AnswergivenbyMrFischleronbehalfoftheCommission
(20June2002)
TheCommissionhascloselyfollowedtheissueoffarmedseabassandseabreammarketpricesinthe
Union, there have not been any indications of violations of applicable Community regulations. TheCommissioniskeepingregularcontactswithbothnationalauthoritiesoftheMemberStatesaswellas
producersinordertohaveaclearviewofthesituation.
Thefinancialinstrumentforfisheriesguidance(FIFG)subsidiestoaquacultureinGreecearegrantedinthe
framework of the existing regulation by the national authorities, which are responsible for theimplementation and monitoring of the multi-annual plans for fisheries. The Commission has alreadysuggested to the Greek authorities the implementation of a computer-based system to monitor the
parametersofthefarmsproducingseabassandseabream.Theuseofthissystem,thatiscurrentlyunder
development,mayallowforreliableforecastsoffutureproductionthusavoidingoverproduction.
TheCommissionhasalreadystressedintheGreenPaper(
1)thatitconsidersthatthemarkethastobethe
driving forceofaquaculture development,andthatitisquestionablewhether the Communityshouldcontinue tosubsidiseinvestments by private companies in production capacity for species where themarketisclosetosaturation.FutureCommunityinitiativesinfavourofaquaculturedevelopmentwillbe
takenalongtheselines.
The situationofthe marketforfarmedseabassandseabream wasdiscussedatthe meeting ofthe
ManagementCommitteeforFisheriesProductson9April2002andataspecialmeetingbetweentheCommissionandtheMemberStatesmostconcernedon16May2002.Noneofthesemeetingshasgivenaclearerviewofwhetherthereisastructuralcrisisorwhetherproblemscurrentlyencounteredareofa
seasonalnature.Inthisrespect,theMemberStatesconcernedcommittedtogatherfurtherinformation
withaviewtocarryoutamorein-depthanalysisofthesituationofthemarketforthesespecies.
(1) COM(2001)135final.
(2003/C52E/073) WRITTENQUESTIONP-1375/02
byDoretteCorbey(PSE)totheCommission
(6May2002)
Subject:StrategyforBSEinsheep
ThefollowingquotationistakenfromEuropeanReport2674(10April2002).‘On5April,theEU’s
ScientificSteeringCommittee(SSC)discussedtherecentpaperfromtheStanleyPrusinerteamindicatingthatcertainskeletalmusclesofscrapie-infectedmiceareinfectiousandmayreproduceprions(proteinswhichspreadthediseaseinanimals).ThescientistsconcludedthatthiscouldnotbedirectlyappliedtoBSEincattleconditions.’Thescientistsdid,however,notexplicitlyexcludethepossibilityofinfectiousskeletalmusclesreproducingprionsincattle.
DoestheCommissionagreewiththeSSCthatthereisnotenoughevidencetotakemeasuresagainst
possibleBSEinsheep?
Inviewofthepresenceofprionsinmicemuscles,istheCommissionoftheopinionthatitshouldtake
measuresinlinewiththeprecautionaryprinciple?
DoestheCommissionconsiderthatthisinformationshouldbecommunicatedtothepublic?Ifso,what
hasitdoneinthisrespect?
WhatactionwilltheCommissiontaketoascertainthepotentialrisksofBSEinsheep?C52E/64 EN6.3.2003 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
AnswergivenbyMrByrneonbehalfoftheCommission
(6June2002)
TheCommissionisacutelyawareofthetheoreticalpossibilitythatbovinespongiformencephalopathy
(BSE)mightbepresentinthesheeppopulation.Forthisreason,ithasalreadytakenanumberofmeasuresofaprecautionarynaturetoprotectpublicandanimalhealthfromanyriskfromthisquarter.
Forexample:
/dash the feed ban introduced in 1994 applied to all ruminant animals, including sheep and goats.
Thepresentban,ofcourse,coversallfarmedanimalsintendedforfood;
/dash theharvestingofmechanicallyrecoveredmeatisbannedfrombonesofbovine,ovineandcaprine
animals;
/dash removal of specified risk materials (SRM) from cattle, sheep and goats came into force in
October2000.
The SRMlistforsheepandgoatsisbasedontheDecember1997opinionoftheScientific Steering
Committee(SSC).AslateasApril2002,theSSCinitsopiniononthesafesourcingofsmallruminantmaterialsagain statedthatthere wasnonew evidence requiring analterationofthisopinion.Inthepresentscenario,whereBSEinsheepremainsonlyatheoreticalpossibility,theCommissionseesnoneedtoaddmuscleoranyothertissuetothislist.ThispositionisfurtherreinforcedbytheSSCstatementof4and5April2002,madespecificallyonthesubjectofthe19March2002publicationbyProfessorStanleyPrusiner’sgroup,thattheCommitteecurrentlysees‘noreasontorevisetheSSCopinionswithregard to the safety of bovine and sheep muscles’. This opinion was specifically requested by theCommissioninordertoestablishiftheresearchfindingsofProfessorPrusinerwarrantedanyrevisionofexistingmeasures.
InlinewiththeCommission’spolicyoftransparencyandopenness,theSSCstatementonthePrusiner
researchpaper,alongwithalloftheSSCopinions,arefreelyavailableontheCommissionwebsite(
1).
ThesitealsocarriesanextensivequestionandanswersectiononBSEinsheep.
FollowingthepublicationoftheSSCopinionof4and5April2002onastrategytoinvestigatethe
possiblepresenceofBSEinsheep,theCommissionisinvolvedininternaldiscussionsonhowtoproceed.Theopinionrecommendsathree-stepprocessbeginningwithwidespreadactivemonitoringofthesmallruminantpopulationforthepresenceoftransmissiblespongiformencephalopathies(TSEs).Regulation(EC)No999/2001oftheParliamentandoftheCouncilof22May2001layingdownrulesfortheprevention,controlanderadicationofcertaintransmissiblespongiformencephalopathies(
2)alreadyprovidesforsuch
monitoringandthelevelshavebeenintensifiedfrom1April2002.Implementationofthe2ndand3rdstepsoftheprocesswillinvolvetheidentificationofsuitablyequippedlaboratoriesandtheestablishmentofanexpertpanelforevaluationoftheresults,amongotheractions.TheCommissionintendstocomeforwardinthecomingmonthswithlegislationlayingdownrulesforthepracticalimplementationoftheopinion.
(1) http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/ssc/outcome_en.html.
(2) OJL147,31.5.2001.
(2003/C52E/074) WRITTENQUESTIONP-1384/02
byRodiKratsa-Tsagaropoulou(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(6May2002)
Subject:Flexibilityandemployment
AccordingtotheconclusionsoftheBarcelonaSummit,theMemberStatesmustrevisetheiremployment
policieswithaviewtoensuringthenecessarybalancebetweenflexibilityandsecurityandcreatingmorejobs.6.3.2003EN C52E/65 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion