The European Commission has issues a report to the Council and Parliament recommending changes to Animal By-Products Regulations.
The Commission says that under current regulations some requirements may be disproportionate when it comes to very low risk products (e.g. processed ingredients used in cosmetics), while there is a need to insert new products under the different risk categories. In addition, there are areas where there is uncertainty about the scope, the requirements of the Regulation or possible duplication with other legislation, and clarification is needed.
The report will be forwarded to the Council and Parliament towards the end of October. In addition, the Commission will begin to gather feedback on the report from interested parties, will conduct an impact assessment, and will discuss the proposed changes with technical experts. By the end of 2006/ early 2007, the Commission intends to submit a number of proposals for amendments to the Regulation to Council and Parliament.
Current European regulation on animal by-products came into force in May 2003. It lays down stringent conditions throughout the food and feed chain for the safe collection, transport, storage, handling, processing, use and disposal of animal by-products.
The Regulation classifies animal by-products into three categories based on their potential risk to animals, the public or to the environment, and sets out how each category must or may be disposed of. It restricts the type of material that may be used for feeding animals, so that only material fit for human consumption may be used for livestock and pet feed. The Regulation also prohibits intra-species recycling (cannibalism) and the feeding of catering waste to livestock.
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