NoC79/8 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 30.3.92
nationoffarmers,theiremployeesandfamilieson
farmswherethereisanoutbreakofzoonoses.4.Specificcomment
4.1.TheCommitteereiteratesitsinsistencethat
thereshouldbeCommunityrulesgoverningcontami­
DoneatBrussels,29January1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)introducingCommunityMeasures
fortheControlofAvianInfluenza(*)
(92/C79/04)
TheCouncildecidedon24September1991,inaccordancewithArticle198oftheEEC
Treaty,toasktheEconomicandSocialCommitteeforanOpinionontheabovementioned
proposal.
TheSectionforAgricultureandFisheries,whichwasresponsibleforthepreparatorywork,
adopteditsOpinionon9January1992.TheRapporteurwasMrProumens.
Atits293rdplenarysession(meetingof29January1992),theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedunanimouslythefollowingOpinion.
—surveillanceandprohibitionofmovementstoor
fromsuspectedholdings,
—destructionofthecarcasesofinfectedpoultry,
—establishmentofprotectionandsurveillancezones,
—setting-upoflaboratoriestoprovidetechnicalassist­
anceforthecorrectimplementation ofmeasures,
—notificationoftheCommission aboutvaccination
programmes ,
—preparationofcontingencyplans.
1.4.Itshouldbenotedthattheproposedregulation
willhaveanessentiallyeconomicimpact,sincethe
rearingofpoultryisamajorsourceofincomefor
farmers.TheCommitteeapprovesthepresentproposal,the
basicaimofwhichistostampoutavianinfluenza.
However,whileallofthemeasuresproposedarein
keepingwiththisaim,someofthemoughttobeeither
revisedoramplified.
1.General
1.1.Avianinfluenzaisadiseaseofbirdscausedby
aninfluenzaviruswhichcanbeharbouredbycertain
migratorywildfowl.
1.2.Thediseaseiseradicatedorpreventedfrom
spreadingbysystematicallyslaughteringpoultryand
destroyingtheireggsassoonasitappears.
1.3.Thesedrasticstepsarebackedupbyadditional
measures :
—investigationwhereinfectionissuspected,2.Generalcomments
2.1.Accordingtotheinformationsuppliedbythe
Commission ,avianinfluenzawaslastreportedinthe OOJNoC231,5.9.1991,p.4.

30.3.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC79/9
a)theCommitteerecommendsthatslaughterbecar­
riedoutontheholdinginvolvedinaccordancewith
theproperrulesonslaughteringandassoonasthe
appearanceofinfectionisdulynoted;
b)howsoonshouldslaughteringbecarriedoutafter
itisconfirmedthatacentreofinfectionexists?
c)whatwillbetherecommendedmethodsofslaughter
andtheprecautionstobetakenbythosecarrying
outslaughter?Communityin1979intheFederalRepublicofGermany
andtheUnitedKingdom.
2.1.1.^However,caseswerereportedin1987and
1989inIreland,whichledtothedestructionof4000
and30000poultryrespectively .
2.1.2.InthecountriesoftheEuropeanFreeTrade
Association (EFTA)andinthecountriesofcentraland
easternEuropethelastcasesreportedwerein1946
(although,asregardstheeasternEuropeancountries,
onemayhavecertaindoubtsaboutthedata).
2.2.Despitethetimewhichhaselapsedsincethelast
caseswerereported,theCommissionwishestoavoid
asituationwhere,duetoalackofadequateprovisions,
anoutbreakoccurslikethatintheUSAin1983,where
20millionpoultryhadtobeslaughteredbecauseno
propermeasureshadbeentakenbeforehand .
2.3.Asregardsfinancialcompensationforfarmers
forcedtoslaughtertheirpoultryintheeventofcontami­
nation,thesituationasprovidedforinArticle19ofthe
presentproposalisbasedonCouncilDecision90/424/
EEC.
2.4.Thesystemisasfollows:theauthoritiesinthe
MemberStatescompensatethefarmersinvolved(in
principle60to70%ofthemarketvalueofthepoultry
andtheireggs)andtheCommissionreimburses50%
ofthesepaymentstotheMemberState.
2.5.Itshouldbenotedthattheemergencyfund
setupunderDecision90/424/EECamountedtoECU
7millionin1991andwillamounttoECU12million
in1992.3.Specificcomments
3.1.TheCommitteewonderswhy'otherbirds'are
notcoveredbytheproposedregulation,whentheMem­
berStatesconcernedbythediseasespreadingtothese
otherbirdsmustinformtheCommission ofthe
measurestheyhavetaken.
3.2.Article2shouldalsodefinewhatismeantby
'poultry',evenifthisdefinitionisincludedinother
directivesorregulations .
3.3.Inviewofthemajorcontamination causedby
theavianinfluenzavirustheCommissionshouldpro­
posetotheMemberStatessanctionstobetakenagainst
thoseresponsiblefornotreportingcases.
