| No | Action
| Objective | Adoption
by
Commission
| Adoption
by
Council/
Parliament
|
| I. Priority measures
|
| 1. | Proposal for setting up a European Food Authority.
| To set up an independent European Food Authority.
| September 2000 |
December 2001 |
| 2. | Proposal for laying down procedures in matters of food safety.
| To introduce a comprehensive safeguard measure covering the whole food chain, including feed.
To establish a comprehensive Rapid Alert System covering all feed and food emergencies with harmonised requirements and procedures, including third countries on the basis of reciprocity.
| September 2000 |
December 2001 |
| 3. | Proposal for a General Food Law Directive.
| To establish food safety as the primary objective of EU food law.
To lay down the common principles underlying food legislation (in particular: scientific basis, responsibility of producers and suppliers, traceability along the food chain, efficient controls and effective enforcement).
To increase transparency, consistency and legal security.
| September 2000 |
December 2001 |
| 4. | Proposal for a Regulation on official food and feed safety controls.
| To establish a Community framework for official controls on all food and feed safety aspects along the feed and food chain.
| December 2000 |
December 2001 |
| 5. | Proposal for a Regulation on feed.
| To establish animal and public health as the primary objective of EU feed legislation.
To lay down common principles underlying feed legislation (in particular: scientific basis, responsibility of producers and suppliers, systematic implementation of hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP), traceability, efficient controls and enforcement).
To recast all existing measures on feedingstuffs so as to create a comprehensive legislative tool increasing transparency, consistency and legal security.
| December 2001 |
December 2002 |
| 6. | Proposal for a Regulation on novel feed.
| To put into plan a centralised system for the authorisation of use in animal nutrition of non conventional products, in particular of GMOs and GMO derived feedstuffs.
| September 2000 |
December 2001 |
| 7. | Amendment to the Annex of Directive 96/25/EC on the circulation of feed materials.
| To amend the definitions of feed materials listed in the Annex to Decision 96/25/EC, particularly with regard to oils and fats and animal products.
| September 2000 |
|
| 8. | Proposal for a Regulation on hygiene.
| To recast horizontal and vertical Directives on hygiene of food of plant and animal origin.
To clarify responsibility of food operators and to introduce the systematic implementation of HACCP.
To apply hygiene rules at all levels of the food chain, including primary production.
| June 2000 | June 2002
|
| 9. | Amendment to Decision 98/272/EC on epidemio-surveillance of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs).
| To reinforce TSE surveillance including
a study on mandatory testing (rapid post-
mortem test) on targeted groups of cattle.
To reinforce TSE surveillance in small ruminants
| March 2000
September 2000
| |
| 10. | Decision on the Member State and third country residue programmes.
| To ensure efficacy of residue testing in Member States and third countries.
| December 2000 |
|
| 11. | Proposal for amending Directive 89/107/EEC on food additives.
| To confer implementing powers for maintaining the lists of permitted food additives and to lay down specific provisions in respect of enzymes.
| December 2000 |
December 2001 |
| 12. | Proposal for amending Directive 95/2/EC on food additives other than colours and sweeteners.
| To update and revise the list of food additives other than colours and sweeteners
| December 2000 |
December 2001 |
| 13. | Proposal for amending Directive 88/388/EEC on flavourings for use in foodstuffs.
| To clarify the scope and update definitions, to set maximum limits for toxic substances and to confer implementing powers on the Commission.
| December 2000 |
December 2001 |
| 14. | Proposal for amending Regulation 258/97 on novel foods and novel food ingredients.
| To make the necessary adaptations in the light of the conclusions of the report on the implementation of the Regulation and in accordance with the new regulatory framework of Directive 90/220/EEC.
| December 2001 |
December 2002 |
| 15. | Regulation on the labelling of GMO-free foodstuffs.
| To give operators the possibility to use labelling claims referring to the absence of use of genetic engineering techniques for the production of foodstuffs.
| September 2000 |
|
| 16. | Proposal for amending Directive 79/112/EEC on the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs.
| To remove the possibility not to indicate the components of compound ingredients forming less than 25% of the final product and lay down a list of allergenic substances.
| December 2000 |
December 2001 |
| 17. | Proposals for Commission Directives to fix maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticides in food and agricultural commodities.
| To fix MRLs for pesticides residues for, inter alia:
36 pesticides with existing open positions in the residues directives that will automatically go to zero in July 2000 unless the Commission adopts other values.
