Food safety: additive in feedingstuffs and in drinking water for animal nutrition

The committee adopted the report by Hedwig KEPPELHOFF-WIECHERT (EPP-ED, D) amending the Council's common position under the 2nd reading of the codecision procedure. It reinstated a number of amendments adopted by Parliament at 1st reading, as follows: - the definition of "feed additives" was modified by adding the words "chemically defined or described" substances, mirco-organisms or preparations etc. (the committee pointed out that the Commission had incorporated the amended definition proposed by Parliament at 1st reading into its amended proposal); - as regards the status of existing products, the procedure for reassessment should be simplified: thus, for additives authorised without a time limit, a list of additives which require re-evaluation and their priority order for re-evaluation should be drawn up under the commitology procedure, after the European Food Safety Authority has been consulted. An application for authorisation shall be submitted no later than 7 years after the adoption of that list. The committee pointed out that many of the substances currently authorised without a time limit are innocuous substances already authorised for use in human foods, and it may not therefore be necessary to carry out a detailed assessment of all of them involving an application as provided for in the regulation; - rather than allowing an open-ended derogation for coccidiostats and histomonostats, it was specified that those two substances may be used until the end of 2008, and a final deadline of 1 January 2009 was set for banning them. Moreover, the Commission should submit a report before 1 January 2008 on the use of these substances as feed additives together, where appropriate, with a legislative proposal concerning future use; - to protect corporate know-how, mixtures and premixtures containing flavourings and appetite stimulants should be exempt from the labelling requirement for each additive. This should not apply, however, to flavourings and appetite stimulants subject to a quantitative limitation when used in feed and drinking water; - in specific cases where urgent authorisation is needed to ensure the protection of animal welfare, the Commission may, by special derogation, provisionally authorise the use of an additive for a maximum period of 5 years.