The committee adopted the report by Horst SCHNELLHARDT (EPP-ED, D) tabling a number of mainly technical and drafting amendments to the proposal under the 1st reading of the codecision procedure.
To improve clarity, achieve a more systematic structure and simplify application, the committee proposed that provisions on procedures relating to imports be taken over in identical form from the proposal for a regulation laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin and be incorporated into this regulation.
Other amendments sought to:
- provide for uniform sanctions (including shutting down the offending business) to be imposed in the event of any failure to observe the hygiene rules in force;
- provide for primary producers to sign a standard declaration on the information chain;
- ensure that producers have the chance to appeal against any decision which they consider unjustified;
- ensure that, in the case of emergency slaughter, before the carcase can be approved for human consumption it must be subjected as soon as possible to a post-mortem inspection and the food chain information must also be supplied;
- ensure that, where staff of an establishment carry out inspection tasks, they shall do so under the "authority and responsibility" of the official veterinarian; moreover, responsibilities for production and inspection must be separated within the establishment and a business which wishes to make use of in-house inspectors must have internationally recognised certification;
- ensure that aquaculture products are also subject to controls before they are placed on the market, as they constitute animal products intended for human consumption; in particular, the committee was concerned that checks should be carried out on the canthaxanthine content (the substance used in aquaculture in order to turn salmon pink) in farmed salmon, which, it said, must be "severely restricted". �