B4-0573, 0574/rév., 0575, 0576, 0577, 0579 and 0580/97

Resolution on the conclusions of the World Trade Organization Hormones Panel

The European Parliament,

- having regard to Directives 81/602/EEC ((OJ L 222, 7.8.1981, p. 32.)), 88/146/EEC ((OJ L 70, 16.3.1988, p. 16.)), 88/299/EEC ((OJ L 128, 21.5.1988, p. 36.)) and 96/22/EC ((OJ L 125, 23.5.1996, p. 3.)) banning the use of hormones in stock-breeding,

- having regard to its resolutions of 16 March 1995 on the fight against the 'hormone mafia' ((OJ C 89, 10.4.1995, p. 150.)), 22 September 1995 on the conference on the use of growth activators in stockfarming ((OJ C 269, 16.10.1995, p. 227.)) and 18 January 1996 on the impact of the conclusions of the scientific conference on growth promoters in meat production which was organized by the Commission on 29 November - 1 December 1995 ((OJ C 32, 5.2.1996, p. 81.)) and the conclusions of the report of the committee of inquiry of 15 March 1989, which confirmed the ban on the use of hormones in stock-breeding,

- having regard to the preliminary report forwarded on 7 May 1997 by the World Trade Organization (WTO) panel of experts to the European Community in connection with the dispute between the United States and Canada and the European Community on banning the import of hormone-treated meat into the European Community,

A. whereas this preliminary report considers the prohibitory measures taken by the European Community to be unjustified and incompatible with the WTO agreement's rules on health and plant and health measures; whereas, however, the hormone question cannot be reduced to a simple problem of hindrance to trade but also has much more important implications such as the protection of human health, the environment and animal welfare,

B. whereas part of the international scientific community has contradicted the scientific basis of the WTO panel's preliminary report and has drawn attention to the risks, in terms of toxicity and carcinogenicity, which the use of hormones in livestock farming may pose to human health; whereas, on the other hand, the Codex alimentarius, the standards of which are used for reference in disputes within the WTO, does not consider the hormones in question to be dangerous to human or animal health,

C. whereas the conclusions of the scientific conference on hormones organized by the Commission in late November 1995 are incomplete, and having regard to Parliament's call for a follow-up conference to consider aspects of the quality of meat, animal welfare and the long-term effects of the use of growth hormones in livestock farming,

D. whereas as far as human and animal health are concerned, the principle of precaution must take precedence over any other consideration; whereas the interests of food safety are paramount, and the 'mad cow' crisis has only strengthened this conviction,

E. extremely concerned at the loss of confidence which the preliminary report has already caused amongst the general public, consumers and farmers within the EU, particularly in the wake of the BSE crisis,

1. Considers the preliminary report submitted by the WTO panel to be unacceptable and calls on the Commission and the Council, should the substance of the report be confirmed in the WTO's final decision, to employ all legal procedures, in defiance of pressure from certain third countries, in order to maintain a ban on imports of meat produced with the aid of hormones;

2. Supports the Commission's efforts to put to the WTO arbitration panel arguments that are sufficiently convincing to justify its prohibitory measures and calls on the Commission to insist that the WTO panel allow it to put forward new scientific data as part of a reassessment of the risks;

3. Calls on the Commission, irrespective of the appeal against the WTO panel's decision, to take further measures to ensure that consumers in the EU can continue to buy meat that has not been produced with the aid of growth promoters; takes the view that, in the context of such measures, there must, above all, be stricter monitoring at both Community and Member State level of compliance with the prohibition of the manufacture and use of and trade in growth promoters and a strict obligation to indicate the origin of all types of meat and meat-based products offered for sale in the EU;

4. Calls on the Commission to put forward a clear strategy in the context of the forthcoming reform of the common organization of the market in beef and veal and in milk in order to safeguard the future of those sectors and, at the same time, to enable the EU to fulfil its obligations vis-à-vis its partners within the WTO;

5. Calls on the Commission to carry out and publish scientific investigations on the combined effects of growth promoters and other substances and the long-term effects of the use of suspect growth promoters, with a view particularly to determining the mutagenic and carcinogenic risks involved;

6. Challenges the use of the Codex alimentarius standards as the sole reference criteria for WTO arbitration, particularly in view of the fact that they are already scientifically outmoded and to the undemocratic and obscure procedural rules of the Codex; notes that the scientific arguments which were decisive in determining the panel's decision are largely based on evidence supplied by the industry itself;

7. Insists on the maintenance of the ban on the use of hormones and the ban on imports of hormone-treated meat;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States and the World Trade Organization.