Animal nutrition: official inspections

The Conciliation Committee reached agreement on a joint text for the directive. The compromise reached involved two main issues: (a) safeguard measures - the Commission may take safeguard measures in emergency situations without consulting Member States. The measures will apply immediately and will have to be submitted within 10 days to the appropriate committee which may then extend, amend or repeal them. This safeguard clause is based on similar provisions in the 1997 directive on veterinary checks on imports. Parliament also insisted on a clarification in the text to guarantee that the safeguard measures would remain in force until they were replaced by another act (e.g. a new decision of the Standing Committee); (b) inspections - in an effort to find a global compromise, Parliament withdrew its call for unannounced inspections in the Member States but insisted on a high level of assistance to be provided by the Member States to the Commission regarding inspections. Council agreed to Parliament's request that the Member States should provide "full assistance" rather than "all necessary assistance" to the Commission officials carrying out on-the-spot inspections. It was also agreed that Parliament should be informed about the results of inspections carried out. Parliament's delegation felt that the compromise reached would mean that the directive helped to increase safety in this sensitive area and provide the Commission with the possibility of adopting effective and rapid safeguard measures in emergency situations. It therefore recommended that Parliament adopt the joint text at third reading.