Vertebral Column the end is nigh

At the last EU agri Council meeting, the Council made it clear that it would not oppose to the adoption by the Commission of a regulation amending the age of withdrawal of the vertebral column in the framework of the prevention of certain transmissible encephalopathies.

It is merely a confirmation of its agreement but it does not change the fact that we will have to wait until the end of the European Parliament's three months scrutiny right, before we can see the draft entering into force.

So far the draft is recorded in the Parliament register and MEPs who might not be happy with it are free to raise the issue to the Parliament Committee.
An official from the Commission reassured me that this is unlikely to happen since MEPs do not seem to have major concerns about it.

The Parliament scrutiny right should end on April 20. The Commission is ready to adopt it on the next day with a publication expected on the 22 or 23 April and an entry into force on the 25/26 April 2006.

Best regards
Kathy Roussel, EU Advisor
Meat and Livestock Commission, Brussels Office,
61 rue de Treves, 1040 Brussels