WRITTEN QUESTION E-3783/00

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(4 December 2000)

Subject: Additional rules to ensure continuing prevention of a renewed BSE infection among cattle

1. In the light of the recent discovery of more cows suffering from BSE in France and the Netherlands, within what timescale does the Commission expect the existing regulations to bring about a final end to the continuing problem of mad cow disease?

2. Are parts of slaughter animals now still being used in any way whether legally or illegally in the Member States of the European Union for feeding to (originally herbivorous) cattle.

3. Are checks aimed at preventing relatively cheap offal from being used in feedstuffs adequate to ensure that any new use of animal-based feeds can be ruled out on a lasting basis?

4. By what additional measures relating both to animal feed and to the import of cattle from outside the European Union is the Commission currently proposing to ensure that Europe is fully protected from any new BSE infection as soon as possible and from the risk of further groups of consumers eventually contracting Creutzfeld-Jacob disease?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(13 March 2001)

Given that the average incubation period of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is five years, the Commission expects to see a reduction in the clinical incidence of BSE approximately five years after the introduction of effective control measures.

Since August 1994, the feeding of mammalian protein to ruminants has been banned. This prohibition has been extended from 1 January 2001 to the feeding of any processed animal protein to any farmed animal, as a temporary measure. Rendered animal fat is still allowed for incorporation in ruminant feed provided it has been processed in the specified manner. The safety of tallow in such feed has recently been assessed by the Scientific Steering Committee, which recommends an additional heat treatment to increase its safety.

The enforcement of the Community regulations governing the formulation of animal feedstuffs and testing for the absence of prohibited substances is the responsibility of the Member States. This enforcement is monitored by the Food and Veterinary Office, whose programme of inspections has recently been stepped up. The reports on these inspections are circulated to the Parliament and are published on the internet.

The temporary extension of the list of proteins banned from animal feeds to include substances such as poultry offal meal will greatly facilitate the use of microscopic testing to detect infringements of the legislation. However no currently available test is capable of detecting all prohibited animal protein. For that reason very stringent Community control provisions on labelling, separation and treatment applicable to the production, transport, storage and on-farm utilization of animal protein in animal feed are in force.

Since 1 January 2001 the importation from third countries of processed animal proteins intended for the feeding of farmed animals has been prohibited by 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). This Decision will apply until 30 June 2001. On 1 April the Community rules on the absence of specified risk material from products imported from non-BSE free third countries will enter into force. Until that moment comparable national rules may remain in force. Finally, it is hoped that on 1 July 2001 the proposal for a Parliament and Council Regulation laying down rules for the prevention and control of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies(2), as amended(3), on the prevention and control of this group of diseases will enter into force. It lays down a wide range of rules including those on the importation of bovine animals and products from third countries.

(1) OJ L 306, 7.12.2000.

(2) OJ C 45, 19.2.1999.

(3) COM(2000) 824 final.