(2004/C58E/172) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2352/03
byHiltrudBreyer(Verts/ALE)totheCommission
(16July2003)
Subject:Industrialreptilebreeding
TheEUisprovidingfundingofEUR1,2millionfortheindustrialreptilebreedingproject‘Críaindustrial
dereptiles’ontheSpanish-Portugueseborder.TheprojectisbeingrunbyoneSpanishandonePortugueseuniversityandbytwoSpanishandtwoPortuguesefirms.Theaimistosupplytheleatherindustry,zoos,
thefoodindustryandotherbranchesofindustryonalargescale.Theendproductsincludeshoes,watch
strapsandlizardmeat.
ThereptilesinvolvedareNilecrocodiles,turtlesandjewelledlizards(Lacertalepida),aspeciesoflizard
commonthroughouttheIberianpeninsula.
HowcantheCommissionjustifytheprovisionoffundingforthisproject?
Whatguaranteesaretherethatconsumersandsupervisorybodieswillbeabletodistinguishbetween
products(e.g.turtlesoup)madefromanimalswhichareprotectedspecies,fromanimalscaughtinthewildandfromanimalsbredforaspecificpurpose?IsnotEuropeantaxpayers’moneybeingusedtosupportthe
creationofanartificialmarketinproductsforwhich,asaresultofinformationcampaignsandimport
bans,thereisnolongeranydemand,withleathergoodsbeingtheprimeexample?InparticularinviewoftheenlargementoftheEU,isanincentivenotbeingcreatedtosmuggleproductsmadefromanimalswhichareprotectedspecies?
AnswergivenbyMrBusquinonbehalfoftheCommission
(22August2003)
TheprojectCRAFT-1999-70670‘Reptilesindustrialcultureofocellatedlizard(Lacertalepida),European
pond terrapin (Emys orbicularis) and Nile crocodile (Cocodrilus niloticus)’ is currently funded by theCommunityintheframeworkoftheQualityofLifeProgrammeoftheFifthFrameworkProgramme(FP5)forResearchandTechnologicalDevelopment(RTD).ThisCRAFTprojectinvolvesfoursmallandmedium-sizedenterprises(SMEs)(twofromSpainandtwofromPortugal)andtwoRTDperformers,theUniversityofExtremadura in Spain and the University ofEvora in Portugal. The totalCommunitycontributionamountstoEUR590825ofwhichEUR546252fortheUniversitiesandEUR44573fortheSMEs.TheproposalwassubmittedtotheopencallforCRAFTproposalsandwasevaluatedbyapanelofexternalevaluatorsinaccordancewiththe‘Manualforevaluationprocedures’.Theproposalpassedthethresholdsforallevaluationcriteria.Thepanelofexternalevaluatorsjudgedtheproposalinnovativewithpotentialforcreatingnewbusinessactivitiesandaddingvalueinsomeruralareas.Theproposalwasthereforeselectedforfunding.Thisproject hasallnecessary authorisationsfromthe responsibleauthorities forethicalandenvironmentalissuesandisbeingsubjecttorespectingallinternationalconventionstowhichtheCommunityisaparty,includingtheConventiononBiologicalDiversity.Asmentionedinthetitle,theproject aims at developing farming of three species, namely the ocellated lizard, the European pondterrapinandtheNilecrocodile.
Theocellatedlizardisaprotectedspecies.Theaimofcommerciallizardfarmingasforeseenintheproject
ismultiple.Ononehand,thereleaseintheirnaturalhabitatinordertorestorethepopulationandhencecontributetothetrophicchainbyprovidingfoodforalsoendangeredbirdspecies.Secondly,itwouldallowtoprovidemeatandskins.TheconsumptionoflizardmeathasalongtraditioninsomeregionsofSpainandPortugalwhereitishighlyappreciated.Thisspeciesbeingprotected,theconsumptionoflizardmeatisonlypossiblethroughillegallycaughtanimals.Theavailabilityoflegallyproducedlizardswillcontributetoreducetheillegalcatches.Similarsituationoccurswiththeskinfortheleatherindustry.
