Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (COM(2004) 775 final — 2004/0270 (COD))
Date: 2005-03-09
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: European standard, World Organisation for Animal Health, animal disease, animal product, disease prevention, health control, health risk, marketing standard, slaughter of animals

C 234/26

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

22.9.2005

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Regulation of the
European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 laying down rules
for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

(COM(2004) 775 final — 2004/0270 (COD))

(2005/C 234/07)

On 16 December 2004 the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee,
under Article 152 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned 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 17 February 2005. The rapporteur was
Mr Chiriaco.

At its 415th plenary session, held on 9 and 10 March 2005 (meeting of 9 March), the European Economic
and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 130 votes to none with three abstentions.

1. Summary of the Commission's proposal

The main amendments proposed to the regulation on

1.1
the prevention, control and eradication of certain TSEs are:

— an extension for a further two years of the transitional

measures, first extended in 2003 (1);

— the reinforcement of

some preventive measures (to
include cervids, encourage the selection of TSE resistant
ovine animals through a harmonised breeding programme,
bring the regulation into line with Regulation 1774/2002
on the health rules concerning animal by-products, and
prohibit the injection of gas into the cranial cavity as a
slaughter method);

— an extension of

the restrictions on the movement of

animals to ovine and caprine animals;

— on the one hand, a restriction on the placing on the market
of raw materials for the manufacture of di-calcium phos-
phate; on the other, the inclusion among the derogations of
milk not intended for human consumption,
in the same
way as for milk for human consumption;

— consolidation of the legal basis for inspections in third

countries.

2.2
Practical experience at European level has clearly shown
that the present five-category classification, based on recorded
cases rather than risk, rewards those countries with the least
controls and penalises those who carry out effective controls
which detect cases of disease. Under the impact of recent cases
in Japan, Canada and the United States, progress towards the
conclusion of an agreement
to adopt an improved metho-
dology at the OIE is apparently accelerating; this will probably
occur in May 2005.

repeat

The Committee must nevertheless

its earlier
2.3
recommendation: should joint rules for risk management prove
impossible, the EU must accept the consequences and introduce
the requisite sets of rules itself regardless of
the resultant
complications in the WTO for trade with third countries. Lack
of international acceptance and time-consuming negotiations
must not delay the implementation of those provisions deemed
necessary for EU cooperation.

time period to introduce

2.4
The Committee welcomes the fact that the Commission
has made use of the opportunity provided by the extension of
amendments designed to
the
strengthen
selection
programmes and broaden restrictions on both movement and
controls, especially with regard to third countries.

preventive measures,

encourage

2. General comments

3.1

The inclusion of ‘cervids’ is entirely appropriate.

3. Specific comments

Although it has previously expressed its reservations
2.1
about repeated extensions (2),
the EESC notes the need to
harmonise the rules at international level in the OIE, in accord-
ance with the risk-assessment criteria defined by the Commis-
sion itself.

Consolidating the

the harmonised
3.2
breeding programme, which is already operating with encoura-
ging results, will allow the selection of resistant ovines to be
expanded.

legal basis

for

(1) EESC Opinion, rapporteur: Mr Nielsen, OJ C 208 of 3.9.2003.
(2) Ibid.

Compliance with Regulation 1774/2002 is essential in

3.3
the interests of legislative consistency.

22.9.2005

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 234/27

3.4
The injection of gas into the cranial cavity, which is
already prohibited for imported animals, is explicitly forbidden
in slaughter activities within the EU, and this is clearly advanta-
geous in preventing contamination.

their semen, embryos and ova, together with the restriction on
raw materials for the manufacture of di-calcium phosphate, in
accordance with the recommendations of the Scientific Steering
Committee.

The rules restricting the movement of bovines are quite

3.5
rightly extended to animals affected by scrapie.

The Committee welcomes the extension to other species
3.6
of the scope of the provisions concerning the placing on the
market and export of bovine, ovine and caprine animals and

3.7
In the Committee's view, it is essential to consolidate the
legal basis for possible inspections in third countries, so that
full use can be made of the experience acquired at European
level in this field, but also recommends that the financial and
human resources needed for this purpose be made available.

Brussels, 9 March 2005.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Anne-Marie SIGMUND

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a European Parlia-
ment and Council Regulation on the European Social Fund

(COM(2004) 493 final)

(2005/C 234/08)

On 18 November 2004 the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee,
under Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned 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 18 February 2005. The rapporteur was
Ms Engelen-Kefer.

At its 415th plenary session, held on 9 and 10 March 2005 (meeting of 9 March), the European Economic
and Social Committee adopted the following opinion unanimously.

1. Introduction

on priority objectives. With a budget of EUR 336.1 billion,
which is about one third of the total Community budget,
future structural support is to be:

On 14 July 2004 the European Commission adopted its
1.1
proposals for reform of cohesion policy for the period 2007-
2013. These proposals are intended to supersede the Structural
Fund regulations that will remain in force until 31 December
In its explanatory memorandum the Commission
2006.
mentions
in the
the considerable widening of disparities
enlarged Europe, as well as the challenges posed for the Union
by globalisation, economic structural change and demographic
developments.

— more targeted towards EU strategic priorities (the Lisbon
and Gothenburg objectives, and EU employment strategy);

— concentrated on the economically weakest regions;

— more decentralised and implemented more simply, trans-

parently and efficiently.

In this context,

1.2
the European Commission proposes
increasing the budget for the Structural Funds while focusing

This is to be achieved by redefining objectives,

i.e.
regional competitiveness and employment, as

1.3
convergence,
well as inter-regional cooperation.