3.4.However,suchsanctionsmustobviouslybebal­
ancedbysuitablecompensation .Indeed,onemethod
ofimposingsanctionscouldbebyeitherreducingor
withholdingcompensation .
3.5.Thedrasticisolationmeasuresaretemperedby
theauthorisations toallowmoreflexibleimplemen­
tationinthelightofcircumstancesconsideredbythe
competentauthorities .
3.6.Asregardseggswhichmaybemarketedafter
disinfection ,theCommitteerecommendsthatthesebe
markedsothatusersorconsumersareclearlyinformed.
3.7.Points1and2inArticle7shouldbeinvertedso
astobeconnectedmorelogically.
3.8.ThewordingofArticle8(3)isunclear.Thelast
lineshouldinfactreadasfollows:
'However,suchrestrictionsmayapply,depending
onthecircumstances ,forashorterperiodwhich
shouldbeatleastaminimumof7days.'
3.9.The'holdings'referredtoinArticle9(4)(a)
shouldbedefinedmoreclearly.
3.10.InArticle15(3)theCommissionshouldexplain
moreclearlywhatitmeansby'immobilisation 'and2.5.1.Ofcourse,thisemergencyfundmustcoverall
paymentsforeligiblediseasesandisnotusedifthere
arenooutbreaksofdiseaseduringtheyear.
2.6.TheCommitteethereforewonderswhetherthe
unusedsumsintheemergencyfundshouldnotbepaid
attheendoftheyearintoapermanentintervention
fundsoastoprovide100%compensationforfarmers
whoarevictimsofepidemics,bycovering,inaddition,
operatinglossesduetoquarantineperiodspreceding
theresumptionofbusiness.
2.7.TheCommitteewasworriedaboutthesystem
ofslaughterused(forinstance,thegassingofpoultry)
butitseemsthatanewregulationonslaughteringisin
preparation .
2.7.1.TheCommitteerecommendsthattheCom­
missiontakesaccountofthefollowingpointsinthis
draftregulationonslaughtering :

30.3.92 NoC79/10 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
4.Additionalremark justifytheperiodof3monthsimposedforthatpurpose.
3.11.Thevaccinerequirements inthecontingency
plansreferredtoinArticle17seemhighlytheoretical,
bearinginmindthelimited(almostcomplementary )use
ofvaccinesandthemethodusedtomanufacturethem.4.1.Theproposeddateoftheregulation'sentryinto
forceisunrealistic.TheCommitteesuggests1May
1992.
DoneatBrussels,29January1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)onurgentactionforthesupplyof
agriculturalproductstothepeopleofMoscowandStPetersburg(')
(92/C79/05)
On15January1992,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheCommitteedecidedtoappointMrPetersenasRapporteur-General ,underArticle18of
theRulesofProcedure,withthetaskofpreparingitsworkonthesubject.
Atits293rdplenarysession(meetingof29January1992)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
1.Introduction
InviewofthecriticalfoodshortagesinMoscowand
StPetersburg,theEuropeanCouncildecidedatitsmeet­
inginMaastrichton9and10December1991tocharge
theECCommissionwiththetaskofdrawinguppro­
posalsasrapidlyaspossibleonECaidtotheinhabitants
ofthesetwocities.AfewdayslatertheECCommission
submittedapackageofmeasuresworthatotalofECU
200million.Ofthis,ECU150millionwastobespent
onagriculturalproductsandECU45milliononfood
products;theremainingECU5million,whichwasto
beusedforemergencyhumanitarian aid,wouldbe
spentonbuyingfoodproductsandmedicinesdirectly
onCommunitymarketsanddistributingthemtothe
needyofMoscowandStPetersburgvianon-govern­
mentalorganizations .AttheCouncilmeetingon
16December1991theECchangedtheseproportions ,allocatingECU100milliontothesupplyofagricultural
productsandECU95milliontofoodsupplies.Since
theproposalonthesupplyofagriculturalproductsis
alsobasedonArticle43oftheEECTreaty,theCouncil
hasaskedtheEconomicandSocialCommitteeforan
OpiniononthispartoftheECreliefoperation.
2.Generalcomments
TheCommitteeunreservedlysupportsthedecisionto
provideaid.Ithasalreadyemphasizedinanumberof
Opinionsthatactiontorelieveacutehardshipplaysan
importantroleinstabilizingtheeconomicandsocial
situationsofcountriesundergoingreforminEastern
Europe.Thedecisiontoconcentrateaidonjusttwo
citiesisalsoapplauded,sinceexperienceshowsthat
supplybottleneckshitpeoplelivinginurbanenviron­
mentsmuchharderandmorerapidlythanthoseliving
inruralareas.TheCommitteewouldliketoseesimilar (!)OJNoC11,17.1.1992,p.6.