Brussels, 23/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament agriculture committee gave its approval on Tuesday 23 February to the text that resulted from the informal agreement between the institutions in June 2015 on transmissible animal diseases and to amendment of a number of legislative acts in the area of animal health.
The regulation, which extends to over 500 pages, contains no provisions on animal welfare; it updates EU animal health rules needed to complete the internal market and avoid the spread of infectious diseases (see EUROPE 11326 on the June 2015 agreement). The rules will, as far as is possible, maintain the animal health status currently existing in the EU and support later improvement in this status. “This text allows the authorities and producers to concentrate more on prevention and control of transmissible animal diseases. And it merges some 40 legislative acts into one single regulation”, commented rapporteur Jasenko Selimovic (ALDE, Sweden). The text will require farmers and other land owners and animal traders to apply the principles of sound husbandry practice and to make prudent, responsible use of veterinary medicines. The Commission will monitor the use of animal antimicrobials in member states and regularly publish comparable and sufficiently detailed data on this issue. To tackle emerging diseases, the legislation empowers the Commission to take urgent measures. Also included within the scope of the regulation are wild animals, including strays.
The text must now be endorsed by Parliament as a whole at second reading, possibly at the 7-10 March plenary session in Strasbourg. The regulation can thereafter be published in the Official Journal of the EU and come into force. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)