Stockfarming: prohibition of certain substances having a hormonal or thyreostatic action and of beta-agonists

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted a report drafted by Karin SCHEELE (PES, AT), and amended, in the first reading of the codecision procedure, the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 96/22/EC concerning the prohibition on the use in stockfarming of certain substances having a hormonal or thyreostatic action and of beta-agonists.

The main amendments are as follows:

• the definition of 'therapeutic treatment' has been amended;
• Member States should be allowed to authorise the use of beta-agonists to treat respiratory problems, navicular disease and laminitis in horse raised for purposes other than meat production since alternatives are limited;
• the Commission, in collaboration with the Member States, shall set up an information and awareness campaign on the complete ban on the use of oestradiol 17 ß in food producing animals, aimed at farmers and veterinary organisations in the EU as well as the relevant organisations outside the EU which are directly or indirectly involved in the export to the EU of food of animal origin falling within the scope of this Directive;  
• Member States shall communicate regularly to the Commission which administrative and judicial measures they have taken to ensure compliance with this Directive;
• the Commission shall submit a report on the implementation of the Directive to the European Parliament and the Council every five years, with the first report being submitted on 1 January 2009. The report shall contain a complete overview on how the Member States implement this Directive on an administrative and judicial level and shall evaluate in particular the result of residue testing in the Member States, the controls undertaken on farm and in the veterinary sector and the steps taken in order to prevent illegal use of hormones authorised for pets. It shall, where appropriate, contain proposals designed to further improve the implementation of the Directive;  
• Annex II is amended to clarify that beta-agonist, although prohibited in general, may be used in certain specific cases;
• lastly, transposition of the Directive should be by 1 July 2008 (rather than 1 July 2007).