Activites

• 2000/08/11 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Regulation 2000/1760
  • OJ L 204 11.08.2000, p. 0001
• #2284
• 2000/07/17 Council Meeting
• 2000/07/17 End of procedure in Parliament
• 2000/07/06 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T5-0318/2000 summary

    The European Parliament in its second reading following the recommendation of Mihail PAPAYANNAKIS (EUL/NGL, Greece) amended the common position as follows: -information additional to the information concerning where the animal was born, fattened or slaughtered may be provided under the voluntary beef labelling system. -the derogation applicable to minced beef must indicate not only the country of preparation, but also the country of origin, where the state or states involved are not the state of preparation.�

• 2000/07/05 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2000/07/03 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A5-0193/2000
• 2000/06/15 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2269
• 2000/06/06 Council Meeting
• 2000/06/05 Council position published
  • 08251/1/2000 summary

    The Council's common position retains all the modiciations incorporated in the amended proposal. The majority of these changes were based on European Parliament amendments, in particular in the key areas of the proposal, such as the provisions regarding the origin of meat and the date of entry into force of the compulsory labelling scheme, as well as the optional scheme. The Council retained, in agreement with the Commission, the three following European Parliament amendments relating to: - the clarification of the link between the regulation in force and the other relevant Community measures, in particular in relating to beef; - the abolition of the use of the 'Origin: EC' label to describe the origin of beef derived from an animal born, raised and slaughtered in more than one Member State; - the reintroduction of a formal certification procedure for the optional labelling specifications. Two other modifications in the text are very close to the Parliament's amendments: - the possibility given to Member States to fix themselves, within the time limit accepted by the Parliament, the period in which producers are required to notify cattle movements; - the introduction of a new article so as to permit the co-existence of regional labelling and compulsory labelling in the Member States, without undermining the protected indications and denominations of origin. Lastly, on five points, the Council proposed, with the Commission's agreement, some changes that did not completely tally with those of the Parliament: - the addition of Art 37 of the EC Treaty as a legal base, as well as Art 152; - the information to be provided on labels during the first phase of compulsory labelling: it is proposed to eliminate the date of slaughter and the minimum period of fattening, but to retain the breed; - the national compulsory labelling systems should come to an end from the point of the introduction in the Community of the second phase of compulsory full origin labelling; - the second phase of full origin labelling should start on 1 January 2002 (instead of 1 September 2001, as proposed by the Parliament); - lastly, as far as minced beef is concerned, the Council retained the idea of a simplified labelling for this meat but strengthened the initial proposal by requiring the operators to indicate a traceability code, the Member State or the third country in which the animal was slaughtered and the Member State or the third country in which the minced beef was prepared, without the possibility of the 'non EC' indication. Furthermore, the operators can supplement the label with all kinds of other indications required in accordance with the compulsory labelling system.�

• 2000/05/17 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(2000)0301 summary

    On the 12 April 2000, the European Parliament adopted a total of 56 of the 62 amendments originally tabled for the compulsory beef labelling system proposal which shall be reinforced from 1 January 2003. A number of the amendments were accepted by the Commission in their entirety. They were improvements in the recitals and in the editing of the text. One accepted amendment removed a date which could have impeded the Commission from recognising the operational nature of national bovine databases while another reduced the time available for Member States to implement the regulation. Another amendment in this group clarified that labelling must occur at all stages of marketing of the beef concerned. A number of other amendments were also accepted by the Commission but reserved the right propose slight changes to their drafting, most of which were again editing improvements. Of these, one amendment makes a more generalised reference that this Regulation shall not affect other labelling legislation. Another amendment allows, in the definition of labelling, non pre-packed beef to be labelled with other "written and visible" information. This provision permits a certain flexibility for small retail butchers to display of the compulsory information to be given to customers. A recital was added to identify the way compulsory Member States labelling shall co-exist with regional labelling, without undermining the protected indications and denominations of origin, as laid down in Council Regulation 2081/92/EC. However, a more comprehensive solution than that proposed by the Parliament is required to achieve this in Article 17. A simplification was introduced in the keeping of the farm register for animals moving from one prairie to another in the mountains. The definition of the date of entry into force was also clarified, and now refers to the date after which animals are slaughtered. The Commission only partially accepted three amendments of Parliament. In Article 13(2) of the proposal, the Commission accepts that only the indications of the approval number and Member State of the place of slaughtering and de-boning shall be retained. However, the Commission retains the "category" of the carcass on the list of obligatory indications. In the first paragraph of Article 13(5), the Commission accepts that only the Member States indication shall be retained and that origin shall be defined by place of birth, rearing and slaughtering of the animal from which the beef was derived (i.e. place of de-boning shall be deleted). However, the date of entry into force for the compulsory indication of origin is still an element of discussion, and has not been modified. In the second paragraph Article 13(5), the Commission accepts to delete place of de-boning from the definition of origin and to delete the indication "Origin: EC" for beef derived from an animal born, raised and slaughtered in one Member State. However, the Commission retains its proposal to keep the possibility of an "EC" labelling option for describing the origin of beef derived from animals, which were born, raised and slaughtered in more than one Member State.�

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/agriculture/', 'title': 'Agriculture and Rural Development'}],
• #2256
• 2000/04/17 Council Meeting
• 2000/04/12 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0148/2000 summary

    In adopting the report by Mr. Mihail PAPAYANNAKIS (GUE/NGL, Greek), the European Parliament approves the proposal for a European Parliament and Council Regulation establishing a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products and repealing Council Regulation 820/97/EC. This proposal was subject to amendments which are as follow: - the compulsory beef labelling system shall be introduced and made obligatory in all Member Sates from 01/09/2000 onwards; - Council Regulation 2772/1999/EC of the 21 December 1999 providing for the general rules for a compulsory beef labelling system specifies that such general rules are to be applicable only on a provisional basis, for a maximum period of 8 months, i.e. from 01/01/2000 to 31/08/2000; - should eartags become accidently detached, they should be replaced within a reasonable time; - research is currently focusing on the identification of bovine animals using an 'immunological eartag'. These developments should be welcomed and the work being carried out supported; - the distribution of eartags shall be recorded in the passport; - a compulsory beef labelling system shall be introduced which is obligatory in all Member States from the date of entry into force of this Regulation. The places of birth, rearing and slaughter of the animal or animals from which the beef was derived shall be clearly indicated on the label; - in the case of products that are not packaged, the appropriate information in written and visible form shall be provided for the consumer at the point of sale; - as from 01/09/2001, operators and organisations shall also indicate on the labels the Member State, or third country, of birth, where fattening took place and where slaughter took place; - for animals born before the entry into force of the compulsory registration on 01/01/1998, whose place of birth cannot be clearly identified according to this Regulation, the following additional indication must appear on the label: "Birth not registered (before 1.1.98)"; - beef which does not comply with this Regulation shall be labelled "This beef does not comply with EU traceability regualtions"; - the approval of a specification shall imply a guarantee on the part of the competent authority, obtained on the basis of a detailed study of the information laid down in paragraph 1, the correct and reliable functioning of the planned labelling system and, in particular, its control system; - any specification providing for labels which contain misleading or insufficiently clear information shall also be rejected; - where beef is produced and/or sold in two or more Member States, the competent authorities of the Member States concenred shall consider and approve the specifications submitted to them insofar as the information they contain relates to operations which take place on their respective territories. In such cases, each Member State shall be required to recognise the approvals granted by any of theother Member States concerned; - within a period of one year from the date of the entry into force of this Regulation, the European Parliament and the Council shall decide, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 152 of the Treaty, to extend the scope of this Regulation to include processed products containing beef and beef-based products; - every six months from the entry into force of this Regulation, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament indicating the Member States' compliance status.�

• 2000/04/11 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2000/03/21 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0088/2000
• #2218
• 1999/11/15 Council Meeting
  • 2218
• 1999/11/15 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1999/10/13 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1999)0487 summary

    PURPOSE: establishment of a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) 820/97. CONTENT: The proposal, which is one of two (see procedure 1999/0205/COD), seeks to lay down general rules for a compulsory labelling system, introduced in two separate steps. Both proposals are made on a legal basis that differs from Regulation 820/97/EC. The Commission took the Council to Court when Regulation 820/97/EC was adopted under the former Article 43 of the Treaty. The judgment of Case C-269/97 is still pending. In these proposals, in line with Commission policy in this matter, Article 152 of the new Treaty is taken as the legal basis because since the entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty, it expressly mentions 'by way of derogation from Article 37, measures in the veterinary and phytosanitary field which have as their direct objective the protection of public health'. Unlike Regulation 820/97/EC (which was adopted under the former Article 43 of the Treaty), the legal base of the new proposal is Article 152, concerning the protection of public health. This first proposal lays down rules for a compulsory beef labelling system that is to be introduced and which is to be obligatory in all Member States. Operators and organisations marketing beef shall indicate on the label information about certain characteristics of the beef and the point of slaughter of the animal or animals from which that beef was derived. The compulsory beef labelling system shall be reinforced from 01.01.2003. Operators and organisations marketing beef shall, in addition, indicate on the label information concerning origin, in particular where the animal or animals from which the beef was derived were born, reared and slaughtered. The Commission will be assisted by the Standing Veterinary Committee. This proposed Regulation follows very closely the text of Regulation 820/97/EC. A correlation table is provided in the Annex of the proposal.�

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/agriculture/', 'title': 'Agriculture and Rural Development'}],

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(1999)0487
• Debate in Council: 2218
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A5-0088/2000
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0148/2000
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(2000)0301
• Council position published: 08251/1/2000
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A5-0193/2000
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T5-0318/2000
• : Regulation 2000/1760
• : OJ L 204 11.08.2000, p. 0001

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)