REPORT on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 21/2004 as regards the date of introduction of electronic identification for ovine and caprine animals

10.12.2007 - (COM(2007)0710 – C6‑0448/2007 – 2007/0244(CNS)) - *

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
Rapporteur: Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 21/2004 as regards the date of introduction of electronic identification for ovine and caprine animals

(COM(2007)0710 – C6‑0448/2007 – 2007/0244(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2007)0710),

–   having regard to Article 37 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C6‑0448/2007),

–   having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A6‑0501/2007),

1.  Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

2.  Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty;

3.  Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

4.  Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially;

5.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

Text proposed by the Commission	Amendments by Parliament
Amendment 1 ARTICLE 1, POINT 1 Article 9, paragraph 3 (Regulation (EC) No 21/2004)
"3. As from a date to be established in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 13(2), electronic identification according to the guidelines referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, and in accordance with the relevant provisions of Section A of the Annex, shall be obligatory for all animals born after that date. That date:	"3. As from 31 December 2009, electronic identification according to the guidelines referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, and in accordance with the relevant provisions of Section A of the Annex, shall be obligatory for all animals born after that date.
(a) shall be established on the basis of the assessment of the technical implications, of the costs and of the overall impact of the use of electronic identification;
(b) must be established no later than 12 months before the date the use of electronic identification becomes obligatory."
Amendment 2 ARTICLE 1, POINT 2 A (NEW) Article 9, paragraph 4 a (new) (Regulation (EC) No 21/2004)
	(2a) In Article 9, the following paragraph shall be added:
	"(4a) The Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council by 31 December 2009 on the justification for individual electronic identification systems, and other traceability systems in terms of disease control and on how such systems could be further simplified for farmers and administrative authorities. The report shall be accompanied by appropriate legislative proposals."

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The Commission report according to Article 9 paragraph 4 of Regulation (EC) No 21/2004 for confirming or delaying the date of entry into force of obligatory electronic identification of ovine and caprine animals is almost 17 months overdue. Commission has now proposed to further delay the application of electronic identification originally foreseen for 1 January 2008.

The Commission-report does not deliver sufficient information to judge the situation. It does not sufficiently take into account advantages for animal welfare and tracking of animals. Conventional ear-tags create indescribable sufferings for sheep and goats, especially for young animals and certain breeds with small ears, which is even more deplorable as other devices are at hand and working. Commission proposes not only to delay the introduction of obligatory identification, it even proposes to delegate the decision to Comitology, thereby excluding the European Parliament on questions as important as the entry into force of certain regulations or parts of is (in this case quite an essential part). This approach is unacceptable for the Parliament as there is an urgent need to solve the animal welfare problems quickly.

The rapporteur recalls that cases, where the Commission presents legislative proposals at the very last minute (presentation of proposal on 18 November 2007 for a regulation supposedly to enter into force 1 January 2008) are growing in number considerably. As the delay is solely due to delays in Commission reporting and drafting, this is not acceptable.

PROCEDURE

Title	Date of introduction of electronic identification for ovine and caprine animals
References	COM(2007)0710 - C6-0448/2007 - 2007/0244(CNS)
Date of consulting Parliament	3.12.2007
Committee responsible        Date announced in plenary	AGRI
Rapporteur(s)        Date appointed	Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf 21.11.2007
Previous rapporteur(s)	Alyn Smith
Discussed in committee	10.12.2007
Date adopted	10.12.2007
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	24 2 2
Members present for the final vote	Vincenzo Aita, Bernadette Bourzai, Giuseppe Castiglione, Giovanna Corda, Albert Deß, Lutz Goepel, Bogdan Golik, Esther Herranz García, Lily Jacobs, Elisabeth Jeggle, Heinz Kindermann, Vincenzo Lavarra, Mairead McGuinness, Rosa Miguélez Ramos, María Isabel Salinas García, Agnes Schierhuber, Czesław Adam Siekierski, Petya Stavreva, Dimitar Stoyanov
Substitute(s) present for the final vote	Pilar Ayuso, Katerina Batzeli, Milan Horáček, Christa Klaß, Struan Stevenson
Substitute(s) under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote	Emanuel Jardim Fernandes, Jonathan Evans, Adamos Adamou, Anni Podimata