WRITTEN QUESTION E-3980/00 by Ursula Schleicher (PPE-DE) to the Commission. European comparison of job descriptions and training of health and hygiene inspectors.
Date: 2000-12-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EC Directive, approximation of laws, bathing water, food inspection, health control, human nutrition, technical profession, vocational training, water consumption

C 187 E/98

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

(2001/C 187 E/105)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3980/00

by Ursula Schleicher (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 December 2000)

Subject: European comparison of job descriptions and training of health and hygiene inspectors

A particularly important factor in ensuring consumer protection throughout Europe is the implementation
and monitoring of European and national rules, as the awful cases of BSE have demonstrated once again.
The training of those groups of individuals who are responsible for carrying out checks, by taking samples
for example, is an especially important aspect of this process. As far as I am aware, the job descriptions of
such individuals vary widely from one Member State to another.

Which groups are responsible in the individual Member States for carrying out such checks and taking
samples on the spot, for example, in respect of

(cid:129) the bathing water directive,

(cid:129) the directive on water for human consumption, and

(cid:129) the provisions on hygiene under food legislation?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(16 March 2001)

The principles for the performance of official controls of foodstuffs are laid down in a number of
Directives. In a general way, Council Directives 89/397/EEC of 14 June 1989, on the official control of
foodstuffs (1) and 93/99/EEC of 29 October 1993, on the subject of additional measures concerning official
controls of foodstuffs (2), apply. The basic principle of these Directives is that (cid:145)Member States shall ensure
that the competent authorities have, or have access to, a sufficient number of suitably qualified and
experienced staff,
in particular in areas such as chemistry, food chemistry, veterinary medicine, food
microbiology, food hygiene, food technology and law, so that the controls can be carried out adequately(cid:146).

Food of animal origin such as meat, milk, dairy products, fishery products shall be controlled by the
authority of the Member States responsible for carrying out veterinary checks or by any authority to which
it has been delegated. Meat in particular shall be submitted to ante- and post-mortem inspections by
veterinarians, possibly assisted by qualified auxiliaries. In as far as the occupation of veterinary surgeon is
concerned, Directive 78/1026/EEC (3) applies: minimum co-ordination of training allowing automatic
recognition of diplomas for veterinary surgeons without definition of their field of activity.

Most other professions are covered by the General System for the recognition of diplomas under directives
89/48/EEC and 92/51/EEC (4). These Directives allow Member States to maintain their own standards and
to require migrants to make up for any substantial differences in education and training through an
aptitude test or period of supervised practice.

The Commission intends, as announced in the White Paper on Food Safety (5), to submit to the Parliament
and the Council a proposal on official feed and food controls.

This proposal will establish a Community framework for official controls on all feed and food safety
aspects along the feed and food chain by:

(cid:129) merging and completing existing rules for national controls and inspections within the Community, at

the external borders of the Community and in third countries,

(cid:129) integrating existing monitoring and surveillance systems so as to establish a comprehensive and

effective food safety monitoring and surveillance system from farm to table,

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(cid:129) establishing a framework for organising annual programmes for controls of feed and food,

(cid:129) merging existing rules on mutual assistance and administrative co-operation.

It is also intended to integrate within this proposal the operational criteria for authorities that are in charge
of performing official controls. This proposal will therefore improve on existing Directives, by defining the
qualifications of feed and food controlling authorities.

On drinking water, the 1998 Drinking Water Directive (6) sets quality standards for drinking water and for
requirements for monitoring, as well as requirements for the analytical quality control. Of particular
importance in the context raised are the provisions on analytical quality control. Laboratories at which
samples are analysed have to have a system of analytical quality control to be checked by a certified person
or institution approved by the responsible authority for that purpose. Member States have the binding and
enforceable obligation to implement these provisions, whilst at the same time they have the choice as
regards the organisation (central, regional or local approach). As a conclusion the Directive sets the targets
to be achieved, but leaves the way to achieve these to Member States.

On bathing water, the 1976 Bathing Water Directive (7) has achieved considerable improvements in the
quality of bathing waters. However,
it is now outdated both as regards science and technology and
managerial approach. Inter alia, provisions on sampling and quality assurance are vague.

Consequently the Commission has started a thorough review process along the same lines as the recently
adopted Water Framework Directive (8),
i.e. Communication (cid:129) Consultation with stakeholders (cid:129) Con-
ference (cid:129) Legislative Proposal. As a first step, the Commission has adopted on 21 December 2000
a Communication to Parliament and Council (cid:145)Developing a New Bathing Water Policy(cid:146) (9).

Principal elements of a new Directive will be legally binding quality values aiming at a high level of
protection, coherence with the new Water Framework Directive,
information and participation of the
public, as well as quality management and quality assurance supporting those objectives.

(1) OJ L 186, 30.6.1989.
(2) OJ L 290, 24.11.1993.
(3) OJ L 362, 23.12.1978.
(4) OJ L 19, 24.1.1989 and OJ L 209 of 24.7.1992.
(5) COM(1999) 719 final.
(6) Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3.11.1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption (OJ L 330,

5.12.1998).

(7) Council Directive 76/160/EEC of 8 December 1975 concerning the quality of bathing water (OJ L 31, 5.2.1976).
(8) Directive 2000/60/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 23.10.2000 establishing a framework for Community

action in the field of water policy (OJ L 327, 22.12.2000).

(9) COM(2000) 860 final.

(2001/C 187 E/106)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3982/00

by Carlos Carnero GonzÆlez (PSE) to the Commission

(20 December 2000)

Subject: Advisability of exploratory talks between the Commission and the UN representative for Equatorial

Guinea

On 23 November last I met Mr Gustavo Gall(cid:243)n Giraldo, the UN representative for Equatorial Guinea, in
Madrid.

Unlikely as it may sound, Mr Giraldo was in Madrid because the government of Equatorial Guinea had not
authorised him to visit the country in order to carry out his duties.