WRITTEN QUESTION E-0889/00

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(22 March 2000)

Subject: Assessment of the dioxin crisis in Belgium

The dioxin crisis in Belgium once again demonstrated how vulnerable the food chain, and checks on it, are. An assessment such as that made by the Dioxin Committee of the Chamber of Representatives can help to eliminate problems. Both the European Union and the fifteen Member States have an important role to play in this.

In the nine pages concerning the shortcomings, the most striking sentence is this: the compulsory notification system for Member States of the European Union in the event of contamination of feedingstuffs is not clear.

Does the Commission agree with the Dioxin Committee that the rules on compulsory notification of the EU authorities are inadequate?

(a) If not, what arguments are there to suggest that, contrary to the statement by the Dioxin Committee, the rules on compulsory notification are adequate?

(b) If so, will the Commission amend the rules on compulsory notification in order to improve crisis prevention and/or management?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(4 May 2000)

Council Directive 95/53/EC of 25 October 1995 fixing the principles governing the organisation of official inspections in the field of animal nutrition(1) provides the legal basis concerning immediate notifications on infringements related to animal nutrition to the Commission either when irregularities are detected during checks at import and the irregularities lead to the rejection of a consignment, or when the procedure to settle problems between Member States is not sufficient to solve a problem and repeated irregularities are detected during checks at destination.

Provisions for compulsory notification to the Commission in the event of a contamination of feeding stuffs are also laid down in Council Directive 1999/29/EC of 22 April 1999, on undesirable substances and products in animal nutrition(2). However, the obligation to notify only applies to situations involving more than one Member State.

In addition Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market(3) requires Member States to notify immediately to the other Member Sates and to the Commission any disease or other cause likely to cause a serious hazard to animals or to human health in its territory.

The circumstances for the notifications are therefore clear, albeit limited, in the existing Community legislation.

Moreover, to complete and improve the current provisions, as scheduled in the white paper on food safety(4), the Commission adopted on 21 March 2000 a proposal(5) to amend Council Directive 95/53/EC and Council Directive 1999/29/EC. According to the proposal, information in case of an emergency related to products to be used in animal nutrition will be exchanged through the rapid alert system for food established under Council Directive 92/59/EC of 29 June 1992 on general product safety(6).

In particular, Member States will be required to inform the Commission as soon as serious contamination or risk is detected and has spread to feed and the food chain or is likely to spread to other countries, and to provide this information in a harmonised form. In addition, Member States will also be required to inform the Commission when the frequency of a certain contamination or hazard increases.

In the white paper on food safety, the Commission has also indicated its intention to present a proposal for an integrated rapid alert system covering both the feed and food sector, as a further improvement in line with the farm to table approach.

(1) OJ L 265, 8.11.1995.

(2) OJ L 115, 4.5.1999.

(3) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990.

(4) COM(1999) 719 final.

(5) COM(2000) 162 final.

(6) OJ L 228, 11.8.1992.