Public health: monitoring of zoonoses and zoonotic agents (amend. Decision 90/424/EEC, repeal. Directive 92/117/EEC)

The European Parliament adopted 30 amendments, 28 of which are accepted by the Commission. These include: - the requirement that zoonotic agents be monitored not only in animals, feed and food of animal origin, but also in food of plant origin and food of mixed origin. - strengthening the collection of comparable and uniform data on zoonoses from Member States; - a non-exhaustive list of authorities (including competent authorities for legislation on animal feed) and organisations to be included in the cooperation required in the collection of zoonoses data at the national level; - national reports will be published without delay, but the Commission cannot accept the shortening of the time allowed for Member States to submit their reports; - tightening the responsibilities of food business operators to keep relevant food samples in case of food-borne outbreaks and the testing results on zoonotic agents; - broadening the scope of the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance to agents other then zoonotic ones; - changes to comitology procedure; - making the consultation of the European Food Safety Authority compulsory when establishing coordinated monitoring programmes; - transferring criteria concerning the addition or deletion of zoonoses subject to monitoring from annex to articles. This will enable Parliament and Council to be involved if further amendments are proposed to the criteria.