Protection of human health: hygiene of foodstuffs

The Commission has modified its proposal in the light of certain amendments made by the European parliament. It comments as follows: - most of the proposed amendments are technical and editorial and they have largely been taken over by the Commission. - some amendments aim to bring the proposal into line with Regulation 178/2002/EC, and these have been largely taken over by the Commission. - one amendment aims to clarify that the proposal does not apply to the direct supply of small quantities of primary products to the final consumer and to the local retail trade. The Commission has followed this and clarified that local trade refers to local shops and restaurants. - Parliament opposed the use of the regulatory procedure, but the Commission will retain this part of the proposal. - the Commission accepts the amendment on microbiological criteria, temperature criteria, food safety targets and performance standards. - Parliament has generally endorsed the need for flexibility for traditional food production. It made some amendments aiming to better describe where and how flexibility applies and the Commission endorses these. - the amendments aiming to introduce the HACCP system at the level of primary production are not accepted by the Commission, since it is considered too ambitious. - certain amendments introduced on the guides to good practice are accepted, but the Commission has ensured that Community guides prevail. - amendments to the requirement for registration of food businesses with the competent, aiming to introduce flexibility and to repeal the requirement for placing the registration number on the food are accepted. - amendments defining duties for the competent authorities are not accepted since the fall outside the scope of the proposal. - the timeframe of 5 years rather than 7 years for a report on implementation is accepted. - the Regulation will enter into force one year after entry into force as stipulated by Parliament. - Annex I on primary production - Parliament amendments aim to ensure a new presentation of the duties imposed on the primary production sector and they must therefore be considered as an editorial issue. The Commission accepts the main ideas but has re-drafted many amendments. - technical requirements in Annex II - the amendments generally aim to improve the proposal from a technical point of view, but some of them may create difficulties for very small enterprises and are therefore not accepted.