Animal feed: hygiene requirements and traceability of feed

The committee adopted the report by Hedwig KEPPELHOFF-WIECHERT (EPP-ED, D) broadly approving the proposal (codecision procedure, 1st reading), subject to a number of amendments. The committee's main focus of concern was the provision of financial guarantees by feed businesses. It felt that it was too early at the present time to introduce a compulsory liability system at European level without having information and basic data on existing systems in the EU. MEPs therefore called for the decision on whether to introduce a liability system to be taken on the basis of a report drawn up by the Commission 12 months after the regulation enters into force. In the meantime, a voluntary system of financial guarantees should be put in place. The committee pointed out that, although the regulation provided for the relevant authorities to maintain a register of establishments, there was no requirement for this list to be published. As traceability was one of the proposal's key objectives, MEPs argued that any feed business operator should be able to consult a published EU list to check if its supplier is registered and that the public should be given access to the list of registered and approved establishments. Other amendments sought to ensure that preference was given to developing Community - rather than national - guides to good practice, and that indefinite approval should be given to establishments, subject to constant monitoring (the Commission had proposed that approval be renewed every 5 years). Lastly, the committee introduced an explicit provision into the body of the regulation stipulating that exports of feed to non-EU countries must satisfy the provisions of the 2002 regulation on the traceability of feed and feed ingredients.