Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive amending Directive 92/117/EEC concerning measures for protection against specified zoonoses and specific zoonotic agents in animals and products of animal origin in order to prevent outbreaks of food-borne infections and intoxications'
Date: 1999-04-28
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: EC Directive, animal disease, animal product, food inspection, health legislation, proposal (EU)

16.6.1999

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 169/17

their participation, at a limited level, in the training activities
which are planned. This funding could come from the budget
proposed in COM(1998) 769 final or from other EU sources.

Further,

4.4.
it would be valuable to keep international
organizations, such as IMO, informed of progress in the hope
that they may use the EU framework as a model internationally.

Brussels, 28 April 1999.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Beatrice RANGONI MACHIAVELLI

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a European Parliament and
Council Directive amending Directive 92/117/EEC concerning measures for protection against
specified zoonoses and specific zoonotic agents in animals and products of animal origin in order
to prevent outbreaks of food-borne infections and intoxications’

(1999/C 169/08)

On 22 April 1999 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Articles 43
and 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above mentioned proposal.

The Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, which was responsible for
preparing the Committee’s work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 8 April 1999. The rapporteur
was Mr Leif Nielsen.

At its 363rd plenary session (meeting of 28 April 1999), the Economic and Social Committee adopted
the following opinion with 93 votes in favour and three abstentions.

1.

Introduction

accession in 1995. Even though the deadlines were postponed
in 1997 by Directive 97/22/EC, a number of Member States
have still not submitted their national plans for achieving the
objectives of the directive or for implementing its provisions.

1.1.
Council Directive 92/117/EEC obliges the Member
States to take certain measures for protection against zoonoses
and zoonotic agents in animals and products of animal
origin to prevent outbreaks of food-borne infections and
intoxications. The directive provides for a reporting system on
the incidence of zoonoses, as well as the monitoring, control
and eradication of certain types of salmonella found in poultry
breeding flocks. It also introduces control programmes for
other zoonotic agents than salmonella. These require the
Commission to follow developments and, inter alia, to draw
up guidelines for measures to control zoonoses.

1.3.
The Commission is now considering a fundamental
change to the policy pursued to date and reflecting on the
objectives of future strategy. This involves, inter alia, flexibility
on how the objectives are achieved, measures to counter the
spread of zoonotic agents through trade, prevention of trade
disputes with third countries and development of the ‘stable
to table’ principle, including the introduction of codes of good
farming practice.

Although the directive was adopted unanimously by
1.2.
the Council of Ministers, it soon became clear that not all
Member States were able to implement the rules it laid down.
It was particularly difficult to carry out the requirement to
slaughter or destroy poultry flocks infected with salmonella (S.
Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium). To date, the directive has
only been fully implemented in four Member States. Sweden
and Finland obtained indefinite trade guarantees upon

1.4.
The Commission was originally supposed to submit a
report containing a proposal for a revision of the directive in
the light of the experience gained by 1 January 1996. This
deadline was extended in 1997, but has now been exceeded
by 1` years. The Commission is now complaining that,

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It

because of the complex nature of the matter, it is still unable
to present new proposals, claiming that further reflection is
necessary.
therefore proposes a further postponement,
allowing it to submit a report including proposals by 31 March
2000. These proposals would then be adopted by the Council
no later than 31 December 2000. The Member States are to
implement the directive no later than 31 May 2001. The
deadline for implementation by third countries importing to
the EU is one year after the entry into force of these provisions.

The Commission has provided funding for the eradi-
1.5.
cation and control of zoonotic diseases in animals and for
other programmes aimed at preventing zoonoses. This funding
amounts to 36 million EUR in 1999. EC reference laboratories
for salmonella and zoonosis epidemiology have also been set
up to provide guidance for national laboratories on methods
of analysis and comparative studies, as well as training courses
and workshops.

2. General comments

2.1.
In February 1996, the last time the deadlines were
extended, the ESC recognised that Directive 92/117/EEC has
certain shortcomings and that the failure to implement it fully
in some Member States leads to a distortion of competition
between producers in the various Member States (1). The ESC
also drew attention to the increasing concern about salmonella
among consumers, pointing out that major action was needed
to fulfil the Treaty obligation to contribute to a high level of
health protection. The ESC emphasized the need to promote
and speed up the implementation of control measures on
salmonella in all EU Member States. In view of the lack of
progress made, these comments are as relevant now as they
were three years ago.

