WRITTEN QUESTION P-1985/00

by María Izquierdo Rojo (PSE) to the Commission

(8 June 2000)

Subject: Irresponsibility and risks concerning mad cow disease in Spain

The European Union's Scientific Committee, the highest of the bodies responsible for monitoring Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), has revealed that the fact that Spain has imported cattle from Great Britain classes it among those countries where this serious disease is likely to be present. Is there a risk that animals in Spain may be infected with BSE? How many cattle have been imported? What steps should be taken to avoid this risk? Have there been any confirmed cases of BSE in Spain? Is the Commission aware that the Spanish ministry has reacted furiously to this European report, which it considers irresponsible?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(17 July 2000)

1. and 2. The report to which the Honourable Member refers is a draft report from the scientific steering committee (SSC), that has been put on Internet, on request of this committee, with the invitation to provide new factual scientific information, before its finalisation.

The question on the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk in Spain and on the most critical imports to Spain and their order of magnitude cannot be finally answered before the final version of the report of the scientific steering committee on the geographical risk in Spain is available.

3. The removal and destruction of specified risk materials from animals at slaughter is the single most important public health protection measure where a risk of BSE infected animals being slaughtered cannot be excluded. Such measures will be mandatory in all Member States as of 1 October 2000. Other measures, such as banning the use of mammalian meat-and-bone meal in ruminant feed, appropriate heat treatment of meat-and-bone meal intended for the feeding of other animal species and banning the export of live bovine animals and bovine products from countries with a high incidence of BSE have already been implemented by the Community. Furthermore the surveillance of BSE in all Member States will be enhanced by the introduction of rapid post mortem tests as of 1 January 2001.

4. There are no confirmed BSE cases in Spain.

5. The Commission is aware that the Spanish Minister has qualified the report as irresponsible. The Commission underlines that the draft report is from the scientific steering committee that advises the Commission, inter alia, on all matters relating to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), including BSE. This body is independent and acts as transparently as possible, as requested by, among others, the Parliament. In order to give all interested parties an opportunity to compare the assessments of different Member States the SSC has decided to publish the draft reports together with a preliminary opinion on the Internet. It has indicated its intention to take due account of all comments received before 20 June 2000, as long as they relate to risk assessment and not to risk management. The Commission is aware that the scientific steering committee has seriously discussed the issue of this publication. It came to the conclusion that it should go ahead in order to respect its responsibilities with regard to the transparency of its work.