European Food Safety Authority AHAW Panel MINUTES OF THE XXIII RD PLENARY MEETING OF THE PANEL ON ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE - (26-27 OCTOBER 2006)

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1 European Food Safety Authority AHAW Panel MINUTES OF THE XXIII RD PLENARY MEETING OF THE PANEL ON ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE - (26-27 OCTOBER 2006) 1. WELCOME, APOLOGIES AND DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE XXII PLENARY MEETING COMMISSION SERVICES: NEW MANDATES OPINIONS AND REPORTS SUBMITTED FOR POSSIBLE ADOPTION/ ACCEPTANCE RABIES CAPTIVE BIRDS BRUCELLOSIS URGENT PENDING ISSUES DISCUSSION ON HOW TO IMPROVE WORK METHODOLOGY IN ORDER TO INCREASE PLENARY MEETINGS EFFICIENCY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE LETTERS FROM ROYAL SOCIETY AND EUROGROUP CONCERNING THE WELFARE OF LABORATORY ANIMALS TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED IN DEPTH ECHINOCOCCUS AND TICKS EFSA GUIDANCE DOCUMENT ON THE CONDUCT OF RISK ASSESSMENTS IN FOOD PRODUCING ANIMALS BLUETONGUE STATE OF PLAY OF THE SCIENTIFIC OPINIONS AND REPORTS NEWCASTLE AI VACCINES AND ZOO BIRDS VACCINATION PIG WELFARE; 1 TAIL BITING; 2) SOWS AND BOARS 3) FATTENING FISH WELFARE 1) ATLANTIC SALMON; 2) TROUT SPECIES; 3) CARP SPECIES; 4) SEA BASS AND GILTHEAD SEABREAM; AND 5) EUROPEAN EEL AI -MIGRATORY BIRDS OPINION: DISCUSSION FOR POSSIBLE REVISION WELFARE OF DAIRY COWS UPDATE OF THE RISK ASSESSMENT ON AVIAN INFLUENZA ZOONOSIS MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES AND NEXT PLENARY MEETING / 5

2 PARTICIPANTS Bo Algers, Donald Broom, Patrizia Costa, Mariano Domingo, Matthias Greiner, Daniel Guemene, Joerg Hartung, Trevor Hastings, Per Have, Frank Koenen, David Morton, Christine Müller-Graf, Mo Salman, Moez Sanaa, Michael Sharp, Philippe Vannier, Martin Wierup and Marion Wooldridge. EUROPEAN COMMISSION (DG SANCO): Maria Pittman, Sabine Osaer, Helene Klein (26 October), Francisco Reviriego (27 th October). OIE observer: Lea Knopf EFSA: E. Franchi (Administrative staff AHAW Panel); S. Correia (26 th October), O. Ribó, A. Afonso, F. De Massis, J. Pujols, D. Candiani, J. Serratosa (Scientific Coordination AHAW Panel) 1. WELCOME, APOLOGIES AND DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST The chairman welcomed the participants and no member declared any conflict of interest on the items on the agenda. Dr L. Knopf was welcomed as observer from the OIE, as well as new EFSA staff J. Pujols and D. Candiani supporting AHAW panel activities. Apologies were received from Harry Blockhuis, Dirk Pfeiffer and Albert Osterhaus The annual declarations of interest of the Panel members were finalised in order to be available in the EFSA web site as soon as possible. The main changes to the EFSA organogram, which is available on EFSA s website, were described. 2. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA The agenda was adopted. 3. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE XXII PLENARY MEETING The minutes of the previous 22nd st Plenary Meeting held in Parma on 7-8 th September, were unanimously adopted by the former Panel members by written procedure on 4 th October 2006 and published on the web ( 4. COMMISSION SERVICES: NEW MANDATES A new mandate was presented by the Commission services concerning Tuberculosis testing in deer. The chairman for this particular mandate was elected and a meeting will be organized with the Commission services in order to discuss the terms of the mandate for possible acceptance concerning terms and deadlines. 2 / 5

3 5. OPINIONS AND REPORTS SUBMITTED FOR POSSIBLE ADOPTION/ ACCEPTANCE 5.1. Rabies The Chairman of the WG presented the current scientific opinion. The latest comments received by panel members were discussed. It was agreed that an additional working group meeting should be organized before the next plenary meeting in December in order to allow considering new data from UK and Sweden and to reach a final agreement between experts of the WG and Panel members. It was proposed that the final draft for possible adoption should be circulated 10 working days before the next plenary meeting in December Captive birds The chairman presented the scientific report (including all available scientific information and the risk assessment) and the scientific opinion (containing risk assessment and the conclusions and recommendations). The scientific opinion was unanimously adopted by the Panel. The document will be ready for publication in the EFSA web as soon as all editorial changes have been introduced and checked by EFSA and the chairman of the WG, (before the SCOFCAH Meeting on November 14 th ) Brucellosis The WG chairman explained the current situation of the scientific report. After a long discussion between the members of the Panel it was decided that the best solution to obtain a high quality report should be to carefully review the current data and finalise the analysis in November. It was proposed that the final draft for possible adoption should be circulated 10 working days before the next plenary meeting in December. The Commission accepted this delay in view of the excellent work done by the chairman of the WG and the complexity of the issue. 6. URGENT PENDING ISSUES 6.1. Discussion on how to improve work methodology in order to increase plenary meetings efficiency This point of the agenda was postponed to the next plenary in December Discussion about the letters from Royal Society and Eurogroup concerning the welfare of laboratory animals After a consultation with the WGs, the Chairman provided a detailed response and whether the opinion should be modified. The Panel concluded that no scientific evidence was presented that justified to substantially modify the opinion but that some clarifications should be made through the introduction of small amendments in the present opinion. Therefore the Panel will discuss and confirm at the next plenary meeting on the procedure to follow. 3 / 5

4 7. TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED IN DEPTH 7.1. Echinococcus and ticks In spite of the letter received by the Commission that this opinion could not be postponed later than 31 December 2006, the Panel accepted that it would be impossible to adopt it in that time and it was proposed that the Report being currently prepared by the working group could be discussed at the next plenary meeting of th of December and submitted for possible adoption by written procedure. In addition it was agreed that the question related to ticks needs to be considered as a separate issue from Echinococcosis with a totally different content and expertise. The chairman for this particular mandate was elected and an approach to the question discussed EFSA Guidance Document On the conduct of Risk assessments in food producing animals The Panel was asked for clarification by the WG about the title of the document and its content. A meeting with some members of the AHAW panel took place after the plenary meeting in order to discuss the comments received. The WG decided to re-structure the document and to re-draft the final document for adoption in January Bluetongue The panel discussed the need to present a self-mandate due to the high number of outbreaks (more than 1100) in the EU-Maastricht area and the probability of occurrence of the disease next spring. The Commission representative informed the Panel that DG SANCO is preparing a draft of a mandate and that it will be sent in the following weeks, and suggested that EFSA hold on this self-mandate until the final mandate is forwarded. The Panel appreciated the Commission suggestion and decided to send a draft proposal to the EFSA management for consideration, taking into account the Commission request. In case of a possible mandate and in order to speed the process the Panel provisionally elected a chairman. 8. STATE OF PLAY OF THE SCIENTIFIC OPINIONS AND REPORTS Newcastle A preparatory meeting was held with the Commission and EMEA 25th October 2006 for clarification of the mandate. The Commission requested a complete and updated review on Newcastle disease, focusing on the different vaccines used and the relevant vaccination programmes followed worldwide, the role of wild/racing pigeons in the spread of ND, the present definition of ND and the need to classify LP and HP NDV strains as for AI, in order to support the implementation of control measures in case of outbreaks. A first meeting with the WG is going to be held in Brussels on the 6 th of November. Due to the complexity of the mandate, to the data that still needs to be collected and analysed by the working group and to the fact that some experts are also involved in the mandate related with Avian Influenza, a letter is going to be sent to the Commission proposing a new deadline (June 2007). 4 / 5

5 8.2. AI Vaccines and zoo birds vaccination During the meeting held in Brussels with the EU Commission services last 11 October, it was agreed that this question should be split in two mandates with different experts. A letter will be sent to the Commission to confirm the new terms, respecting the deadline of 31 January 2007 for the mandate on vaccination of zoo birds and April 2007 for the mandate on AI vaccines. The first WG meeting has been fixed on 13 November for zoo birds and on 15 November for AI vaccines Pig Welfare; 1 Tail biting; 2) Sows and Boars 3) Fattening A meeting was organized on the 21 September to discuss a common Risk Assessment approach for the 3 working groups. Each group then had separate meetings. The first meeting of the 3 WGs took place on the 25 September for Sows and boars, on 24 October for Fattening and 18 October for Tail biting Fish Welfare 1) Atlantic Salmon; 2) Trout species; 3) carp species; 4) sea bass and gilthead seabream; and 5) European eel. The last meeting on Fish Welfare was in Bergen 13 October after the OIE Aquatic animal Health Conference. Next meeting is scheduled for the 27 November in Parma. An expert from BIOHAZ panel was appointed to follow the development of the mandate on fish welfare. The work on the second mandate - trout, is expected to start in February AI -Migratory birds opinion: discussion for possible revision A WG meeting was held last 31 August. The WG agreed to prepare an addendum mainly focused on the recommendations for surveillance and tasks were assigned. Next WG meeting will be held on 3 rd November in order to discuss the first draft of the addendum and the recommendations for surveillance. The addendum should be presented for possible adoption at the next plenary meeting Welfare of Dairy cows The procedure to start a new working group has already started. The information collected by EFSA will be sent to the chairman, together with a list of proposed experts. The kick off meeting will be held at the Commission in December if possible Update of the risk assessment on Avian Influenza The scientific opinion will be drawn up after the completion of the revision of the two scientific opinions on AI & Migratory Birds (Dec 2006) and AI vaccines (April 2007) Zoonosis The Panel was informed that the joint adopted opinion between BIOHAZ and AHAW on zoonosis will appear in the web after this plenary together with a press release. 9. MISCELLANEOUS 9.1. Administrative issues and next plenary meeting This point will be discussed at the next plenary meeting. The next plenary meeting will take place in Parma on the December 2006 (Plenary XXIV). The first day will start at 9.00 am until and the second day meeting will start at 8:30 and finish at 15:30 without lunch break. 5 / 5