Table of Contents:
Prohibition on administering hormones to farm animals
Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Prohibition on administering hormones to farm animals
Topics
These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.
Food safety > Veterinary checks animal health rules food hygiene
Prohibition on administering hormones (and other substances) to farm animals
Document or Iniciative
Council Directive 96/22/EC of 29 April 1996 concerning the prohibition on the use in stockfarming of certain substances having a hormonal or thyrostatic action and of beta-agonists, and repealing Directives 81/602/EEC, 88/146/EEC and 88/299/EEC [See amending acts].
Summary
European legislation should protect consumer health and maintain the quality of foodstuffs by creating a framework for the use of hormones intended for animals.
Substances
Directive 96/22/EC prohibits the administration of certain substances to farm animals. The substances concerned are:
- thyrostatic substances;
- stilbenes, stilbene derivatives, their salts and esters;
- oestradiol 17ß and its ester-like derivatives;
- beta-agonists (derogations possible); and
- substances with an oestrogenic (other than oestradiol 17ß and its ester-like derivatives), androgenic or gestagenic action (derogations possible, provisional prohibition to give the Commission time to assess the risks of these substances to human health).
Prohibition
Directive 96/22/EC prohibits:
- the placing on the market of the substances listed above where they are to be administered to animals intended for human consumption (not including the therapeutic and zootechnical exceptions);
- the placing on the market and slaughter of animals containing these substances or residues of these substances;
- the placing on the market of meats or products of animal origin containing these substances or residues of these substances;
- the holding of these substances on a farm.
Derogations
Substances with a hormonal or thyrostatic action and beta-agonist substances may not be administered to farm animals. However, these substances may be used for therapeutic and zootechnical purposes, provided their use is controlled.
Imports
The import of animals, meat or products of animal origin from countries which authorise the administration of these substances to animals intended for human consumption for other purposes is prohibited in the European Union unless these countries offer an equivalent guarantee for exports to the European Union (segregated breeding system).
References
| Act | Entry into force | Deadline for transposition in the Member States | Official Journal |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Directive 96/22/EC |
23.5.1996 |
1.7.1997 |
OJ L 125 of 23.5.1996 |
| Amending act(s) | Entry into force | Deadline for transposition in the Member States | Official Journal |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Directive 2003/74/EC |
14.10.2003 |
14.10.2004 |
OJ L 262 of 14.10.2003 |
|
Directive 2008/97/EC |
18.12.2008 |
1.1.2009 |
OJ L 318 of 28.11.2008 |
The successive amendments and corrections to Directive 96/22/CE have been incorporated into the basic text. This consolidated versionis for information only.