WRITTEN QUESTION E-0944/96 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission (26 April 1996)

Subject: Spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy

In addition to checks on animals as such in all the Member States, the belated measures to tackle the epidemic of bovine spongiform encephalopathy on British farms also have to cover a whole range of by-products of slaughtering made into pharmaceutical preparations and the like, foodstuffs, including gelatine, and meat meal. Despite the inspections carried out to date, there have been 117 suspect deaths in Italy.

1. Does the Commission know of the above cases or similar occurrences in other Member States, and what attempts has it made to ascertain whether the disease can be transmitted to humans?

2. In the light of the fact that British cattle are sold to France and later find their way into Italy, what checks has it conducted to establish the origin of products? What steps has it taken in relation to those who carry on this trade?

3. How has it dealt with trade in meat described as Irish but which in fact comes from the United Kingdom?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (13 June 1996)

It is important to note that although the new form of Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD) found in the United Kingdom may be linked with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the other forms of CJD (sporadic, genetic and iatrogenic) which occur throughout the world have no apparent link to spongiform encephalopathies in animals.

1. The Community provides financial support through the Biomed 1 programme for the monitoring of CJD in several Member States (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, United Kingdom) as well as the Slovak Republic and the United States. This has revealed, to date, that the incidence of CJD is similar in each of these countries, approximately one case per million. However, there are no official statistics in the Community on CJD - the most recent figures date from 1993 and according to the Biomed 1 programme account for 31 cases.

The Commission has always taken the view that the BSE agent could possibly be transmissible to man. Appropriate measures regarding trade in bovines and bovine products from the United Kingdom, have been in place since 1989 to minimize the risk of exposure of the public to the agent.

An international group of scientists has been convened by the Commission, to look at the research necessary to help establish the susceptibility of man to the BSE agent.

2. Rules for the trade in veal calves from the United Kingdom were supervised by the United Kingdom authorities and those of the Member States of destination. The Commission with the participation of experts from the Member States took part in missions to the United Kingdom to establish that the rules were properly applied. When the calves were slaughtered in the Member States of destination the meat and meat products could be traded without restriction.

3. The Commission has received no information regarding fraudulent certification of meat originating in the United Kingdom. There has been a considerable trade in meat from Ireland to the United Kingdom some of which is likely to be further processed in the United Kingdom and subsequently traded. Recording of the origin of the meat is obligatory in the certificate accompanying the meat from the United Kingdom.