TheEuropeanpondterrapinisalsoaprotectedspecies.Thepopulationsareseverelythreatenedduein
particulartothestateoftherivers,pondsandlakes,illegalcatchesandthecompetitionwithanotherterrapinspeciescomingfromtheUnitedStates.Theobjectiveofcommercialterrapinfarmingasforeseenintheprojectisforenvironmentalreleaseandexhibition.6.3.2004EN C58E/159 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
WithregardtotheNilecrocodile,farmingisfocusedontheproductionofleatherandmeataswellasfor
exhibitionasisthecaseinotherpartsoftheworld.
Forallthreespeciesitisalsoforeseentocoverdemandsforeducationalandresearchpurposes.Theproject
will increase current knowledge on the biology ofthese species, embryology, nutrition, reproduction,pathologyinparticularparasiticdiseasesetc.…
Overall,farmingofthesespeciescancontributetorestoreandmaintainthreatenedspeciesandtoreduce
theillegallycaughtanimalseitherlocallyorinthirdcountries.
Inaddition,ifeconomicalviable,itcouldbeanalternativeforruraldevelopmentinparticularinmore
deprivedareasoftheUnionanddevelopingcountriesasithasbeenthecaseforotherspecies(ostriches,frogs,fish,crustaceans,molluscs,etc.).
TheCommissionunderstandstheconcernsoftheHonourableMemberwithregardtotrade.Thetradeof
these species and their products is subject to national, Community and international legislation, inparticulartheConventiononInternationalTradeinEndangeredSpecies(CITES),whichisimplementedthroughCouncilRegulation(EC)No338/97of9December1997ontheprotectionofspeciesofwildfauna and flora by regulating trade therein(
1) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1808/2001 of
30August2001layingdowndetailedrulesconcerningtheimplementationofCouncilRegulation(EC)No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein(
2). This
legislationincludesdetailedprovisionsregardingcaptive-bredspecimensinordertopreventfraudulent
tradeinwild-collectedanimals.
Moreinformationontheprojectcouldbefoundonthewebsite:(http://www.unex.es/biomed/ric).
(1) OJL61,3.3.1997.
(2) OJL250,19.9.2001.
(2004/C58E/173) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2353/03
byHiltrudBreyer(Verts/ALE)totheCommission
(16July2003)
Subject:PaksNuclearPowerPlantinHungary
TheaccidentatthePaksNuclearPowerPlant(Hungary)occurredon10April2003andhasbeenrated
Level3/dashaseriousincident/dashbytheInternationalNuclearEventScale(INES).Theeventcausedthereleaseofradioactivityintotheenvironment.AccordingtoHungariansources,thesituationisnotbetternow/dash7weeksaftertheincident/dashsincethepositionofthedamagedfuelassembliesandtheuraniumpelletswhichhavefallentothebottomofthecleaningcontainerisstillnotknown.(Therewere3,5tonnesoffuelbeingcleanedatthetimeoftheincident.)ItseemsthatthevalidityoftheinspectionsundertakenbythePaksNPPitselfandfollowedbytheHungarianAtomicEnergyAgency(HAEA)aredoubtful.
On22MaytheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA)announcedthatanindependentevaluationof
the event would be undertaken. According to the communications of the IAEA and the HungarianGovernment,theIAEAwillonlyoverseethealreadyexisting/dashabovementioned/dashdocuments,andwillbasetheirfindingsonthoseinsteadofstartinganewinvestigationofthewholeproblem.
Inthelightofthis:
/dash WillrepresentativesoftheEuropeanCommissionbepartofthedelegationreviewingtheaccidentand
itsconsequences?
/dash WilltheCommissionreportbacktotheParliamentontheoutcomeoftheIAEA’smission?C58E/160 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion