WRITTEN QUESTION E-0804/01

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(19 March 2001)

Subject: Exports of animal meal and imports of beef and veal

From 1 December 2000 the use of meat and bone meal in animal feed has been banned throughout the EU, since it is seen as a possible source of BSE.

Will the Commission say:

- Is animal feed containing meat and bone meal exported to the CEECs? If so, what amounts are exported to which countries?

- How many head of cattle and tonnes of beef and veal are imported every year into the EU from the CEECs?

- How many head of cattle and tonnes of beef and veal are imported into the individual Member States?

- What scope does the Commission have to prevent exports of meat and bone meal to the CEECs and to put an end to imports of beef and veal from the CEECs in order to protect consumers? What measures does the Commission intend to take in this connection?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(11 June 2001)

Since the entry into force of Council Decision 2000/766/EC of 4 December 2000 concerning certain protection measures with regard to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and the feeding of animal protein(1) on 1 January 2001, exports of animal feedingstuffs containing meat and bone meal, or processed animal proteins, and destined for feeding farmed animals destined for human consumption, have been prohibited.

Prior to the entry into force of this Decision Member States have exported processed animal proteins and animal feedingstuffs containing these products to almost all Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC). Whereas the figures for exports of processed animal protein from the Community to CEEC can be derived from the available statistics, it is difficult to estimate the amount of exports of animal feedingstuffs containing such products with any precision.

In the context of the ongoing scientific risk assessment conducted by the Scientific Steering Committee of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk in third countries, known as the geographical BSE-risk (GBR), the export figures for processed animal protein are being scrutinised for the third countries, having forwarded a dossier. The outcome of these risk assessments, which include these figures, are made available on the Internet.

The Commission is sending direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat tables containing the information requested in her second and third questions(2).

In relation to BSE certain conditions for exports from the Community of meat and bone meal, or processed animal proteins, are laid down in Council Decision 2000/766/EC. It follows from Article 3 of this Decision that exports from Member States of processed animal proteins intended for the feeding of farmed animals for food production is prohibited. This does not apply to milk and milk products, gelatine of non-ruminants for coating, hydrolysed protein, and fishmeal intended to animals other than ruminants. Member States may export processed animal protein destined for other use to third countries, provided a bilateral agreement exists, which includes an undertaking by the third country to respect the final use and not to export the product, unless incorporated in a product destined for uses not prohibited by the Decision.

Commission Decision 2000/418/EC of 29 June 2000 regulating the use of material presenting risks as regards transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and amending Decision 94/474/EC(3)provides that imports into the Community of beef and meat products from 1 April 2001 will be subject to certification that the products meet the specific Community requirements concerning specified risk material and slaughter method. The GBR will be the basis for determining for which third countries a derogation from this requirement can be given.

(1) OJ L 306, 7.12.2000.

(2) Source: Comext Period 1997-1999.

(3) OJ L 158, 30.6.2000.