WRITTEN QUESTION P-4058/00

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 December 2000)

Subject: Inspection of meat imported into Greece

The Greek press reports that there are only 250 public health inspectors in Greece, whereas the country needs at least 1000 in order to safeguard consumers' health as Greece is a net importer of meat products from within and outside the European Union. In addition to the shortage of personnel, allegations have emerged that inspections of meat and other imported produce are inadequate as they are carried out on a five-day basis and only during civil servants' eight-hour working day, whereas the largest quantities are imported at times when no inspection is possible. The Greek State Secretary for Agriculture acknowledged the laxity of the inspections when he referred to occasional checks being carried out and only on weekdays. What action will the Commission take to compel the Greek authorities to increase the number of staff and inspections to ensure that public health in Greece is effectively protected? Are there other Member States in which inspections of meat are carried out only five days a week and during office hours and, if so, which? In which Member States are inspections carried out every day and at any time that consignments are imported?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf on the Commission

(23 February 2001)

The Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) carried out an inspection in Greece for the purpose of assessing controls at border inspection posts from 29 March 1999 to 3 April 1999. Following an exchange of correspondence, the Greek central competent authorities (CCA) were requested to give additional information in relation to the recommendations of the inspection report and they responded on 29 February 2000 with satisfactory guarantees. The Commission intends to carry out a further inspection on import controls in Greece in March 2001.

The FVO carried out an inspection in Greece from 25 to 29 September 2000 on the production of fresh meat (pork). This revealed continuing, serious problems and so the Greek CCA were requested by letter of 31 October 2000 to submit an action plan. The objective is for Greece to address, by means of constructive proposals, the identified weaknesses in the systems of control and to set a timetable for their urgent implementation. The CCA's reply was received by the Commission on 20 December 2000 and is currently being examined.

Businesses, including meat factories and ports, work varying hours. Meat factories tend to work regular hours whereas outside factors impinge on ports. As an official presence/supervision is prescribed for certain activities, fees are levied. The calculation of the fees is based on known hours and throughputs. Staffing is adjusted to cover the hours. This sometimes involves official staff being on-call for situations not requiring a full-time presence. In fact, most Member States carry out import controls outside of official office working hours.

Inspections (meat and border) by the authorities of the Member States are not necessarily conducted on a 24 hour basis, 365 days a year. Thus any consignments arriving outside of conventional hours at the place of destination may have to await inspection until resumption of work by the inspection staff. For import controls Community legislation provides for pre-notification of the consignments in order to allow veterinary staff to be made aware of the arrival of consignments and to ensure that the import checks can be carried out if necessary outside of official working hours.