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COM (83) 673 
 
 
 
Vol. 1983/02 46 
  
 
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concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
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In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the openi ng to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Community and the European Atomic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
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In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 198 3 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(83) 673 final  
Brussels, 17 November 1983
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL
on the establishment of a timetable for measures concerning animal  
health, plant health and feedingstuffs
COM(83) 673 final

_  -d  -
In the Commission's Communication "Common Agricultural Policy - Proposals of 
the Commission" (l), presented to the Council on 29 July 1983, emphasis was 
laid on the need to safeguard the free movement of goods relevant to the 
agricultural sector. In this connection, the Commission considered that 
"there should be no further delay in harmonizing laws. Consequently it 
requests the Council to draw up a strict timetable so that progress can be 
achieved in this area. It also requests it to give the necessary priority to 
its work in the veterinary, plant health and other area, in view of the 
current proliferation of barriers to trade in those areas".
The Council has already had occasion to draw up a programme of work at 
Community level in these areas (2). The underlying principles of that 
programme are still fully valid. Ensuring that Community products are of the 
highest order in terms of quality and health is essential for the harmonious 
development of farming, the protection of the consumer and the environment and 
the freedom of trade. In order to consolidate the internal market it is 
obviously necessary to remove all barriers relating to human health, animal 
health and plant health, and any other barriers to trade expansion. Such 
barriers are created by differences in the standards of health, consumer 
protection and the environment in the various Member States, and by the 
diversity of livestock production methods used. However, the current 
proliferation of such barriers raises the question of whether some of them are 
not in fact founded on protectionism. With this in mind the Commission keeps 
watch on the measures taken in the Member States and promptly initiates the 
procedures provided for in the Treaty to ensure that they remain within the 
limits of Article 36. It plans to itensify this aspect of its work.
However, it is only by harmonizing national rules that the fundamental 
problems will be solved. The Community has already taken some sweeping 
measures. The Council has adopted harmonizing instruments in several fields. 
Harmonization must be consolidated and reinforced in those fields, but it must 
also be extended. The Commission considers that significant progress is still 
needed before a true internal market is established; as this progress is made, 
the foundations will be laid for a coherent Community policy in all the fields 
concerned.
(1) COM (83) 500 final
(2) Council Resolution of 12 March 1968, OJ C 22, 18.3*1968, p· 18; 
Council Resolution of 22 July 1974, OJ C 92, 6.8.1974, p· 2

o
At the present stage, the Commission feels it is essential that harmonization 
work be pressed forward with all speed. There are 32 proposals relevant to 
harmonization before the Council at the present time; some of them have been 
there for several years. A major effort should be made to give fresh impetus 
to this work. A commitment by the Council to embark on a new programme of 
work, with a timetable, would contribute effectively to progress on this 
front. The Commission therefore requests the Council to undertake to adopt 
the proposals listed in the Annex hereto, within the specified times: and the 
Council Secretariat will have to be given the technical ways and means of 
respecting the timetable laid down.

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AMEX 1
Animal health, livestock breeding and animal welfare
The Council at present has several Commission proposals on the table. Several 
of them need adopting urgently. In addition, because of recent developments 
in the health situation in the Community, the Council should act on a number 
of proposals that the Commission plans to submit in early 1984; the purpose 
will be to reinforce measures applied under the policy of harmonization.
MILK
The Commission's proposals in the milk sector, which have been before the 
Council for several years, relate to public health as well as animal health: 
the many problems facing trade in milk and milk products call for early 
completion of the work in hand.
Proposals to be adopted by the Council before 1 January 1985
health provisions on raw milk to be used for producing heat-treated milk; 
health provisions for heat-treated milk to be used for direct human 
consumption.
ANIMAL HEALTH
In the animal health sector, priority attention should be given to solving the 
problems still facing intra-Community trade as a result of discrepancies 
between health standards with regard to contagious animal diseases 
(foot-and-mouth disease, Aujeszky's disease, classical and African swine 
fever). In this way, prophylactic measures will be gradually aligned and 
disparities in health standards ironed out.

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At the same time, the campaign to eradicate classical swine fever must be 
brought to a successful conclusion. Measures must be reinforced. It is only 
in this way that the barriers will be removed.
In the longer term, the question of foot-and-mouth disease must be tackled.
Proposals to be adopted by the Council before 1 January 1985
intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine: rules on Aujeszky's 
disease and swine vesicular disease;
intra-Community trade in bovine animals, swine, fresh meat and meat 
products: rules on foot-and-mouth disease;
intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine: rules on brucellosis 
(tests);
intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine: rules on classical swine 
fever and African swine fever;
intra-Community trade in fresh meat and meat products: rules on classical 
swine fever and African swine fever;
reinforcement of Community measures to control classical swine fever.
Proposals to be adopted by the Council after 1 January 198$
intra-Community trade and imports from non-member countries of semen of 
bovine animals and swine: health provisions;
Community measures to control foot-and-mouth disease;
intra-Community trade and imports from non-member countries of horses; 
intra-Community trade in live poultry and eggs for hatching.

