18.12.  76 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 299/9 
II 
(Preparatory  Acts) 
ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
Opinion  on the  proposal  for a Council  Directive  amending  Directive  64/432/EEC  of 
26 June  1964,  Directive  72/461/EEC  of 12 December  1972  and  Directive  72/462/EEC  of 
12 December  1972  on health  and  veterinary  problems 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 168  of 22 July  1976,  page  3. 
On 14 July  1976,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  100  of the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the above  matter  at its 
142nd  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 27 and  28 October  1976. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 142nd  plenary 
session,  held  on 27 and  28 October  1976  (meeting  of 
28 October), Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community,  and  in particular 
Article  100  thereof, 
Having  regard  to the request  made  by the Council  of 
the European  Communities  on 14 July  1976  for an 
opinion, HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
by a large  majority  with  16 votes  against: 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its chairman 
on 15  July  1976,  instructing  the  Section  for 
Agriculture  to draw  up an opinion  on the matter, The Committee  has the following  comments  to make 
on the proposal  under  consideration. 
1. General  comments Having  regard  to the  oral  report  made  by  the 
rapporteur,  Mr Schnieders, 
1.1. By  and  large  the  Committee  approves  the 
Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the Section  Commission's  proposal.  Unfortunately,  however,  the 
for Agriculture  at its meeting  on 7 October  1976,  Committee  was  unable  to make  an examination  of 
No C 299/10 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 18. 12. 76 
the accompanying  report,  which  was  submitted 
pursuant  to  Article  13  of  Council  Directive 
72/461/EEC  on freshmeat,  and  Article  33 of Council 
Directive  72/462/EEC  on  non-member  countries 
(both  dated  12 December  1972).  The  report  in fact 
discusses  a number  of fundamental  issues  connected 
with  the approximation  of legislation  in this  field. 
The Committee  may  come  back  to the  question  of 
veterinary  policy,  which  is dealt  with  in  the 
Commission  report. 
1.2. The  Directive  seeks  to extend  the  deadlines 
laid down  in the Act  of Accession,  which  specify  that 
the United  Kingdom,  Denmark  and  Ireland  are  to 
bring  their  veterinary  regulations  into  line  with  the 
rest of the Community. 
The Committee  points  out  that  such  postponement 
will retard  the process  of integration.  The  reason  for 
the postponement  lies in a basic  difference  of opinion 
in the original  six and  three  new  Member  States  as to 
the most  effective  way  of tackling  specific  animal 
diseases,  i.e. as to whether  they  should  be controlled 
by precautionary  vaccination  of all  beasts  or by 
slaughtering  all  affected  beasts  when  outbreaks 
occur.  Both  techniques  are  used  for  individual 
diseases  in the  two  groups  of countries.  So far,  the 
Commission  has not succeeded  in reconciling  the two 
approaches. 
1.3. The  Committee  is not  in a position  to say 
which  method  is the  better.  It considers  that  the 
Commission's  aim  ought  to be  to satisfy  the 
following  basic  requirements  in  the  optimum 
manner: 
(1) consumer  protection,  through  the  production  of 
foodstuffs  that  are  unimpeachable  from  the 
health  point  of view; 
(2) consumers  to be assured  of continuity  of supplies 
at the most  economic  price,  by ensuring  the free 
movement  of goods  within  the Community; 
(3) ensuring  that  livestock  is disease-free,  so as to 
keep  farmers'  production  costs  down  to the 
minimum; 
(4) preference  for intra-Community  trade. 
1.4. The  Committee  repeats  what  it has  already 
stated  in several  opinions  on Directives  to do with 
the approximation  of veterinary  laws,  namely  that  it 
is urgently  necessary  to approximate  veterinary  laws, 
wherever  technically  and  geographically  feasible,  on 
lines  making  for  better  human  and  animal  health protection,  in order  to eliminate  the  remaining 
obstacles  to trade.  "Where  there  is no other  way  of 
ensuring  that  diseases  are tackled  effectively  in all the 
Member  States,  veterinary  policing  and  health 
protection  measures  should  be financed  jointly. 