In addition to the provisions of Article 129a of the
2.2.
Treaty, it has been pointed out countless times in recent years,
especially in the wake of the BSE crisis, that the EU is expected
to ensure a high level of consumer protection and food safety.
Zoonoses are one of the chief problem areas in this respect.
There are no reliable and comparative figures on the number
of cases of illness or death in the EU as a result of zoonoses.
Only a small proportion of the cases of illness are reported.
Zoonoses are responsible for major healthcare expenditure
and loss of working hours, as well as the personal suffering of
those concerned and premature death. A rough, unofficial
estimate of the number of cases of salmonella-related illness
reported in the EU is 200 000 per year. The actual number of
cases is thought to be between 10 and 50 times greater and
the direct cost is estimated to amount to between 2 and 10
billion EUR per year.

2.3.
Eggs and poultry meat are the major cause of salmon-
ella-related illness in most Member States. In 1998 serious
salmonella enteridis was therefore a problem in the majority
of EU countries. This can probably be attributed to the
production of table eggs and could have been prevented if the
original guidelines had been followed.

2.4.
Despite the fact that a number of private programmes
have been implemented, the ESC finds it unacceptable that a
number of Member States have been unable to go further
towards implementing the 1992 directive and that the Com-
mission did not taken legal action far sooner to enforce
implementation and did not submit proposals for changes.
This is an illustration of the unacceptable practice current in
the EU whereby deadlines are set which neither the institutions
not the Member States take seriously. In future, the maximum
effort should be made to set realistic deadlines which are then
respected.

2.5.
The ESC calls upon the Commission to make up for
lost time by drawing up the relevant proposals as soon as
possible, and feels that the deadlines should be considerably
shorter than proposed. Postponing the deadlines further brings
with it the risk that Member States will do nothing until the
year 2001, allowing the situation to get worse as a result.

2.6. Many zoonoses, such as salmonella, should be elimin-
ated in individual poultry flocks and pig or cattle herds with
measures relating to the acquisition of animals, the purchase
of feedingstuffs, disinfecting of sheds etc. as well as improved
management. Next, measures must be taken during slaughter
to prevent, for instance, salmonella in contaminated animals
spreading from the throat and intestine to the meat. Finally,
action is needed at the subsequent stages of the marketing
chain; food preparation hygiene is also very important.

2.7.
As things stand at present, specific action could be
taken at the slaughter stage which would bring an appreciable
improvement in hygiene. The ESC therefore proposes that the
Commission initiate such action as soon as possible so that
those Member States which have not yet implemented the
zoonosis Directive are obliged to submit, without delay, a plan
outlining how they first of all intend to implement targeted
action at the slaughter stage. The more complex measures
required in primary production can then be considered more
closely and implemented at a later date. However, the ESC
fears that developing a new strategy in this respect, including
codes of good farming practice, will be extremely time-
consuming.

(1) OJ C 97, 1.4.96, p. 29.

The ESC feels it is crucial that the Commission should
2.8.
lose no time in publishing available statistics in this field so
that the general public is able to follow developments and see

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the current state of affairs in the Member States. This overview
will also stimulate market forces, as well as business and
consumer interests, which have an effect on the production
and distribution elements in the whole ‘stable to table’ chain.

that the use of antibiotics must be restricted as far as possible
in order to prevent the development of resistance (1). Stepping
up the fight against zoonoses in domestic animal production
will therefore also help to counteract the risk of bacteria
developing which are resistant to different known antibiotics,
with implications both for animal production and the treat-
ment of human illnesses.

2.9.
The objective in the EU is to ensure veterinary harmon-
isation at a high level. EU action in the field of zoonoses is not
in reasonable proportion to efforts being made to combat
other infectious diseases in livestock, particularly to take
account of the operation of the internal market.

3. Specific comments

2.10.
Rapid action is necessary to solve the question of
how to maintain free trade within the internal market while
safeguarding those areas of the EU with the best zoonosis
profile so that this is not undermined by importing goods
infected with zoonotic agents. Countries which, for example,
have reduced salmonella to a minimum in domestic animal
production, obviously want to demand guarantees with regard
to imports both from other Member States and from third
countries. Such demands may be difficult to ignore. If this
conflict is not resolved, trade guarantees and a consequent
regionalization of the internal market could become necessary.

2.11.
According to Article 14 of the zoonoses Directive,
third countries are to submit a plan giving details of guarantees
as regards the incidence of zoonoses and zoonotic agents. This
is a condition for being included or remaining on the
Community’s list of third countries from which imports to the
EU are permitted. However, no third country has yet submitted
a plan, which means that imports from the third countries in
question should be formally stopped. For EU countries which
have or are in the process of improving the situation, these
imports pose a risk of spreading zoonotic agents, as well as
causing uncertainty among consumers and an unfair distortion
of competition. In addition, third countries will be able to
require guarantees from the EU for EU exports.

3.1.
The ESC feels that a scientific evaluation should be
carried out as soon as possible of Member States’ measures to
prevent or treat zoonoses in connection with Decision No.
2119/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
setting up a network for the epidemiological surveillance and
control of communicable diseases in the Community (2).

3.2.
In its opinion of February 1996, the ESC called on the
Commission and other interested parties to hold a conference
on the zoonosis issue. The Committee now repeats that call
for a conference, with a view to increasing public awareness of
relevant initiatives in the EU. The conference could be organ-
ised in conjunction with the ongoing workshops held at the
Federal
Institute for Health Protection of Consumers and
Veterinary Medicine in Berlin (BGVV).

3.3. Made up as it is of different interest groups, the ESC
has a major commitment
to combating and preventing
zoonoses. It would therefore ask to be brought into future
discussions in good time with a view to proposing improve-
ments in the fight against zoonoses and to achieving a high
level of health protection without distorting internal trade or
competition between producers.

3.4.
The ESC also calls on the Commission to ensure that
food safety is one of the priorities at the coming WTO
negotiations. A clear strategy to control zoonoses within the
EU is a necessary requirement to back up the EU’s international
negotiating position.

2.12.
The proposed extension of the deadline until 2002 at
the earliest is also quite damaging to the EU’s credibility with
respect to third countries. Nor can the applicant countries,
which are expected to adopt the acquis communautaire, fail to
lose respect for EU rules in this vital area, which inevitably
creates a precedent, thereby damaging subsequent develop-
ment.

4. Conclusion

4.1.
In view of the significance of zoonoses, both in terms
of health and economic implications, the ESC regrets that the
Commission and the Member States did not make efforts

2.13.
Zoonoses in domestic animals lead to increased use
of antibiotics. Various international forums have concluded

(1) cf.

the ESC opinion of September 1998 on ‘Resistance to
antibiotics as a threat to public health’ (OJ C 407, 28.12.98, p. 7)
and the conclusions of the EU conference on ‘The Microbial
Threat’ held in Copenhagen in September 1998.

(2) OJ L 268, 3.10.98.

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sooner to achieve the objective set in the 1992 directive.
Similarly, it is concerned about a further postponement. With
initiatives underway in the Member States to prevent the
further spread of zoonoses, the Commission must lose no
time in surveying the current state of play and submitting
appropriate proposals with a view to bringing the situation

under control as soon as possible. Otherwise there is a risk of
major problems in the functioning of the internal market.
Available statistics should also be published and a scientific
conference organised as soon as possible. Early clarification of
the EU’s policy in this area is also crucially important for its
relations with the wider world.

Brussels, 28 April 1999.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Beatrice RANGONI MACHIAVELLI

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Commission proposal on the prices for
agricultural products (1999/2000)’ (1)

(1999/C 169/09)

On 23 March 1999 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Articles 43
and 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, which was responsible for
preparing the Committee’s work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 8 April 1999. The rapporteur
was Mr Strasser.

At its 363rd plenary session (meeting of 28 April) the Economic and Social Committee adopted the
following opinion by 90 votes to two, with four abstentions.

1. Gist of the Commission proposal

1.2. Trends in agricultural production

1.1. The agricultural economy in 1998

1.1.1.
1998 was marked by a sharp deterioration in some
agricultural markets. In addition, the economic and financial
crisis in various non-member countries affected first and
foremost the pigmeat and beef sectors.

1.1.2.
Following two record crops in succession, world
cereal market prices fell to their lowest level for five years and
growth in demand on world markets slowed down. Cereal
intervention stocks, particularly of barley and rye, climbed to
16 million tonnes towards the end of 1998 and likewise
dragged down market prices in the sector.

1.1.3. Whilst the prices of most products fell in 1998, the
only sectors where producer prices were up on the previous
year were fruit (with the exception of citrus fruit), wine,
potatoes and beef/veal.

1.2.1. With a harvest of around 208 million tonnes (2.1 %
up on 1997), 1998 set a new record for cereal production as
a result of higher yields (up 4.2 %). Oilseed production also
went up, rising by 6.5 % to reach 15.5 million tonnes, of
which 14.2 million tonnes were used as food.

1.2.2.
1998, however, saw steep falls in the production of
sugarbeet (7.5 % reduction in areas sown and 5 % reduction in
yields) and olive oil (down 500 000 tonnes).

1.2.3.
It is estimated that milk production will turn out to
have dropped slightly (to 120 million tonnes) in 1998, whilst
beef/veal production is likely to have fallen by 4.2% to
7.5 million tonnes.

(1) OJ C 59, 1.3.1999, p.1-27.

Pigmeat production on the other hand is estimated
1.2.4.
to have risen by 6.5 %, poultrymeat by 2.1 %, and sheepmeat/-
goatmeat by 2.9 %.