholly or partly from meat products 
containing poultrymeat. Continuation of the current 
situation as regards the protection of EC consumers 
and livestock against introduced contagious diseases 
constitutes a serious shortcoming which must, in the 
Committee's view, be rectified as a matter of urgency. 
2.3. Article 9 (5c) 
The Committee welcomes the fact that assistants are to 
have a separate status making them independent of 
those in charge of the establishments. The Committee 
assumes that this rule will be taken into account when 
establishments are being licensed and inspected. 
2.4. Article 9 (5d) 
In the Committee's view, it is essential to ensure that 
only the official veterinarian shall be empowered to 
take a decision concerning the final result of meat 
inspections. It therefore proposes that a rider to that 
effect be added to Article 9 (5d). 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR