EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 65/227

(2004/C 65 E/242)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2829/03

by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission

(23 September 2003)

Subject: Cost of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks

1. Will the Commission compensate farmers for any economic losses caused by difficulties selling meat and dairy products from animals that, in accordance with the recent FMD Directive, are vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease by a Member State during an outbreak of the disease and allowed to survive?

2. If not, is the Commission aware that, on the basis of the costs and benefits involved, disposing of animals can be a more attractive option for farmers because the total losses caused by vaccination are likely to be higher? Does the Commission realise that this would in fact cost the EU budget more?

3. Does the Commission intend to evaluate the rules on compensation for FMD and amend them in the light of the above?

4. Does the Commission see ways of guaranteeing or promoting the (European) sale of meat and dairy products from animals vaccinated against FMD, in view of the depressed state of the industry?

5. In the event of an outbreak of FMD, will the Commission continue to reimburse in part the costs incurred in disposing of animals susceptible to FMD in order to combat such an outbreak?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(31 October 2003)

With reference to the questions raised by the Honourable Member, the Commission would like to refer to the new Directive on Community measures for the control of foot-and-mouth disease, which was adopted by the Council on 29 September 2003 (1).

The new Directive takes due account of the Resolution of the Parliament of 12 December 2002. It also incorporates the recommendations made by the Parliament, the European Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee during the consultation process.

Before responding to each of the individual questions, it should be recalled that the underlying principles of the newly adopted Directive remain unchanged compared to the measures provided for in Council Directive 85/511/EEC of 18 November 1985 introducing Community measures for the control of foot-and-mouth disease (2), albeit with a shift of emphasis regarding the use of emergency vaccination. At its meeting of 12 June 2003 the Council of Ministers of Agriculture agreed therefore to maintain the existing principles of Community contributions to the costs incurred by Member States for the control and eradication of foot-and-mouth disease, as laid down in Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field (3).

1. The Commission wishes to refer to Article 11 (4) (a) (v) of Council Decision 90/424/EEC. It allows for possible compensation of owners for losses incurred by farmers as a result of restrictions imposed on the marketing of livestock and pasture-fattened animals as a result of the reintroduction of emergency vaccination. These provisions have not been used to date.

2. The Commission would like to emphasis that the choice of eradication strategy is not for each individual farmer to make. The new Directive does confer more responsibility to Member States for the success of the eradication measures but equally provides more flexibility for the Competent Authorities to choose the most appropriate methods of control.

3. The Honourable Member is certainly aware of the announcement made by the Member of the Commission responsible for Health and Consumer Protection in the Agriculture Council of 22 April 2002 and further to a request of the Parliament regarding the launching of a study on ‘insurance schemes for farmers’. This is now well advanced and the Commission expects to shortly receive the report that it commissioned. This report should then be supplemented by consultations with the insurance sector and other stakeholders. It is, therefore, not yet possible to consider this study as completed and further work across sectors is required on this highly complex issue.

4. The Commission would like to draw the attention of the Honourable Member to the current animal health conditions for imports of meat and dairy products from third countries. Meat derived from vaccinated animals raised and slaughtered in certain South American countries is sold on the European market without encountering any problems relating to these aspects. However, the Commission has always argued for the safety of these products and their wholesomeness for human consumption and will continue to do so.

5. The Commission wishes to refer again to Decision 90/424/EEC and Article 11 in particular.

(1) http://register.consilium.eu.int/pdf/en/03/st12/st12430-ad01en03.pdf

(2) OJ L 315, 26.11.1985.

(3) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990.