WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1310/97 by Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. Pathogens
Date: 1997-04-11
Institutions: AMADEO, European Parliament
Subjects: animal disease, animal product, health certificate, health control, health legislation, import, intra-EU trade, organic fertiliser, poultry

C 21/38

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

22. 1. 98

(98/C 21/113)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1310/97

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(11 April 1997)

Subject: Pathogens

The Commission has submitted a proposal for a Council Directive amending Council Directive 92/118/EEC of
17 December 1992 laying down animal health and public health requirements governing trade in and imports into
the Community of products not subject to the said requirements laid down in specific Community rules referred
to in Annex A(I) to Directive 89/662/EEC and, as regards pathogens, to Directive 90/425/EEC (COM(96)393
final (1) › 96/0197 CNS).

The  proposal,  which  is  intended  to  simplify  the  directive,  should  not  cover  unprocessed  liquid  manure  from
poultry. Given the substantial risk of transmission of diseases such as salmonella, avian influenza and Newcastle
disease which such manure entails, the Commission is asked to retain the Community list.

(1)  OJ C 284, 27.9.1996, p. 18.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(29 May 1997)

On  24  July  1996  the  Commission  submitted  to  the  Council  a  proposal  for  a  Council  Directive (1)  amending
Directive  92/118/EEC (2)  of  17  December  1992  laying  down  animal  health  and  public  health  requirements
governing trade in and imports into the Community of products not subject to the said requirements laid down in
specific  Community  rules  referred  to  in  Annex  A(I)  to  Directive  89/662/EEC  and,  as  regards  pathogens,  to
Directive 90/425/EEC 2.

The health requirements relating to trade in and imports of liquid manure are set out in Chapter 14 of Annex I to
Directive 92/118/EEC. They were amended by Decision 96/103/EC (3) to take account of experience gained.

With  regard  to  intra-Community  trade  in  unprocessed  liquid  manure  from  poultry,  health  requirements  are
specified  for  Newcastle  disease  and  avian  influenza.  The  guarantees  relating  to  Newcastle  disease  and  avian
influenza  are  laid  down  in  Council  Directives  92/40/EEC (4)  and  92/66/EEC (5)  introducing  Community
measures to combat avian influenza and Newcastle disease, respectively. Moreover, in the case of Newcastle
disease,  additional  guarantees  relating  to  region  of  destination  are  laid  down  regarding  its  status  as  (cid:145)not
vaccinating against Newcastle disease(cid:146). The product must also be accompanied by a health certificate.

Directive 92/118/EEC provides for lists of third-country establishments to be drawn up for products covered by
the Directive. It was decided in the light of the experience gained as regards the protection of public and animal
health  that  such  lists  were  not  justified  for  certain  products  such  as  the  skins  of  ungulates,  bones  and  bone
products not intended for animal or human consumption, beekeeping products, hunting trophies, liquid manure,
wool,  feathers  and  honey.  Consequently,  in  the  interests  of  simplification  the  Commission  proposed  to  the
Council to abolish the requirement to draw up such lists and instead to ensure that establishments are registered
by the competent authority of the third country. The Commission proposal was adopted on 17 December 1996 as
Council Directive 96/90/EC (6), after approval by Parliament on 25 October 1996 (7) within the framework of the
consultation procedure.

(1)  COM(96) 393 final.
(2)  OJ L 62, 15.3.1993.
(3)  OJ L 24, 31.1.1996.
(4)  OJ L 167, 22.2.1992.
(5)  OJ L 260, 5.9.1992.
(6)  OJ L 13, 16.1.1997.
(7)  OJ C 347, 18.11.1996.