To set MRLs at zero for 8 pesticides that were excluded from Annex 1 to Directive 91/414/EEC.
To set MRLs for new active substances included in Annex 1 to Directive 91/414/EEC.
| June 2000
September 2000
Continuous process
| |
| 18. | Communication on an action plan on nutrition policy.
| To develop a comprehensive and coherent nutrition policy.
| December 2000 |
|
| II. Feedingstuffs
|
| 19. | Proposal for amending Directive 70/524/EEC concerning additives to feedingstuffs.
| To consolidate the Directive. To fix maximum residue limits for additives. To clarify certain aspects of the procedure (evaluation reports) and the authorisation (generic versus specific).
| July 2001 | December 2002
|
| 20 | Amendment to Decision 91/516/EEC on the list of ingredients the use of which is forbidden in compound feedingstuffs.
| To introduce the changes deemed necessary to the list of feed materials the use of which must be prohibited in compound feedingstuffs, with particular reference to certain by-products from fat processing.
| June 2000 |
|
| 21. | Amendment to the Annex of Directive 1999/29/EC on the undesirable substances and products in animal nutrition.
| To fix the maximum limits of dioxins for oils and fats, and for other or all feed materials. To collect information on background contamination of PCB and dioxin-like PCB, MRLs for other potential contaminants of feedingstuffs will also be fixed.
| December 2000 |
|
| 22. | Proposal for amending Directive 96/25/EEC on the circulation of feed materials.
| Following reflection to decide whether an exclusive positive list of authorised feed materials should be established.
| December 2002 |
December 2003 |
| 23. | Proposal for amending Directive 95/53/EEC fixing the principles governing the organisation of official inspections in the field of animal nutrition.
| To foresee a legal basis for a safeguard clause in case of appearing or spreading hazards related to feedingstuffs likely to pose a risk to human health.
To introduce an obligation for Member States to carry out a monitoring programme for contaminants in feedingstuffs. To introduce a Rapid Alert System for feed to be integrated in the Rapid Alert System for food (to be integrated in action 2).
| March 2000 | March 2001
|
| 24. | Proposal for amending Directive 79/373/EEC on the marketing of compound feedingstuffs.
| To review current provisions for the labelling of compound feedingstuffs.
| January 2000 | March 2001
|
| 25. | Proposal for amending Directive 95/69/EEC laying down the conditions and arrangements for approving and registration of certain establishments and intermediaries operating in the feedingstuffs sector.
| To introduce provisions for:
— Approval or registration of manufacturers of compound feedingstuffs.
— Approval of manufacturers of certain feed materials.
— Improving traceability of feed materials and identification of critical points.
— Establishing a code for good manufacturing practice for animal feeding.
| December 2000 |
December 2001 |
| III. Zoonoses
|
| 26. | Proposal for amending Directive 92/117/EEC on zoonoses.
| To improve monitoring and reporting system for diseases transmissible from animals to man and to reduce prevalence of specified zoonoses (eg. salmonella).
| June 2000 | June 2002
|
| 27. | Decision on Member State and third country programmes for the control of zoonotic agents on animal products exported to the Community.
| To ensure that Member States implement adequate measures to control zoonotic agents.
To ensure that third country products are controlled to the same level as Community products.
| December 2002 |
|
| IV. Animal Health
|
| 28. | Proposal for a Regulation on animal health requirements for products of animal origin.
| To recast existing animal health rules for products of animal origin.
| June 2000 | June 2002
|
| 29. | Increase budgetary allocation for actions provided for in Council Decision 90/424/EEC on expenditure in the veterinary field.
| To enable actions necessary to improve animal disease eradication (brucellosis, tuberculosis etc).
