Strasbourg, 18/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - Following its rapporteur, Belgian Green member Bert Staes, the Parliament approved (codecision, third reading) the joint project adopted by the Parliament/Council conciliation committee in 1995 that fixes the principles concerning the organisation of official controls on animal feed. According to the compromise reached during the conciliation committee, the European Commission may, when it is a matter of urgency, take safeguard measures that can be applied immediately without consulting Member States. This takes into account amendments voted in second reading by Parliament, which had wanted to strengthen the European Commission's right to carry out controls in Member States on products from third countries that are used in animal feed. On the other hand, the Parliament withdrew its request that the Commission should carry out spot checks in member States, but it did manage to have the latter assure Commission inspectors of their "full assistance" (stronger than the term "any assistance required" initially proposed).