51997AC0232

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 93/113/EC concerning the use and marketing of enzymes, micro-organisms and their preparations in animal nutrition` (97/C 133/09)

On 14 February 1997 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Articles 43 and 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Agriculture and Fisheries, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 6 February 1997. The rapporteur was Mr Colombo.

At its 343rd plenary session (meeting of 26 February 1997), the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 96 votes to three with two abstentions.

The Committee notes the large number of applications submitted to the Commission by Member States by 1 January 1996, as required under Directive 93/113/EC of 14 December 1993, concerning the provisional use and marketing of enzymes, micro-organisms and their preparations in animal nutrition.

This is a delicate matter, and the Committee shares the Commission's concerns regarding the difficulty in making the requisite careful and thorough examination of such a large number of files. In the case of many of the files, further information has also had to be submitted within the twelve-month period laid down in Article 5 of the Directive (1 January 1996-1 January 1997).

The Committee therefore approves the Commission proposal to postpone until 1 January 1998 the date by which a decision will have to be taken on whether the products in question comply with the conditions laid down in Directive 70/524/EEC of 23 November 1970 as regards safety of use and effectiveness for authorization as an additive. However, such postponements should not become established practice.

Brussels, 26 February 1997.

The President of the Economic and Social Committee

Tom JENKINS