WRITTEN QUESTION P-1215/96 by Pervenche Berès (PSE) to the Commission (10 May 1996)

Subject: Mad cow disease

The Commission has declared a total ban on British beef exports and called on the British authorities to take all the necessary measures to eradicate mad cow disease, which is suspected of being transmissible from animals to human beings.

Can the Commission provide a year-by-year account of the number of BSE cases recorded in the United Kingdom and, possibly, in the other Community Member States, since 1980 and the number of animals slaughtered by year and by country since the outbreak of the disease?

Will the Commission draw up a detailed calendar of the way in which this matter has been referred to it?

Can the Commission explain how it intends to monitor slaughter operations and from which budget line it will finance aid to the United Kingdom?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (14 June 1996)

Since the disease was fist discovered in 1986, the Commission and the Member States have been kept continually informed on the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) situation in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has presented data on the epidemiology of the disease and other scientific information. Measures have been taken on the basis of the advice of the scientific veterinary committee.

In June 1988, BSE was made notifiable in the United Kingdom. Commission Decision 90/134/EEC ((OJ L 76, 22.3.1990. )) made BSE notifiable by all Member States. Through the computerised animal disease notification system (ADNS), the Commission receives information on all new occurrences of BSE within 24 hours of confirmation. The United Kingdom however, because of the number of cases, reports BSE on a weekly basis.

BSE - Confirmed cases in Member States 1986-1996 (10 May)

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The number of animals slaughtered is not available, but will correspond approximately to the number of cases confirmed with the addition of suspects not subsequently confirmed (about 15% in the United Kingdom) and animals slaughtered in affected herds (Germany, France, Ireland and Italy).

Acting on the advice from the scientific veterinary committee, the Commission has adopted several measures to protect humans and animals in Europe from any possible risk from exposure to BSE.

On 28 July 1989, the Commission adopted Decision 89/469/EEC ((OJ L 225, 3.8.1989. )), banning the export of cattle born before the United Kingdom feed ban (18 July 1989) and offspring of affected or suspect animals. In March 1990, Decision 90/59/EEC ((OJ L 41, 15.2.1990. )) restricted the export of cattle further to those under 6 months of age which were to be slaughtered before that age. The United Kingdom, on its own initiative imposed a ban on specified offal and certain glands for pharmaceutical and chemical use. This was adopted by Commission through Decision 90/200/EEC ((OJ L 105, 25.4.1990. )).

In May 1992, Commission Decision 92/290/EEC ((OJ L 152, 4.6.1992. )) prohibited trade in embryos derived from BSE suspects, confirmed cases or their offspring.

In 1994 a ban on feeding of mammalian proteins to ruminants was introduced in all Member States through Decision 94/381/EEC ((OJ L 172, 7.7.1994. )). Systems for processing animal waste which were validated as effective for the inactivation of BSE agent were laid down in Decision 94/382/EEC ((OJ L 172, 7.7.1994. )).

In 1994, Decision 94/474/EEC ((OJ L 194, 29.7.1994. )) introduced new measures for beef exports from the United Kingdom, so that carcasses could only come from holdings with no BSE cases for 6 years. This was subsequently amended to permit trade in carcases from cattle less than 30 months of age at slaughter. All other meat was to be deboned and trimmed to remove the nervous and lymphatic tissues.

On 20 March 1996, the Commission was informed about the 10 cases of a new variant of Creudtzfeldt-Jacob disease. A ban on export of live cattle and products of bovine origin from the United Kingdom was introduced on 27 March 1996, to allow the situation to be fully evaluated.

In accordance with the conclusions of the Council on 4 April 1996, the United Kingdom on 20 May 1996 presented a proposal for the selective slaughter of animals most likely to have been exposed to infected meat and bonemeat in the United Kingdom.

The conclusions of 4 April 1996 also provide for financial assistance for eradication of BSE in all Member States. The United Kingdom will, within the framework of market support measures, be compensated by 392 ECU per animal over 30 months of age which is culled. Similar compensation is provided for animals to be slaughtered within the framework of a selective slaughter plan which is now under discussion.

Plans by other Member States will be treated in an equivalent manner. Portugal has recently presented an eradication programme, which is under discussion. The Netherlands, France and Belgium have been provided with financial assistance to cull calves of British origin which otherwise have no market, because of consumer concerns.