B4-0685, 0686, 0690, 0694, 0695 and 0696/96

Resolution on the effects of the decisions of the Agricultural Council of 3 and 4 June 1996 concerning the measures to be taken to eradicate BSE

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the statement by the Council and the conclusions of the Agriculture Council meeting of 3 and 4 June 1996 in Luxembourg,

- having regard to its own resolutions of 22 January 1993 on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) ((OJ C 42, 15.2.1993, p. 273.)) and 28 March 1996 on the Commission's measures with regard to BSE ((OJ C 117, 22.4.1996, p. 55.)),

- pending the Commission decisions as announced by Mr Santer, President of the Commission,

A. whereas the European Union and the Member States are required to give absolute priority to consumer health protection, whatever the short-term economic, political and social constraints,

B. whereas only the introduction of strict and controllable measures to eradicate BSE can restore consumer confidence in the consumption of beef in the EU, which will contribute to the normalization of the EU beef market, and to the return of financial stability to the whole of the beef industry (production, processing, marketing and distribution),

C. whereas only on the basis of strict and controllable measures to eradicate BSE, including strict product monitoring such as to guarantee consumer protection, would a gradual lifting of the beef export ban be justified,

D. whereas the decision of the United Kingdom Government not to cooperate any more in the decision-making process of the EU Council until the ban on British beef has been lifted is unacceptable given that this decision comes at a very critical time for the European Union, especially in respect of the IGC,

E. whereas the extraordinary beef sector support measures announced by the Commission should be implemented as quickly as possible in order to offset the enormous losses suffered by Union stock farmers and to prevent a collapse of the sector,

1. Regrets that the Agricultural Council of 3 and 4 June 1996 was not able to make progress in its decision-making on BSE;

2. Considers, however, that the ban on imports of beef from the United Kingdom should not be lifted immediately, but should remain in force until the culls and disease control measures announced by the British Government have been fully implemented;

3. Calls on the Commission to make every effort to unblock the current situation which could endanger the future development of the process of European integration and to guarantee the independence and the autonomy of the Scientific Veterinary Committee whose deliberations must be accepted and fully respected without deviating from its conclusions;

4. Underlines that the BSE crisis has produced a loss of consumer confidence, and that the lifting of the ban on British beef products can only be successful if adequate measures are taken to restore consumer confidence, failing which any relaxation of the ban will only lead to a further decline in the consumption of beef products throughout the Union and a further loss of income for all operators in the beef sector (production, processing, marketing and distribution);

5. Calls on the Commission, the governments of the Member States and, in particular, the UK Government to carry out a comprehensible information programme for consumers and takes the view that closer cooperation between the governments of the Member States and the Union institutions remains the most effective means of ultimately restoring consumer confidence;

6. Urges the Commission to forward to Parliament the scientific evidence in its possession on the basis of which it has drawn up the proposal for a partial lifting of the ban on gelatine, tallow and semen, a description of the new scientific experiments which have been carried out, the results thereof, the identity of those who carried them out and the assessment made of them by the competent scientific authorities and, in particular, the Scientific Veterinary Committee;

7. Rejects the UK Government's 'non-cooperation' policy and invites it to reconsider its approach and to take part in the framing of an action plan to restore confidence in the beef sector and points out that the number of Community procedures that can be blocked by the actions of a single Member State illustrates the need for the IGC to extend qualified majority voting before the Union is further enlarged;

8. Welcomes the decision of the Commission to respond to its call, expressed in its opinion of 23 May 1996 on the agricultural prices 1996/97 ((Minutes of that Sitting, Part II, Item 1(16).)), to take exceptional measures and to provide the corresponding funds in order to minimize the negative economic effects on beef producers in all EU Member States and calls on the Commission to take account of Parliament's wish, expressed in its above-mentioned opinion of 23 May 1996, for an extraordinary amount of ECU 30 m to be allocated to the promotional fund;

9. Calls on the Commission to find ways to harmonize better the different veterinary health systems, applying EU standards concerning veterinary personnel to all the Member States of the EU;

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the governments of the Member States.