Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'Proposal for a Council Decision amending Decision 91/666/CEE establishing Community reserves of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines'
Date: 1999-10-20
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: EU stock, animal health, foot-and-mouth disease, livestock, vaccine, veterinary inspection

20.12.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 368/15

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Council Decision amending
Decision 91/666/CEE establishing Community reserves of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines’

(1999/C 368/05)

On 8 September 1999 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under
Article 37 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 28 September 1999. The
rapporteur was Mr Donnelly.

At its 367th plenary session (meeting of 20 October 1999), the Economic and Social Committee adopted
the following opinion by 105 votes to one with two abstentions.

1. Gist of the Commission document

1.1.
Community measures for the control of foot-and-
mouth diseases provide for emergency vaccination in cases the
disease become extensive.

By Decision 91/666/EEC (1) the Council established the
1.2.
Community reserves of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines, and
designated four antigen banks in different Member States.
Meanwhile, two of those four antigen banks have relinquished
their commitments to provide these services to the Com-
munity. (2)

Furthermore, the need may arise to relocate perhaps
1.3.
on short notice and in any case without undue delay, the
antigen reserves to appropriate establishments within the
Community. In order to allow immediate reaction to the
needs to distribute or relocate the Community reserves of
foot-and-mouth disease antigen for storage at different sites,
an amendment of above mentioned Decision is proposed. In

(1) OJ L 368, 31.12.1991, p. 21-25.
(2) The Institute for Animal Health (Pirbright-UK) and Bayer AG

(Cologne-Germany).

particular the designation of the two institutions is eliminated
and the designation of any other establishment is carried out
in future by the Commission in accordance with the Standing
Veterinary Committee (with the procedures laid down in
Article 10 of the decision).

2. Assessment of the proposal

The protection of the health status of the EU livestock
2.1.
herd is of the utmost importance. The need for a new legal
base, as proposed by the Commission, which allows more
efficient and immediate action in order to combat foot-and-
mouth diseases is convincing.

2.2.
The severity of foot-and-mouth disease, which is also
widespread in neighbouring regions such as Turkey or some
countries in North Africa may require the need for immediate
reaction and the facility to distribute or relocate the Com-
munity reserves of foot-and-mouth disease antigen vaccines.
The Committee therefore supports the proposal of the Com-
mission that provides for the application of the Standing
Veterinary Committee procedures as regards the designation
of the Community antigen reserves.

Brussels, 20 October 1999.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Beatrice RANGONI MACHIAVELLI