The guidance is meant to clarify what animal by-products can be reused for use in feeds, and methods of disposal of any waste that cannot be recycled.

It also clarifies the procedures processors and others in the sector must use in collecting, transporting, recovering, disposal, and trans-boundary movement of waste in and out of the EU.

Animal by-products are animal carcasses, parts of carcasses and other products of animal origin, such as milk, which are not intended for human consumption.

The guidelines seek to clarify and simplify the rules in a bid to ensure their application is consistent throughout the EU.

The EU's animal by-products regulation, applicable since 1 May 2003, was adopted in response to various food-borne crises, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and foot-and-mouth diseases.

The regulation not only prohibits the feeding of animal parts to livestock but also lays down the health rules for the handling, processing, use and disposal of such waste.

Until 1 January 2001 the vast majority of animal by-products were used as tradable commodities and were sold on by manufacturers to be reprocessed.

Every year, the EU produces about 16 million tonnes of material of animal origin not intended for human consumption. Some of the waste is transformed in a variety of products such as those used in animal feed, cosmetics, drugs, laboratory reagents, fertilisers, soil improver, oleo-chemical products and photographic paper coating.

The rest are disposed of as waste by incineration, or co-incineration following pre-treatment. More and more materials are being imported from third countries for similar uses into the EU, according to the Commission.

The Commission is also preparing proposals for further measures relating to the animal by products including the approval of alternative disposal methods, and other uses of milk and milk-based products.

The Commission plans to submit the proposals for amendments to the regulation during 2007.

Last week the European Economic and Social Committee, an EU advisory group, said that it has recommended the reintroduction of animal remains into feed for pigs and poultry.

The advisory group is spending €1.7 million to fund research programmes into the safety of such feed by 12 scientific institutes across the bloc.

A minute from a committee meeting says that pig meal should be allowed for chickens and that chicken remains should be fed to pigs.