15.3.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC-73/25
whichwillbelaiddowninaseparateDirective),to
detectanytamperingwiththeoriginalexhaustsystem.
9.DraftDirectiveonpassengerhand-holdsontwo­
wheelmotorvehicles
9.1.Forobvioussafetyreasons,thisdevice(astrap
and/orahand-grip)mustgiveafirmanchoragesothat
thepassengercanremainseatedonthevehicledespite
anyjoltscausedbytheroadsurface,driving
manoeuvres,ortrafficconditions.9.2.Specificcomments
9.2.1.Withreferencetothemechanicaltestsonthe
resistanceofthehand-holds,therequirementforthe
hand-holdsnottosnapwhenthespecifiedvertical
tractionforceisappliedcouldsuffice.
9.2.2.However,sincepermanentdeformationwill
alwaysoccurinnon-elasticmaterials(suchasleather
orsyntheticstraps),paragraph1.1shouldspecify'with­
out...sufferingpermanentdeformationofmorethan
15-20%oftheinitiallength'.
DoneatBrussels,27January1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)onfeedingstuffsintendedfor
particularnutritionalpurposes(!)
(93/C73/07
On28August1992theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforAgricultureandFisheries,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingtheCom­
mittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon7January1993.TheRapporteurwas
MrPricolo.
Atits302ndPlenarySession(meetingof27January1993),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeunanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
1.Introduction
1.1.TheproposalcomesinresponsetotheCouncil's
invitationtotheCommission ,on22January1990,to
presentspecificproposalstoregulatetheproduction,
marketingandinspectionofcompoundfeedingstuffs
forparticularnutritionalpurposes,commonlyknown
asdieteticfeedingstuffs .
1.2.Suchproductsaregainingagrowingshareof
themarket,andarenotyetregulatedatEClevel.Specificrulesarethereforenecessaryinorderto
reassureusersastotheirspecialpropertiesandquality.
1.3.Themainprovisionsoftheproposalconcern
theinformationtobeincludedonthelabel,thetypeof
packaging,thelistofintendeduses,andanyother
informationwhichhelpstoclarifythedieteticfeatures
oftheproduct,sothatitcannotbeconfusedeitherwith
ordinaryfeedingstuffs (simpleorcompound),whichare
alreadyregulatedbyDirective79/373/EEC,orwith
'medicinal'feedingstuffs (i.e.onesusedforstrictly
therapeuticpurposes).
1.4.Theproposaliscompletelynewintermsof
bothlegalbasis(RegulationratherthanDirective)and
content. (»)OJNoC231,9.9.1992,p.6.

NoC73/26 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 15.3.93
ofanexhaustivelistofusesinanAnnextotheRegu­
lation-thisrunscountertotheprinciplethatmanufac­
turersshouldbeabletooperatefreely,anditwould
alsoimpedetechnologicaladvancesinmanufacturing
processes.1.4.1.Itintroducesspecificrequirements,withinthe
frameworkoftheexistinggeneralrules,for'dietetic'
feedingstuffs :
—obligatorylistingoftheanalyticconstituentsthat
maketheproduct'dietetic';
—indicationofthe'bestbefore'date;
—mentionoftheneedtoconsultaveterinarianor
animalnutritionexpertiftheuser-animalissuffer­
ingfromparticulardiseases;
—preciseidentificationofthepersonresponsiblefor
thelabellingparticulars;
—labellinginthelanguageofthecountryinwhich
theproductistobesold;
—indicationoftheintendedusesofthefeedingstuff,
andacheckthatitmeetstheserequirements .2.5.However,theCommitteeconsidersthata
descriptivelistofusesandpossibleingredientswould
beuseful.ItstronglyurgestheCommissiontocompile
suchalist,usingtheCommission/StandingCommittee
onFeedingstuffsprocedure.Thelistshouldofcourse
beperiodicallyupdatedtokeepabreastofproduction
needs.
3.Specificcomments
2.Generalcomments3.1.Whileendorsingthegeneralthrustofthepro­
posal,theCommitteefeelsthatthefollowingArticles
shouldbeamendedorsupplemented .
2.1.Thefirstquestionthatarisesisthechoiceof
legalinstrument.TheCommitteeconsidersthatthe
Commission'sdecisiontouseaRegulationratherthan
aDirectivesatisfiestheneedforanEClegalframework
thatisautonomous (i.e.distinctfromtheexistingDirec­
tives)anduniform(i.e.thatdoesnotallowMember
StatestomakeanyalterationswhentransposingEC
rulesintonationallaw).3.2.Articlel(2)(b)
3.2.1.Thedefinitionofdieteticappearsimprecise
andopentomisinterpretation .Inparticular,thedistinc­
tionbetweendieteticproductsandstrictlymedicinal
onesisnotclear.Inordertodrawaclearerdistinction
betweenthetwotypesofproduct,theCommitteepro­
posesaddingthewords'withthespecificindication
thattheyarenotmedicinalfeedingstuffs'attheendof
Articlel(2)(b).
