MEPs are calling for closer monitoring and criminal sanctions on safety, labelling and inspection of animal feed products.
On 9 March 2004, the Environment Committee will give a 1st reading to a report by MEP Marit PAULSEN (ELDR, S) on the draft Regulation on official feed and food controls.
After a number of food scares such as BSE and salmonella, the EU has prioritised safety of the food chain. This new draft regulation would bring together several existing pieces of legislation covering food, animal feed, including the safety, labelling and inspections of these products, as well as inspections of imports from non-EU countries. The regulation also provides for penalties under criminal law.
The report strengthens the Commission’s initial proposals and criticises the absence of a legal basis which could justify criminal sanctions.
The committee says that every company should be inspected at least once a year. Under the "name and shame" principle, inspection reports and lists of firms that break the rules should be made public. In a number of amendments, MEPs seek to help consumers by making these rules more transparent.
The committee also wants to allow unannounced inspections to check compliance with maximum limits of certain residues (for example pesticides) in connection with both Community and national rules. They are also calling for "systematic", and hence additional, inspections throughout the food chain for organic products to ensure compliance with special rules for these products. All imports should be inspected and, if there is an imminent danger, destroyed. MEPs say that if a Member State has not set up a national inspection programme, the Commission should be allowed to ban sales of products from that Member State.
Negotiations are continuing with the Council on this text, and it is possible that a compromise may be agreed and put to the plenary for approval. If this happens, the measures would be adopted at first reading.
