Feb 7 2003 ~ A reprieve for small abattoirs?

Food and feed controls: The European Association of Craft, Small & Medium-sized Enterprises UEAPME welcomes the Commissions new proposal for food safety issued today. See response
"... UEAPME, who represented the interest of small businesses in the food sector during the pre-communication consultation procedure, is particularly pleased with the proposal for the calculation method of the level of fees applying to SMEs. The Commission provision foresees that the interests of feed and food businesses with a small turnover will be taken into account. This is a true success for SMEs who feared disproportioned costs for food safety checks. Furthermore, UEAPME supports the Commissions decision to take into consideration the level of official controls required, in relation to the quality and intensity of the own checks already carried out by the food businesses themselves. "This proposal goes to prove that necessary controls on food safety can also be carried out properly through regulations that are effective and do not engender excessive burdens for SMEs Ludger Fischer, UEAPMEs food policy specialist added."

Feb 7 ~ Small Abattoirs: EU allows Member States to decide how the costs of official controls will be met

"If Member States impose inspection fees on food and feed business operators, they will have to respect a number of criteria so as to avoid for example excessive fees for small businesses." See Questions and Answers on the proposed Regulation on Official Food and Feed Controls
See also CLA press release: "The UK Government will be given leeway to reprieve smaller abattoirs from full imposition of meat inspection costs, enabling them to stay in business as vital contributors to the rural economy. The European Commission's Proposal for a Regulation on Official Feed and Food Controls, adopted in Brussels today, leaves Member States to determine how the cost of official controls is to be met, based on a number of criteria designed to limit the financial burden on small businesses.
CLA President Sir Edward Greenwell said:
"This is excellent news. Last November the CLA, NFWI and Soil Association led a campaign supported by 150 organisations representing the full spectrum of rural interests to oppose the EU's plans for full recovery of meat inspection costs from all abattoirs. ... We can't afford to lose our smaller local abattoirs and cutting plants. They currently process 49% of UK livestock and are needed to deal with specialist and local meats, to provide jobs in rural communities, to support the survival of valued landscapes and farmland biodiversity, and to minimise the distances travelled by animals. "By maintaining charges for meat inspection costs at a proportionate level, Defra can secure the future of our diverse UK meat processing industry. We have requested an early meeting with Food and Farming Minister Lord Whitty to urge him to pass on to the industry the benefit of this welcome EU concession."