WRITTEN QUESTION E-0397/03

by Horst Schnellhardt (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 February 2003)

Subject: Security of EU external borders, veterinary inspection services

The Commission's work plan for 2003 refers to the consistent preparation of security measures for the new external borders after enlargement.

1. Who is coordinating the security measures for external borders after EU enlargement?

2. Commission legislation on food safety calls in particular for stricter controls on food imports from third countries. How is the veterinary inspection service set up?

3. By what percentage will current staff numbers be increased after enlargement?

4. How many officials, and from which states, will be posted on external borders, and which external borders will they be (classified according to national borders)?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(9 April 2003)

The Commission assumes that the Honourable Member is concerned only by external controls in the field of veterinary and food safety.

Security measures for control of animals and products of animal origin fall under the scope of the veterinary checks regime, part of the veterinary acquis. The framework for the legislation is adopted and updated as necessary by the Commission and Council working with the Parliament but under this acquis it is the responsibility of each Member State to apply the appropriate controls at all entry points into the Union from third countries (border inspection posts). All 10 of the Applicant Countries committed in their common positions to transpose and implement the Union aquis in full in matters to do with import by accession, and no derogations in this respect were negotiated.

The Commission (the Directorate General (DG) Health and Consumer Protection) have had a series of high level missions to all Applicant Countries in autumn 2002 to emphasise the importance of key issues including correct transposition and timely implementation of the veterinary acquis. Another series of missions aimed at ensuring correct transposition of Union veterinary acquis is now being carried out by Commission staff to discuss the preparation of tables of correspondence and problems encountered.

The Commission through the work of the Food and Veterinary Office has been carrying out monitoring missions in all Applicant Countries looking at transposition and implementation of Union legislation. Additionally specific missions to look at import controls have taken place. Further missions are planned and will continue up to accession to ensure that the Union aquis is respected, and that a harmonised position is ensured.

The Commission is closely monitoring the considerable work that still remains in some Candidate Countries as regards transposition and implementation in the field of veterinary controls at the external borders including the upgrading of staff and the provision of the necessary facilities at the proposed long term border inspection posts.

At this stage it is not possible to say exactly what the numbers of staff working on veterinary import controls will be in each Applicant Country. Many border crossing points between new Applicant Countries will no longer be required as the borders will fall within the enlarged single market and staff from such points may be redeployed to increase numbers at the remaining proposed long term border inspection posts. Inspection reports by the Food and Veterinary Office regularly comment upon the adequacy or not of staff numbers for import controls in all border inspection posts and will no doubt continue to do so in new Member States after their accession.

The new external border of the Union with third countries will be identical with the current national borders for each new Applicant Country where each meets a third country. The Applicant Countries will use their own staff to apply the veterinary aquis on these external borders of the enlarged Community. The new border will be with Russia, Belarussia, Ukraine, Moldova, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, and temporarily with Romania after 1 May 2004.