WRITTEN QUESTION E-0829/01

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(20 March 2001)

Subject: Research into and further development of BSE tests

From 1 April 2001 BSE tests are to be compulsory throughout Europe for beef cattle. The purpose of these extensive texts is to ascertain the degree of BSE contamination and restore consumer confidence.

Essential requirements here are sound procedures for collecting evidence and solid knowhow derived from studies into the epidemiology of the disease. However, no test has so far been able to identify all BSE-infected cattle, and mention is consistently made of a degree of residual uncertainty that also remains in the event of a negative test result.

This prompts the following questions:

- Has research been commissioned by the Commission into the development of BSE tests or the further development of the tests used to date?

- If so, what financial resources are used to support such research and from what sources are the funds made available?

- Are there plans in the relevant Directorate-General to fix research priorities? If so, what are these priorities?

- Are the research units interconnected? If not, why not? If so, how are research findings coordinated?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(31 May 2001)

The development of diagnostic tests in animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSEs) has been one of the major priorities in the European Action Plan on TSE adopted by the Council and the Parliament in November 1996 and implemented by three specific calls for proposals involving the Biomed, Biotech and Fair Research and technological development (RTD) Programmes of the Fourth framework programme (FP). In the Fifth FP research on TSE diagnosis is covered in different Key Actions of the Programme Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources.

A total of 9 projects are currently on-going on diagnosis of animal TSEs with a Community contribution of 9,4 million plus two European networks amounting to 3,1 million.

Following a request from the Research Council of 16 November 2000 an expert group on TSE Research has been established. This group has examined the status of TSE research across Europe and has identified priorities for research. These priorities may form the basis for a special call for proposals on TSE research this year. Research leading to the development of tests for TSEs may be among these priorities.

The co-ordinators of the research projects meet on a regular basis to exchange experience and results. The Commission is also taking the leadership in organising TSE research co-ordinators meetings, in order to assess the advancement of research and to assure that information is well disseminated. Moreover, the institutional partnerships established through the different types of research projects, such as shared cost, concerted actions and thematic networks, do promote and strengthen the necessary interconnections between research units.

The results generated through the research projects are transmitted to relevant Commission services such as Directorate general (DG) Health and Consumer Protection (SANCO) for eventual consideration by the Scientific Steering Committee.

Since 1998, the Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has evaluated and validated tests for the detection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) infection in central nervous tissues of slaughtered animals as well for the analysis of feed and food, especially in respect to the presence of meat and bone meal in animal feed, or risk material in food.

Acting as the Commission's reference centre, the JRC works on behalf of DG SANCO and in collaboration with leading Community expert institutes. Two JRC Institutes are engaged in this research, namely the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurement (IRMM) in Geel, Belgium, which validates tests for BSE infection and produces testing samples and reference materials, and the Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (IHCP) in Ispra, Italy, which concentrates on the quality control of animal feed and the detection of risk material in food.