To create a task force for monitoring disease eradication in the Member States.
| May 2000 | December 2000
|
| V. Animal by-products
|
| 30. | Proposal for amending Directives 90/667/EEC and 92/118/EEC on animal waste and derived products.
| To recast existing measures of animal by-products not destined for human consumption (meat and bone meal, rendered fats, manure etc.).
To ensure that only animal by-products derived from animals declared fit for human consumption can enter the animal feed chain.
To clarify responsibility of animal by-products operators.
To tighten up official control and to improve traceability.
| June 2000 | December 2001
|
| VI. BSE/TSE
|
| 31. | Decision on classification according to BSE status.
| Classification of individual countries in view of changes in BSE status (post-mortem tests)
| June 2000 |
|
| 32. | Amendment to Decision 94/381 (feed ban).
Decision on the removal of specified risk materials (SRMs) replacing Decision 97/534/EC.
| To amend the Decision in the light of recent scientific options.
To replace Decision 97/534/EC laying down the rules on the prohibition of the use of materials that present risks as regards TSEs. Amendment of the TSE framework proposal accordingly.
| March 2000 |
|
| 33. | Decision on the harmonisation of BSE rules for imports of live animals and products from third countries.
| To harmonise the BSE import rules for other third countries.
| September 2000 |
|
| VII. Hygiene
|
| 34. | Report on the testing of residues in Member States and third countries.
| To evaluate the performance of national and third country residue programmes.
| December 2000 |
|
| 35. | Modification of the Annex to Council Directive 96/23/EC on residue monitoring.
| To re-enforce the monitoring and detection of PCBs and dioxins in food of animal origin.
| June 2000 |
|
| 36. | Proposal for a Decision to review the ante- and post-mortem procedures for animals and meat.
| To make ante- and post-mortem inspections risk based, and to review inspection methods applied at present.
| September 2001 |
December 2002 |
| 37. | Decision on microbiological standards on certain foods.
| To fix the maximum limits of undesirable micro-organisms in foodstuffs, after risk assessment.
| December 2001 |
|
| VIII. Contaminants
|
| 38. | Amendment to Regulation No. 194/97 setting maximum limits for certain contaminants.
| To set up limits for several contaminants: ochratoxin A, cadmium, lead, 3-MCPD, dioxin and, possibly, PCBs.
| December 2000 |
|
| IX. Additives
|
| 39. | Report on the intake of food additives.
| To provide an overview of the intake of food additives in the European Union.
| June 2000 |
|
| 40. | Proposal for amending Directive 94/35/EC on sweeteners.
| To update and revise the list of sweeteners for use in foodstuffs.
| December 2000 |
December 2001 |
| 41. | Amendment to Directives 95/31/EC, 95/45/EC and 96/77/EC on purity criteria for food additives (including sweeteners and colours).
| To update and complete existing provisions.
To introduce a general requirement for a new safety evaluation for permitted additives made from new sources or with new methods.
| September 2000 |
|
| 42. | Amendment to Directive 81/712/EEC laying down Community methods of analysis for the respect of purity criteria.
| To replace existing provisions with a set of general principles and a reference to other similar provisions.
| June 2001 |
|
| 43. | Decision amending the Community register of flavouring substances used in or on foodstuffs.
| To update the register.
| December 2000 |
|
| 44. | Regulation establishing a programme for the evaluation of flavouring substances.
| To set priorities and time limits for evaluation.
| June 2000 |
|
| 45. | Proposal for a Regulation on additives used in flavourings.
| To lay down a list of additives authorised for use in flavourings.
| June 2001 | December 2002
|
| 46. | Proposal for a Regulation on smoke flavourings.
| To lay down the conditions for the production of smoke flavourings.
| June 2001 | December 2002
|
| X. Materials in contact with food
|
| 47. | Proposal for amending Directive 89/109/EEC on food contact materials.
| To allow the update of specific Directives through regulatory procedure and to change or add provisions on the labelling of contact materials.
| December 2000 |
December 2001 |
| 48. | Amendment to Directive 90/128/EEC on food contact plastics.
| To update the list of authorised food contact plastics.
| December 2000 |
|
| 49. | Practical guide on food contact materials
| To provide guidance on the application of Community provisions relating to contact materials.
