7. We have given further
consideration to the following on the basis of further information
from the Government. We maintain our opinion[17]
that it raises questions of political importance, but make no
additional recommendation for its further consideration:-
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
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(17535)
10495/96
COM(96)460
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(1) Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) establishing a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals;
(2) Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) regarding the labelling of beef and beef products.
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Legal base:
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Article 43; qualified majority voting.
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Background
7.1 The proposal aims
to strengthen the present system of animal identification and
registration and to introduce labelling requirements for beef
and beef products. We first considered it on 30 October 1996
and recommended it for debate. This took place in European Standing
Committee A on 13 November 1996.
7.2 The proposal has
subsequently been subject to detailed consideration in a technical
working group, and the Supplementary Explanatory Memorandum of
3 February from the Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mrs Browning) indicates that
a revised proposal is now likely on establishing a system of registration
and identification of bovine animals (Proposal 1). Proposal 2
is also under discussion, and changes may be put forward on the
labelling of beef and beef products shortly.
Changes to Proposal
1
7.3 The Parliamentary
Secretary tells us that the main changes are as follows:
"i) the
proposal for compulsory all numeric eartags is dropped.
Member States may therefore retain alphanumeric[18]
tags if they so wish. Animals which do not meet the new tagging
requirement would have to be retagged by a date to be decided,
but not before 2001 - the original proposal suggested end 1997
(Article 4);
ii) the requirement
to record movement information on cattle passports
(now referred to as Animal Identification Documents) is dropped
(Article 6);
iii) a number
of the originally proposed deadlines have been relaxed slightly,
including that for tagging calves. This reflects UK concerns
about the practicalities of tagging beef calves within the original
timescale;
iv) the detailed
rules would now be laid down by the Standing Veterinary Committee,
rather than the Beef Management Committee (Article 9);
v) Member States
would have to submit annual reports to the Commission with details
of how they are implementing the requirements (Article 11)."
7.4 The requirement to
create computerised databases has to a large extent been overtaken
by the proposal on the traceability of cattle[19].
It is likely, therefore, if the proposal on intra-Community trade
in cattle and pigs is agreed, that the separate proposal on setting
up a cattle database will be deleted from this proposal.
7.5 The Parliamentary
Secretary believes that the revised version meets a number of
concerns about the original proposal. In particular, the Government
welcomes the retention of the use of alphanumeric cattle ear tags
which are used in Great Britain. This would obviate the need
for large scale retagging, which had welfare as well as cost implications.
The changes proposed would therefore reduce the compliance cost
for industry. The Government is pressing ahead with establishing
a Cattle Traceability System for Great Britain.
Conclusion
7.6 The original proposal
was debated in European Standing Committee A on 13 November 1996.
We are grateful for the information on further developments from
the Parliamentary Secretary. We maintain our view that the matter
is of political importance, but make no additional recommendation
for debate.
17 (17535) 10495/96; see HC 36-i (1996-97), paragraph 5 (30 October 1996). HC 36-iii (1996-97), paragraph 8 (13 November 1996). See also Official Report, European Standing Committee A, 13 November 1996. Back
18 Alphanumeric is identification by both letters and numbers. Back
19 (15128) 4168/94; see HC 48-x (1993-94), paragraph 1 (2 March 1994). HC 48-xviii (1993-94), paragraph 1 (11 May 1994). HC 70-xix (1994-95), paragraph 11 (21 June 1995). HC 36-vii (1996-97), paragraph 7 (11 December 1996). HC 36-xi (1996-97), paragraph 7 (29 January 1997). See also Official Report, European Standing Committee A, 25 May 1994. Back
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