Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘proposal for a Council Directive repealing Directive 72/462/EEC’ (COM(2004) 71 final - 2004/0022 CNS)
Date: 2004-03-31
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: animal product, health control, import (EU), live animal, meat, meat product, veterinary inspection

C 112/100

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

30.4.2004

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘proposal for a Council Directive
repealing Directive 72/462/EEC’

(COM(2004) 71 final - 2004/0022 CNS)

(2004/C 112/25)

On 27 February 2004 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.

On 24 February 2004, the Bureau of the European Economic and Social Committee instructed the Section
for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment to prepare the Committee's work on the subject.

Given the urgent nature of the work, at its 407th plenary session of 31 March and 1 April 2004 (meeting
of 31March 2004), the European Economic and Social Committee appointed Mr Donnelly as rapporteur-
general and adopted the following opinion unanimously.

1.

Introduction

1.1
In 2000 the Commission announced a radical shake-up
of food hygiene legislation with the publication of the White
Paper on Food Safety. The key aspects of this reform were the
simplification of legislation in the area of food and feed safety
and in the area of animal health that relates to food safety.

1.2
The objectives of the White Paper were to be achieved
through the implementation of a very comprehensive action
programme. This included the Proposal for setting up the Euro-
pean Food Safety Authority and a Proposal for a regulation on
General Food Law. This objective has been achieved in the
form of Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 of the European Parlia-
ment and of the Council laying down general principles and
requirements of
food law establishing the European Food
Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of
Food Safety.

1.5
The recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)
and also classical swine fever (CSF) have also prompted a recast
of animal-health legislation relating to the import of
live
animals. This has already been sent to the Council for a Direc-
tive laying down animal-health rules for the importation into
the Community of certain live animal, and amending Directives
90/426/EEC and 92/65/EEC (COM (2003) 570).

It is therefore proposed to repeal Directive 72/462/EEC with
regard to animal-health conditions for live animals, as it is no
longer relevant.

2. Gist of Commission Proposal

2.1
This proposal repeals Directive 72/462/EEC from 1
January 2005 as regard the animal-health rules for the importa-
tion of meat and meat products.

1.3
The actions in the area of the simplification of food and
feed law and the reforms in the area of official controls are in
an advanced state. These should be formally implemented by
Member States by 1 January 2006. The seamless integration of
the hygiene rules and of the official controls, from farm to fork
was also a key objective. This is reflected in the proposals.

2.2
From 1 January 2006 the proposal repeals Directive
72/462/EEC as it relates to rules on public health and official
controls for meat and meat products.

The animal-health requirements for the importation of
1.4
meat and meat products have been recast and updated by
Council Directive 2002/99/EC. This must be formally imple-
mented by Member States by 1 January 2005.

2.3
A date has yet to be agreed depending on the formal
date of implementation on the proposal for a Council Directive
laying down animal-health rules for the importation of certain
and amending Directives 90/426/EEC and
live
92/65/EEC. As
agreed Directive
to be
72/462/EEC is repealed as regard the animal-health rules for
the importation of live animals.

from this date

animals

30.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 112/101

2.4
The implementing rules established under Decisions
adopted for the import of live animals, meat and meat products
under Directive 72/462, as listed in the Annex to this proposal
they are replaced by measures
will remain in force until
adopted under the new regulatory framework.

3.4
The EESC finally welcomes the clear separation of the
rules governing animal health requirements for the importation
of meat and meat products, on public health rules in food and
feed hygiene, on official controls of food and feed and on
animal-health rules for the importation of live animals.

3. General comments

4. Specific comments

3.1
The EESC welcomes this proposal as part of the on-
going review of Community measures in matters relating to
animal health. The EESC supports the concept of consolidating
the rules governing the imports of live animals.

The EESC is also very much in favour of the ongoing

3.2
process of simplification of Community legislation.

3.3
The EESC welcomes the rapid progress made in the
implementation of the action plans on Food Safety through the
implementation of the objectives set out in the White Paper on
Food Safety.

The EESC recognises the potential risks in the area of
4.1
animal health particularly as a consequence of the new borders
the EU will have after the enlargement; the EESC therefore
recommends that sufficient resources are made available by the
Commission for the inspection and auditing of the implementa-
tion and transposition of the relevant Directives.

5. Conclusions

The EESC supports the Commission's proposal, in the
5.1
interests of completion of the process of legislative review and
simplification.

Brussels, 31 March 2004

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Roger BRIESCH