WRITTEN QUESTION E-0426/98

by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(24 February 1998)

Subject: Swine fever: damage and compensation

Swine fever has necessitated the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of pigs in various countries. Outbreaks are difficult to prevent. What has the Commission done to limit its impact?

How much economic damage does the Commission consider that the disease has done to farmers, and what proportion of the losses has been compensated by the EU?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(6 May 1998)

In the framework of the establishment of the internal market, the Community adopted a comprehensive set of legislation on animal health, which includes Council Directive 80/217/EEC(1) introducing measures for the control of classical swine fever. According to the legislation on the matter, the Member States have the responsibility to enforce the provisions aimed at preventing, controlling and eradicating classical swine fever as well as other important animal diseases.

The Commission checks that the measures are fully and properly applied and requires additional measures if necessary. In its activities concerning classical swine fever, the Commission is technically supported by the experts of the scientific veterinary committee and of the Community reference laboratory. However, the Commission is aware of the seriousness of the epidemic in the last fourteen months in some Member States and a number of specific measures and activities have therefore been enforced.

The epidemiological situation of classical swine fever in the Community is being constantly reviewed by the Commission and the Member States, in the framework of the standing veterinary committee, which meets twice a month. In agreement with the opinions delivered by the standing veterinary committee, the Commission has adopted a number of decisions concerning safeguard measures to be applied in order to avoid further spread of disease within and from the Netherlands, Spain and Germany. Inspections are regularly carried out in the Member States by the Commission to ensure that legislation is properly applied. Specific decisions and regulations have also been adopted by the Commission to ensure adequate financial support to Member States in the fight against the disease and to face the economical consequences of the measures enforced.

On 6-7th April 1998 a scientific meeting organized and supported by the Commission has been held on the unresolved problem of the persistence of classical swine fever in wild boar in some areas of Germany, Italy and France. This matter will be further discussed at the standing veterinary committee and at the scientific veterinary committee, with the aim to review the adequacy of the measures adopted so far.

The economic losses due to the occurrence of the epidemic are difficult to estimate with precision. The affected Member States compensate the sanitary slaughtering of the pigs in case of outbreak. The Community reimburses 50 % of such costs (estimate of Community participation for 1997 outbreaks: 116.8 MECU). Furthermore the Commission has adopted several decisions laying down exceptional market support measures in the Member States affected by the disease. The measures are reimbursed at 70 % by the Community (Community participation for 1997: 497.59 MECU).

(1) OJ L 47, 21.2.1980.