| December 2000 |
|
| XI. Novel foods
|
| 50. | Regulation clarifying the authorisation procedure for novel foods and novel food ingredients.
| To clarify and make more transparent the procedure laid down in Regulation 258/97 for the authorisation of novel foods and novel food ingredients.
| September 2000 |
|
| 51. | Report on the implementation of Regulation 258/97 on novel foods and novel food ingredients.
| To examine the application of the "novel food" legislation and assess its impact on public health, consumer protection and information, and the functioning of the internal market.
| December 2001 |
|
| 52. | Regulation on the labelling of food containing or derived from genetically modified organisms.
| To further harmonise the provisions governing the labelling of foods, additives and flavourings containing or derived from GMO material.
| September 2000 |
|
| XII. Irradiation
|
| 53. | Proposal for amending Directive 1999/3/EC on foods and food ingredients treated by irradiation.
| To complete the Community list of foods and food ingredients which may be treated with ionising radiation.
| December 2000 |
June 2002 |
| 54. | Decision establishing the list of irradiation facilities.
| Publication of the list or irradiation facilities authorised in the Member States and those in third countries which have been approved by the EU.
| December 2000 |
|
| XIII. Health foods and food supplements
|
| 55. | Directive on foods intended for intense muscular effort.
| To lay down specific provisions for foods intended to meet the expenditure of intense muscular effort, especially by sportsmen.
| December 2001 |
|
| 56. | Report on foods intended for persons suffering from diabetes.
| To assess the need for specific provisions for food for people with carbohydrate-metabolism disorders.
| December 2001 |
|
| 57. | Proposal for amending Directive 89/398/EEC on dietetic foods.
| To define the conditions for making the claims "low-sodium" or "sodium-free", and "gluten-free".
| December 2001 |
December 2002 |
| 58. | Directive on purity criteria for nutritional substances in food for particular nutritional use.
| To lay down purity criteria for nutritional substances which are added to food for particular nutritional use or which are present in food supplements and foods to which nutrients are added.
| December 2002 |
|
| 59. | Directive on substances added for nutritional purposes in foods for particular nutritional uses.
| To establish a positive list of the various substances which may be added for nutritional purposes in foods for particular nutritional uses.
| June 2000 |
|
| 60. | Proposal for a Directive on food supplements.
| To lay down common criteria for marketing concentrated source of nutrients (vitamins and minerals).
| March 2000 | March 2001
|
| 61. | Proposal for a Directive on fortified foods.
| To lay down provisions for marketing foods to which nutrients such as vitamins and minerals have been added.
| September 2000 |
September 2001 |
| 62. | Amendment to Directive 91/321/EEC on infant formulae and follow-on formulae.
| To set up a list of pesticides not to be used in agricultural products intended for use in these formulae.
| November 2000 |
|
| 63. | Amendment to Directive 96/5/EEC on processed baby foods.
| To set up a list of pesticides not to be used in agricultural products intended for infants and young children.
| November 2000 |
|
| 64. | Amendment to Directive 80/777/EEC on mineral waters.
| To lay down a list of constituents of mineral waters and the conditions of use for the treatment of certain mineral waters with ozone enriched air.
| September 2000 |
|
| XIV. Labelling and advertising
|
| 65. | Proposal for amending Directive 79/112/EEC on the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs.
| To specify the conditions under which "functional claims" and "nutritional claims" may be made.
| July 2001 | July 2002
|
| 66. | Proposal for amending Directive on nutritional labelling.
| To bring the provisions on nutrition labelling into line with consumer needs and expectations.
| July 2001 | July 2002
|
| 67. | Proposal for amending Directive on misleading advertising.
| To clarify the scope of the Directive with regard to claims concerning in particular food, health and the environment.
| December 2000 |
July 2002 |
| XV. Pesticides
|
| 68. | Regulation on monitoring of pesticide residues in food.
| To improve co-ordination and quality of monitoring of pesticides in food.
| March 2000 |
|
| 69. | Recommendation for a co-ordinated Community Monitoring Programme for pesticides residues in Foods for the year 2001.
| Recommendation for a co-ordinated Community Monitoring Programme for pesticides residues in Foods for the year 2001.
| December 2000 |
|
| 70. | Commission Decisions for pesticide active substances to be included in or excluded from Annex 1 to Directive 91/414/EEC.
| Pesticides active substances evaluated in the framework of Directive 91/414/EEC need, after the evaluation to be either included in Annex 1 or withdrawn from the market.
| Continuous process
| |
| 71. | Regulation on the evaluation of existing pesticides active substances.
| To fix a priority list of substances for evaluation at Community level; to introduce a notification procedure for all remaining substances.
To lay out the ground rules for the final stage of the Community evaluation of active substances.
| December 2000
September 2001
| |
| 72. | Proposal for amending Directive 91/414/EEC
| Inter alia, to
-extend competence to include genetically modified organisms,
-allow a harmonised Community régime to charge fees for the evaluation of new pesticides active substances,
-develop a fast-track procedure for low-risk substances,
-clarify problems relating to data protection, work-sharing, parallel imports, classification and labelling, borderlines with biocides legislation etc.
| June 2002 | June 2003
|
| 73. | Directive to develop and adopt the Annexes to Directive 91/414/EEC
| To develop Community data requirements for
non-GMO microbial plant
protection products.
To develop a harmonised set of risk and safety phrases.
To establish uniform principles for assessment of safety of micro-organisms as plant protection products.
| December 2000
December 2001
December 2001
| |
| XVI. Nutrition
|
| 74. | Proposal for Council Recommendations on European dietary guidelines.
| To support the Member States in their development of nutrition policy at the national level.
To streamline the flow of information to enable consumers to make informed choices.
| December 2000 |
December 2001 |
| XVI. Seeds
|
| 75. | Proposal for a Regulation concerning environmental risk assessment in respect of genetically modified plant varieties.
| To lay down the specific conditions for the conduct of the risk assessment applicable to genetically modified varieties of agricultural and vegetable plant species, as required under Council Directive 98/95/EC.
| March 2001 | March 2002
|
| 76. | Directives on environmental risk assessment and the assessment principles laid down in Regulation 258/97, in respect of genetically modified plant varieties.
| To provide for technical and scientific guidance for the conduct of the assessment applicable to genetically modified varieties of agricultural and vegetable plant species.
| June 2001 | |
| 77. | Directives amending the Annexes of the Directives on the marketing of seeds.
| To lay down the details of the labelling requirements as established by Council Directive 98/95/EC for seeds of genetically modified plant varieties of agricultural and vegetable plant species.
To lay down the growing conditions and other requirements for purity concerning the adventitious presence of genetically modified seeds in seed lots of traditional plant varieties.
| December 2000 |
|
| 78. | Proposal for a Directive amending Directive 68/193/EEC on the marketing of material for the vegetative propagation of the vine.
| To lay down assessment procedures and labelling requirements for propagating material of genetically modified varieties of the vine.
| January 2000 | June 2001
|
| Other |
| 79. | Proposal for a Regulation on the financial support for food safety actions at Community level.
| To provide for a uniform legal basis to ensure adequate Community financial support of actions necessary to enhance food safety (liaison and reference laboratories, exchange of officials, training of officials etc.)
| December 2000 |
December 2001 |
| 80. | Proposal for a Decision establishing a data base of dietary intakes across the whole EU population.
| To create a basis of exposure data used in risk assessments and nutrition.
| December 2000 |
December 2001 |
| 81. | Decision on an Advisory Committee on Food Safety.
| To improve involvement of all stakeholders in the Community food safety policy by streamlining the existing Advisory Committees.
| December 2000 |
|
| 82. | Proposals for agreements with third countries.
| To establish further agreements with third countries on veterinary and/or phyto-sanitary issues.
| Continuous process
| |
| 83. | Proposal for accession of the European Community to Codex Alimentarius.
| To reinforce the participation of the European Union in the elaboration of international food standards.
| May 2000 | December 2000
|
| 84. | Proposal for accession of the European Community to OIE.
| To reinforce the participation of the European Union in the elaboration of international animal health standards.
| December 2000 |
December 2001 |
