Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the "Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directives 66/401/EEC on the marketing of fodder plant seed, 66/402/EEC on the marketing of cereal seed, 68/193/EEC on the marketing of material for the vegetative propagation of the vine, 92/33/EEC on the marketing of vegetable propagating and planting material, other than seed, 92/34/EEC on the marketing of propagating and planting material of fruit plants, 98/56/EC on the marketing of propagating material of ornamental plants, 2002/54/EC on the marketing of beet seed, 2002/55/EC on the marketing of vegetable seed, 2002/56/EC on the marketing of seed potatoes and 2002/57/EC on the marketing of seed of oil and fibre plants as regards Community comparative tests and trials" (COM(2002) 523 final — 2002/0232 (CNS))
Date: 2002-12-11
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: Member States' contribution, comparative analysis, crop production, marketing, plant health legislation, plant propagation, seed, seedling, testing

8.4.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 85/43

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Council
Directive amending Directives 66/401/EEC on the marketing of fodder plant seed, 66/402/EEC
on the marketing of cereal seed, 68/193/EEC on the marketing of material for the vegetative
propagation of the vine, 92/33/EEC on the marketing of vegetable propagating and planting
material, other than seed, 92/34/EEC on the marketing of propagating and planting material of
fruit plants, 98/56/EC on the marketing of propagating material of ornamental plants, 2002/54/EC
on the marketing of beet seed, 2002/55/EC on the marketing of vegetable seed, 2002/56/EC on
the marketing of seed potatoes and 2002/57/EC on the marketing of seed of oil and fibre plants
as regards Community comparative tests and trials’

(COM(2002) 523 final — 2002/0232 (CNS))

(2003/C 85/13)

On 9 October 2002 the Council decided to consult the European 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 14 November 2002. The
rapporteur was Mr Bedoni.

At its 395th plenary session on 11 and 12 December 2002 (meeting of 11 December), the European
Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion with 92 votes in favour and 4 abstentions.

1. Gist of the Commission proposal

2. General comments

For the past 25 years, Community comparative tests
1.1.
and trials have been carried out for agricultural crops such as
cereals, potatoes, fodder and oil and fibre plants on the basis
of the relevant legislation.

Comparative tests and trials for a posteriori control of
2.1.
seed samples and propagating material, to check that they
meet standards, are extremely important in the European
Union context. Satisfactory results in the cultivation of cereals,
potatoes, fodder, oil and fibre plants, etc. depend to a large
extent on the quality and health of the materials used.

1.2.
In recent years, this process has taken on greater
dimensions as new legislation on the marketing of propagating
material for fruit, vegetables and ornamental plants has laid
down, inter alia, detailed rules for Community comparative
tests and trials.

1.3.
This a posteriori control system for seed and propagat-
ing material marketed in the Community is recognised by
Member States as a very important tool for the harmonisation
of marketing.

1.4.
The above tests and trials are funded by a Community
financial contribution. The aim of the Commission proposal,
in the interests of transparency, is to establish a clear legal
basis for this financial contribution and to make provisions for
Community financial measures for carrying out Community
comparative tests and trials, which involve compulsory Com-
munity budget expenditure.

2.2.
Furthermore, these tests and trials effectively harmon-
ise control methods for seed and propagating material, which
is extremely important both to secure their free movement
within the Community and to provide European buyers with
the certainty that the seed and propagating material they are
buying is healthy and of a high quality.

3. Specific comments

3.1.
The Committee fully supports the Commission’s inten-
tion to establish a clear legal basis for the Community’s
financial contribution to the abovementioned comparative
tests and trials.

C 85/44

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Official Journal of the European Union

8.4.2003

3.2.
The Committee especially welcomes the objective of
greater transparency and certainty and would stress the fact
that the Member States themselves view the a posteriori control
system to be a highly important tool for the harmonisation of
marketing procedures.

4. Conclusion

The Committee welcomes the Commission’s proposal
4.1.
to amend the ten directives concerned with a view to
establishing a clear legal basis for the Community’s financial
contribution to comparative tests and trials on seed and
propagating material.

Brussels, 11 December 2002.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Roger BRIESCH

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Directive of the
European Parliament and of the Council setting standards of quality and safety for the donation,
procurement, testing, processing, storage, and distribution of human tissues and cells’

(COM(2002) 319 final — 2002/0128 (COD))

(2003/C 85/14)

On 2 July 2002, the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee, under
Article 152 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, which was responsible for preparing the
Committee’s work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 25 November 2002. The rapporteur was
Mr Bedossa.

At its 395th plenary session (meeting of 11 December 2002), the European Economic and Social
Committee adopted the following opinion by 97 votes to one with seven abstentions.

1. Background

Each year in Europe,

1.1.
500 000) receive human tissue and cell grafts.

thousands of patients (over

These include both ‘traditional’ grafts, whose therapeutic
benefits have been recognised for decades (corneas, bone,
skin, arteries, heart valves, haematopoietic cells), and rapidly
developing biotechnological methods.

academic groups, the regulatory situation in Europe is far from
uniform, and it is high time it was clarified. Where health
authorities have not arranged for controls, it is basically up to
the users of materials of human origin to choose, depending
on the product concerned, the organisations responsible for
retrieving, processing and supplying it. The user has no control
over them and has to rely on the results of the grafts and
feedback from peers. There is no organised monitoring system.
Safety levels are improving in countries where regulations are
in place, but consequently rules differ from one country to
another.

Despite the various recommendations of the World
1.2.
Health Organisation and the Council of Europe, and the
publication of rules for good practice by various European

On the eve of enlargement, and in the context of

1.3.
globalisation, it is time to put this state of affairs in order.