AGRICULTURE: CALL FOR MORE RAPID ACTIVATION OF VETERINARY INSPECTION.

• Position: Brief Article

The draft of the new European Parliament and Council Directive amends Directive 64/432/EEC on veterinary inspection problems in intra-Community trade in cattle and swine (COM(1999)456). In a first amendment, the rapporteur advocates a reduction from three to two years in the duration of the transitional measures accorded the countries before implementation of veterinary inspection measures. This should make it possible to reconcile two requirements, i.e. providing incentives to the Member States to transpose the Community provisions on such new animal-health rules more rapidly, and taking into account the problems experienced by certain Member States in establishing an operational epidemiological monitoring network, while taking care not to disturb the normal flow of trade in the difficult beef and pork markets. In adopting the second amendment, the Parliament indicated that it would be "essential to ensure the proper implementation of these regulations" and accordingly proposed that the Member States put in place an adequate system of inspection and control points.Community provisions on veterinary inspection problems in intra-Community trade in cattle and swine were amended and updated in 1997 and 1998 by Directives 97/12/EC and 98/46/EC. The new provisions were to enter into force July 1, 1998, but Directive 98/99/EC postponed implementation until July 1, 1999. Despite this change, the Member States continue to have problems with regard to implementation. Readers are reminded that on October 14, 1999, the Commission had submitted an annual plan funded in the amount of Euro 50 million to compensate for losses incurred by farmers because of the measures requiring slaughter of animals infected by...