2. Specific  comments 
Article  1 
The granting  of a considerably  (six  years)  longer 
transitional  period  to a small  part  of the Community 
(Republic  of Ireland  and  Northern  Ireland)  must  not 
lead to cessation  of progress  towards  the alignment 
of national  laws.  In order  to ensure  that  alignment 
throughout  the  Community  is achieved  as soon  as 
possible,  consideration  should  be  given  to the 
advisability  of sending  the Council,  after  three  years 
have  elapsed,  a progress  report  on  alignment 
measures  adopted  in the area  in question. 
Article  2 
A distinction  should  be made  between  the conditions 
which  apply  to animals  for  slaughter  and  those 
applied  to breeding  animals.  Countries  importing 
animals  for  slaughter  do not  expose  themselves  to 
any risk,  particularly  as they  retain  the  right  to 
specify  the frontier  abattoir  to which  the animals  are 
to be sent.  Generally,  the  Member  States  stipulate 
that animals  so imported  have  to be slaughtered 
within  24 hours.  There  is therefore  no reason  for 
extending  the deadline  (31  December  1976)  specified 
in the  accession  documents  for  the  alignment  of 
national  regulations  on the  import  of animals  for 
slaughter. 
There  is a stronger  case  for extending  the  deadline 
for breeding  stock.  But  measures  must  be taken  to 
ensure  that  there  are  sufficient  quarantine  facilities 
in the importing  countries,  since  a shortage  of such 
facilities  could  be a barrier  to free  trade  in breeding 
stock  within  the Community. 
Article  2 (3) (a) and  (b) 
The Commission  proposes  that  the UK be authorized 
to adapt  the tests  for tuberculosis  to meet  its special 
requirements.  The  Committee  is not in a position  to 
comment  on this  proposal. 
Article  3 (2) 
Measures  should  be taken  to ensure  that  an adequate 
number  of quarantine  stations  are  available  for 
intra-Community  trade.  This  matter  should  be 
18. 12. 76 Official  Journal  of the  European  Communities No C 299/11 
investigated  by  the  Veterinary  Committee. 
Consideration  should  be given  to the  possibility  of 
the Community  making  a financial  contribution  in 
order  to ensure  that  there  is an adequate  number  of 
quarantine  stations,  and  that  intra-Community  trade 
is not hampered  by a shortage  of such  stations. 
Article  6 
The Committee  underlines  the  need  to use  a very 
flexible  coordination  procedure  for technical  changes 
in examination  and  application  methods.  The 
Done  at Brussels,  28 October  1976. Commission's  proposal  to  introduce  greater 
flexibility  is therefore  welcomed. 
Article  7 
The Commission  is seeking  to ensure  that  imports 
from  non-member  countries  do  not  receive  more 
favourable  treatment  than  that  accorded  to imports 
from  other  Member  States. 
The Committee  would  point  out  that  the  aim  of the 
common  market  is to accord  preference  to its 
Member  States. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI 
ANNEX 
to the opinion  of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
The following  amendment  was  rejected  during  the discussion: 
2. Specific  comments 
Article  1. Delete  first  sentence.  Substitute  the following: 
'Not  only  the  Republic  of Ireland  and  Northern  Ireland,  but  also  the rest  of the  United 
Kingdom,  should  be granted  a longer  transitional  period  (six  years)  so that  control  measures 
and the ultimate  eradication  of major  diseases  of farm  animals  may  be achieved  and  in the 
shortest  time  feasible  lead  to alignment  of Community  Regulations.' 
Voting 
For: 22, against:  47, abstentions:  4. 
The following  paragraph  of the section  opinion  was  amended  in line  with  a proposal  accepted 
unanimously  by the Committee: 
Paragraph  1.3 
'(2) consumers  to be supplied  at the lowest  possible  price,  by ensuring  free  movement  of 
goods  within  the Community.'