5
PUBLIC HEALTH
In this sector, priority attention must be given to decisions on residues.
Two areas call for harmonization, the first being the authorization of 
substances (proposals concerning medicated feedingstuffs, additives in 
feedingstuffs,  hormones and pesticides), the second the monitoring of residues 
in animals and animal products. In this connection, the Commission has 
presented a number of proposals to the Council. Swift action is needed for 
meat, with tests being conducted at the place of origin so that further tests 
are not needed.
In addition to this, solutions must be found to the problems still affecting 
trade in fresh meat, poultrymeat and meat-based products. The existing rules 
must be enforced.
Proposals to be adopted by the Council before 1 January 1985 
rules on testing for residues in meat; 
rules on hormonal substances;
- trade in fresh poultrymeat: microbiological inspection;
- trade in fresh poultrymeat: refrigeration techniques; 
trade in fresh poultrymeat: rules on inspection;
non-veterinary inspection staff in poultry-cutting plants and meat product 
plants;
- intra-Community trade in fresh meat (pigmeat, beef, poultrymeat): 
comminuted meat;
- intra-Community trade in fresh pigmeat: boar meat;
- rules on the implementation of Directive 64/433 (fresh meat).

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Proposals to be adopted by the Council after 1 January 1985
rules on medical examinations for personnel handling meat and meat products;
fresh meat: inspection costs;
updating of inspection procedures for meat;
rules on medicated feedingstuffs;
rules on the cold chain;
- meat products: imports from non-member countries and changes to 
intra-Community arrangements;
eggs and egg products: rules on intra-Community trade.
LIVESTOCK BREEDING AND ANIMAL WELFARE
In these sectors, the Council should take the decisions required in order to 
settle all pending matters raised in Commission proposals.
Decisions to be adopted by 1 January 1985
rules on the approval of pure-bred breeding animals of the bovine species; 
standards to be applied to pigs for breeding.
Decisions to be adopted after 1 January 1985
- minimum standards for the protection of layer hens in batteries.

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ANNEX II
FEEDINGSTUFFS,  SEEDS AND PLANT HEALTH
With the - not insignificant - exception of certain aspects of plant health, 
particularly the matter of pesticides, the programme adopted in 1974 (l) for 
establishing basic directives in certain areas has been largely fulfilled, 
although with considerable delays. The main problem in these sectors now 
consists in operating the established systems, laying down detailed conditions 
for free movement, preventing the proliferation of new barriers and updating 
the technical measures taken at Community level. This work falls within the 
Commission's purview.
Since 1974 some major new problems resulting from developments in agriculture 
and trade, and from scientific and technical progress, have been added to the 
subjects covered by the initial programme which is still pending. These new 
problems call for action by the Council to safeguard freedom of trade and 
satisfactory protection of the consumer and, where appropriate, the 
environment. In the Commission's view, a further commitment is needed to 
achieve progress in these areas.
FEEDINGSTUFFS
Priority attention should be given to reinforcing existing Community 
provisions on additives in order to ensure that the marketing and distribution 
of certain types of additive is monitored more closely. Adoption of these 
measures should help to solve the problem of residues.
(l) See Council Eesolution of 22 July 1974, OJ C 92, 6.8.1974, p· 2

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Proposal to be adopted by the Council before 1 January 1985
extension of Community rules on additives to include premises, marketing 
and distribution.
Proposals to be adopted by the Council after 1 January 1985 
undesirable substances and compound feedingstuffs;
= extension of the field of application of the directive on undesirable 
substances to include in raw materials;
= amendment of the rules on labelling of compound feedingstuffs;
= guidelines for evaluation additives submitted for Community approval.
SEEDS
This was one of the first areas to be harmonized. The administration and 
updating of the various arrangements in this highly specialized area demands 
the constant attention of the Commission and, occasionally, decisions by the 
Council.
Proposals to be adopted by the Council before 1 January 1985
amendments to rules on the common catalogue of plant varieties and the 
marketing of vegetable seed;

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- updating of the rules on the marketing of beet seed, fodder plant seed, 
cereal seed, oilseeds and fibre plant seed;
- extension of the decisions on the equivalence of field inspections in 
non-member countries and seeds produced there;
- establishment of new conditions for future decisions concerning equivalence. 
Proposals to be adopted after 1 January 1985
- system of certification for fruit-tree reproductive material;
- if appropriate, establishment of Community/European breeders' rights.
PLANT HEALTH
At present this sector, which directly affects trade in agricultural products 
and therefore has repercussions on the Community's external trade, is the 
subject of keen concern.
Several proposals, some of them dating back to 1976, on the approval of plant 
protection products and the fixing of maximum levels for pesticide residues in 
foodstuffs and feedingstuffs are still before the Council. They represent a 
coherent approach which will make pesticides subject to Community rules, and 
will ensure the necessary protection of the consumer and free trade in the 
Community, while safeguarding the environment. It is essential that the 
Council complete its work on this matter and take decisions on the proposals 
before it.

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The common arrangements on plant health laid down by Directive 77/93/EEC to 
ensure the protection of Community agriculture against harmful organisms and 
to facilitate intra-Community supervision should also be updated rapidly.
Proposals to be adopted by the Council before 1 January 1985 
approval of plant protection products; 
fixing of maximum levels for pesticide residues in:
= cereals 
= animal products 
= feedingstuffs 
= fruit and vegetables;
- updating and improvement of the Community plant health measures laid down 
by Directive 77/93/EEC.
Proposals to be adopted by the Council after 1 January 1985
- amendment of Directive 79/117/EEC on the prohibition of certain plant 
protection products (second series of amendments);
- guidelines for checking requirements in connection with the approval of 
plant protection products.