§ Mr. Bodyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether decisions have been reached by the European Community about the Standing Veterinary Committee.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerIn its report on document 6497/81, relating to the European commission's proposals for extending the life of the Standing Veterinary Committee and changing its associated procedures, the Select Committee on European Legislation noted that the proposals were politically important and recommended them for debate. However, the report also stated that the Select Committee would withdraw its recommendation if the provisons of the document concerning the Standing Veterinary Committee's procedures, which would remove the Council's power to reject certain Commission proposals by simple majority voting, were deleted or withdrawn.
At the Council of Ministers on 15 and 16 June the opportunity arose to agree that the Standing Veterinary Committee and its associated procedures should be extended indefinitely with the possibility of a review in six years. The ability of the Council to reject certain Commission proposals by a simple majority was also to be retained. Given the terms of the Select Committee's report, and as the Standing Veterinary Committee's procedures were due to expire on 21 June 1981, I felt able to agree in principle to this modified proposal despite the outstanding recommendation for debate. The modified proposal was formally adopted on 25 June.
I welcome this decision, which will enable the work of this useful expert group to continue along well established lines in developing the veterinary rules to be applied within the European Community.