3.2.2.Also,inordertodefinethescopeoftheRegu­
lationclearlyandtopreventordinaryfeedingstuffs—
suchasmilk-replacerfeeds—beinggenerallyconsidered
asdietetic,thewords'...suchasgestation,lactation,
moult,sucklingorweaning'shouldbedeletedfromthe
fourthrecitalofthepreamble.2.2.Anotherimportantpointisthedefinitionof
'dietetic'.Thetermshouldobviouslyberestrictedto
productsthathavespecialnutritionalqualitiesfound
neitherinordinaryfeedingstuffsnorinmedicinal
feedingstuffs .
2.2.1.TheCommissionhasdefinedclearlythearea
ofuseoftheseproducts,introducingtheconceptof
'particularnutritionalpurposes'toidentifythem.How­
ever,afewpointsneedtighteningupintheinterestsof
clarity.
3.3.Article11
2.3.IntheCommittee'sview,themainproblemis
whetherthelistofintendedusesofdieteticfeedingstuffs
shouldappearinthebodyoftheRegulationorwhether
thisoperationcanbepostponeduntilsuchtimeasthe
CommissiondiscussesitattheStandingCommitteeon
Feedingstuffs .3.3.1.TotheCommittee'sknowledge,notallMem­
berStatesprovideforthetrainingof'expertsinanimal
nutrition'inthesenseusedinthisArticle.Sincethe
'expert'isnotrequiredtoproduceacertificateofspecial
training,theArticleascurrentlydraftedwouldallow
anyonetoclaim'expert'status.
3.3.1.1.Itwouldthereforeseemwiserasageneral
rulesimplytorequiretheadviceofaveterinarian,and
onlyincertaininstancesthatofananimalnutrition
expert.Recoursetosuchexpertswouldbeacceptable,2.4.InthefaceofconcernthattheCommission
couldimposetheingredientsofdieteticfeedingstuffs
onmanufacturers ,theCommitteestressesthatmanu­
facturersshouldbeexplicitlyauthorizedtousewhat­
everingredientstheyseefit.TheCommitteeisalso
adamantthatitisinappropriatetoprovideforinclusion

15.3.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC73/27
inArticle16,providedthattheidentificationand
qualityofthefeedingstuffsasreferredtoinArticle
1(1)areguaranteed,andprovidedthattheparticu­
larslistedinArticle4(1)appearonthe
accompanying document.'
3.5.Article13(a)
3.5.1.ThisistheprovisionwhichcausestheCom­
mitteethegreatestconcern.Thecompilationatalater
dateofalistofintendedusesandobligatoryoroptional
declarationsintroducesanelementofuncertaintywhich
couldaffectmanufacturing decisions.TheCommittee
thereforefeelsthatArticle13(a)shouldberedraftedto
includeaclearcommitmentthattheCommission will
drawupalistofusesandthatthelist,whichcan
obviouslyberevisedandupdated,istobeadoptedno
laterthanoneyearaftertheRegulationentersinto
force.
3.5.2.TheCommitteeurgestheCommissiontoavo­
idindiscriminate ,blanketinclusioninthelistofuses,
offeedingstuffsdestinedforanimals(notablypets)in
aparticularphysiologicalstate.
3.5.3.TheCommitteealsoconsidersthattheCom­
missionshouldmakeanundertakingtopresent,before
thefinaladoptionoftheRegulation,aninitiallistof
uses(evenifitisonlyanindicative,provisionalone),
inordertogiveoperatorsinthesectorasmuchinfor­
mationaspossibleinadvance.providedtheyhaveappropriateprofessionalqualifi­
cations,incaseswherenationallegislationrecognizes
professionsotherthanveterinariansashavingspecific
expertiseinanimalnutritiontherapy.
3.3.1.2.Accordingly ,theCommitteesuggeststhat
theCommissionaddthefollowingattheendofArt­
icle11:
'(....beforeusing),itbeingunderstoodthatrecourse
maybemadetoananimalnutritionexpertif
nationallegislationrecognizesthisprofessionand
iftheexpertisqualifiedtopractise.'
3.4.Article12(2)
3.4.1.Article12(2)providesforderogationspermit­
tingthemarketingofdieteticfeedingstuffsloose,subject
toadecisiontobeadoptedundertheCommission/
StandingCommitteeprocedure.
3.4.2.TheCommitteeunderstandsthereasoning
behindtheproposedderogation :certainanimals(e.g.
chickens)canonlybefedinlargenumbersiffodderis
purchasedloose.However,theCommitteethinksthat
thederogationshouldonlyapplyinexceptionalcases,
topreventwidespreadmarketingoflooseproducts.
3.4.3.Tothisend,Article12(2)shouldspecifythat
thederogationistoapplyonlyinverylimitedcircum­
stances.Forthetransportoflooseproducts,an
'accompanyingdocument'shouldalsoberequired,con­
tainingfulldetailsoftheproductandofitsoriginal
packagingorcontainer.
3.4.4.TheCommitteethereforeaskstheCom­
missiontoamendandsupplementArticle12(2)asfol­
lows:
'Derogationsfromparagraph1,whichmustbe
acceptedatCommunitylevelandonlyinspecial
cases,shallbeadoptedbytheprocedurelaiddown4.Conclusions
4.1.TheCommitteebroadlyendorsestheCom­
missionproposal,butasksthatthepointshighlighted
intheabovespecificcommentsbereviewedinorderto
maketheRegulationeasiertoapply.
DoneatBrussels,27January1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN