16.12.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC332/5
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveonthesubjectofadditionalmeasures
concerningtheofficialcontroloffoodstuffs(*)
(92/C332/03)
On20February1992,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle100aoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforProtectionoftheEnvironment ,PublicHealthandConsumerAffairs,which
wasresponsibleforpreparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon
29September1992.TheRapporteurwasMrHilkens.
Atits300thPlenarySession(meetingof22October)theCommitteeadoptedthefollowing
Opinionunanimously .
1.4.Followingathoroughinvestigationoffoodcon­
trolsinMemberStates,whichitinitiatedpursuantto
Article13ofDirective89/397/EEC,theCommission
hasconcludedthatadditionalmeasuresareanindis­
pensablepreconditionforfreeCommunitytradein
foodstuffs .1.GistoftheCommissionproposal
1.1.TheproposalsupplementstheCouncil'sFrame­
workDirective89/397/EEC(2)ontheofficialcontrol
offoodstuffs.Aneffectivecontrolsystemisessentialfor
theestablishment ofaninternalmarketinthefoodstuffs
sector.
1.5.Giventhegreatvarietyoffoodcontrolmethods
inforceintheMemberStates,theCommissionhas
optedforageneralapproachwithclearlystatedobjec­
tivesinformulatingrequirementsrelatingtofood
inspectors'training,theselectionoflaboratoriesand
themethodsofanalysistobeused.
2.Generalcomments1.2.TheadditionalmeasuresderivefromArticle13
oftheFrameworkDirectivewhich,withaviewto
ensuringtheuniformapplicationofthecontrolrequire­
ments,callsfortheformulationofCommunityrules
onthetrainingoffoodinspectors,Communityquality
standardsforlaboratoriesinvolvedincontrolandsam­
plingworkandthecreationofaCommunityinspection
service.
1.3.TheCommissionproposalsaredesignedtoadd
totherulesgoverningthecontroloffoodstuffsinthe
followingareas:
a)thetrainingleveloffoodinspectors;
b)qualitystandardsforlaboratoriesentrustedbythe
MemberStateswiththeofficialcontroloffood­
stuffs,withparticularregardtoanalysismethods;
c)cooperationbetweenCommissionofficialsandthe
competentnationalauthoritiesincarryingoutfood
controls;
d)asystemofmutualsupportbetweenMemberStates'
authoritiesintheapplicationofcontrols;
e)annualreportsontheimplementation ofacoordi­
natedfoodcontrolprogramme .2.1.TheCommitteehastakennoteoftheproposed
additionalmeasuresinthefieldoffoodcontrol.Itis
satisfiedtonotethatfurtherprogresscanthusbemade
towardseffectivecontrolinthissector.Thisisan
essentialpreconditionforfreeCommunitytradein
foodstuffsandisalsoveryimportantforprotecting
publichealthandguaranteeingfoodquality.TheCom­
mitteeendorsestheproposedmeasures,butatthesame
timewishestomakeanumberoffurthersuggestions .
2.2.TheCommitteerecallshow,initsOpinionon
theFrameworkDirectiveonfoodcontrol(89/397/
EEC),itpointedoutthatseveralcrucialaspectshadto
bespeltoutfurtheriftheDirectivewastoachieveits
statedobjective.Inthisconnection,itmadeparticular
referencetoorganizational aspectssuchasinspectors'
trainingandprofessionalcompetence,thenumberof
peopletobeemployedinfoodcontrolandlaboratory
standards(includingequipmentstandards).(!)OJNoC51,26.2.1992,p.10.
(2)OJNoL186,30.6.1989.

NoC332/6 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 16.12.92
exceptionsbeallowedonlywherethisisessentialon
publichealthgrounds(e.g.inthecaseofarapidinitial
examination ).
2.6.TheCommitteeassumesthattheproposed
Europeanfoodstuffsinspectorate—partlybecauseof
itslimitedsize—istoberesponsibleforcoordinating
theactivitiesofthenationalinspectorates .TheCom­
mitteehopesthatthisbodywillhelptodevelopa
moreuniformCommunity-wide foodcontrolsystem.It
thereforeproposesareviewafter5yearstoexamine
whetherand,ifso,howtheinspectionservicecouldbe
developedfurther.2.3.TheCommissionidentifiedgreatdifferencesin
nationalfoodcontrolproceduresduringitsinvesti­
gation.Thiscausedittolimititsproposaltoastatement
ofintentionsandadefinitionoftheapproachtobe
takenwithregardtothetrainingofinspectors.The
Committeefeelsthatasaresultthereisnosatisfactory
guaranteethatacomparableleveloffoodcontrolwill
beachievedthroughouttheCommunityintheforesee­
ablefuture.Itwouldcallforacomparable ,highlevel
oftrainingforinspectorsthroughouttheCommunity ,
withsufficientattentionbeingpaidtotheircompetence
inthisarea,sothatacomparableleveloffoodcontrols
canbeachievedintheMemberStates.Togivethe
Commissionabetterchancetoeventuallyestablisha
comparablelevelofcontrols,theCommitteesuggests
thatMemberStatesshouldbeobligedtoinformthe
Commissionperiodicallyaboutthesituationwith
regardtotherequiredjobqualificationsandtraining
levels.Thesameappliestothenumberofpersonsto
beemployedinfoodcontrol.TheCommissionshould
playanactiveroleincoordinatingMemberStates'
controlbodiessothattheabovementioned comparable
leveloffoodcontrolsisachievedintheMemberStates
intheforeseeablefuture.Inparticular,theCommission
shouldurgetheMemberStatestoprovidesufficient
fundsforfoodcontrol,anactivitywhichiscrucialfor
publichealth.2.7.WhilsttheCommitteeacceptsthattheinfor­
mationprovidedpursuanttothisDirectivemustbe
confidential,itwouldpointoutthatvictimsoffood
poisoninghavetowaittoolongforthesettlementof
theirclaimsbecausetheconfidential evidencecannot
beused.
2.3.1.WhentheInternalMarketisestablishedon1
January1993,itislikelythatnotallMemberStates
willhavesufficientinspectorstoguaranteeacompar­
ablelevelofcontrols.WhentheCommunity'sinternal
bordersdisappear,customspersonnelwillbecome
redundantandtheextenttowhichthispersonnelcould
beusedtocontrolfoodstuffscouldbegivencareful
consideration .2.8.Inadditiontotheregulationofinspectors'train­
ingandlaboratorystandards,effectivefoodcontrolin
alargeEuropeanmarketwillalsodependontheability
totracetheproduct'sjourneyfrommanufacturerto
consumerasfaraspossible.Inthisconnection,the
CommitteerecallstheproposalmadeinitsOpinionon
theFrameworkDirective(x)forawatertightsystem
ofcodenumberscoveringeveryenterprise,areaand
laboratory.Undersuchasystem,thenationalcontrol
authoritiescouldbenotifiedwithoutdelayandthe
producerconcernedrapidlyidentified.Thisisparticu­
larlyimportantincaseswherethereisapublichealth
riskandquickactionisnecessary.
2.4.TheCommissionproposalprovidesforthemut­
ualrecognitionoflaboratoryresults.Thiswillnecessi­
tatethedefinitionandapplicationofstringentquality
standardswhichmustbeobservedbythelaboratories
concerned.WhilsttheCommitteehasfaithintheCom­
mission'sproposalstothisend,itwouldpreferamore
rigorousformulationoftheMemberStates'obligation
totakeaccountofthestipulatedqualityrequirements
inselectinglaboratories .2.9.InitsOpinionontheFrameworkDirective,
theCommitteecalledfortheinclusionofaprovision
requiringtheMemberStatestoprescribesuitablepenal­
tiesforinfringementsofthehealthandlabellingrules.
AtthemomentitispossiblethatMemberStates
operatinganextremelystrictmonitoringsystemmight
comedownheavilyonanyinfringement ,butthatothers
willbelesssevere.Inordertopreventsuchlegal
inequalities,thereshouldbecomparablepenaltiesfor
comparableinfringementsthroughouttheCommunity .
TheCommitteewouldpointoutthatthepeople
employedinfoodcontrolalsohaveanadvisoryroleto
playatallevents. 2.5.TheCommitteewouldpointoutthatthepro­
visionsrelatingtoanalysismethodsallowtoomuch
scopefordifferingmethodsandresultsanddiffering
interpretationsoftheseresults.Theremustbenodiffer­
encesinthewaythepartiesconcernedaretreatedby
thelaw.TheCommitteethereforeproposesthatthe
Commissioncompilearegisterofreferencemethods
basedonthebestavailablescientificmethodsandthat (i)OJNoC347,22.12.1987.

16.12.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC332/7
2.10.TheOpinionontheFrameworkDirective
stressedtheimportanceofeffectivemetrologicalchecks
inconnectionwithcorrectlabelling.TheCommittee
wouldagaindrawtheattentionoftheCommission
andtheCounciltotheneedforeffectivecooperation
betweenfoodcontrolauthoritiesandthecompetent
metrologicalbodies.Compulsorymutualnotification
ofdiscrepanciescouldbehelpfulinthisconnection.
3.Specificcomments
3.1.Article1(2)
TheCommitteesuggeststhatitbemadeclearthatthe
provisionsoftheDirectiverepresentminimumrequire­
mentsforallfoodstuffsandthattheseprovisionsalso
applytoproductsforwhichadditionalspecificrules
havebeendrawnup.
3.2.Article2
TheCommitteeassumesthatthisArticleistoberegard­
edasnomorethanageneralstatementofcontentfor
whichdetailedspecificationsaregiveninotherArticles.
3.3.Article3
Suchexpressionas'asufficientnumber'and'suitably
qualified'donotpossessthenecessarylegalforceto
ensurethedesiredharmonization ofcontrols.3.4.Article5
Theterm'methodsofanalysis'mustbedefinedmore
precisely.Seepoint2.5.
3.5.Article7
Seepoint2.9.
3.6.Article9
Seepoint2.9.
3.7.Article10
ThereporttotheCouncilandParliamentshouldalso
besenttotheEconomicandSocialCommittee .The
CommitteewouldalsorecommendthattheConsumers
Consultative Committeebenotified.Itmustalsobe
stipulatedthat,inaccordancewithArticle14(2)of
Directive89/397/EEC,thereportmustindicate'the
numberandtype'ofanalysesconducted,theresults
thereofandactiontakeninresponsetoinfringements .
3.8.Article11
ThedateonwhichtheDirectiveistoenterintoforce
mustbefixed.TheCommitteethinksthatthisshould
coincidewiththecompletionoftheSingleMarket.The
31December1992targetdateforthelattershould
thereforealsobespecifiedintheDirective.
DoneatBrussels,22October1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN