WRITTEN QUESTION P-0896/01

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 March 2001)

Subject: Programmes for eradicating and monitoring animal diseases and spending in the veterinary sector in Greece

During the year 2000, 5 330 head of cattle, 3 500 goats and sheep and 450 pigs were slaughtered in Greece (in the Prefectures of Evros and Xanthi) as a result of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease. Furthermore, following checks carried out on the basis of Decisions 90/424/EEC(1) and 94/370/EEC(2) on expenditure in the veterinary field and investigations into veterinary activities in specific sectors and the programme for the eradication and monitoring of animal diseases, the Commission found that the arrangements for combating various diseases in Greece (brucellosis among cattle and goats and sheep, tuberculosis among cattle and scrapie among sheep) did not operate effectively and that the programmes implemented were inadequate both from a veterinary point of view and from the point of view of financial management.

In the light of existing information, will the Commission say:

- Which irregularities have been found relating to the programmes for the eradication, monitoring and combating of animal diseases and how much money has not been disbursed as part of the Community's financial contribution to Greece?

- Has Greece submitted to the Commission, on the basis of Directive 90/423/EEC(3) on combating foot- and-mouth disease, a plan of warning specifying the national measures to be put into effect immediately in the event of an outbreak of the disease? To what extent are they likely to achieve the desired objective of rapidly and effectively eradicating outbreaks?

- Can it confirm that there have been long delays by the veterinary services and laboratories in Greece and that sanitary taxes over the last five years (GRD 40 billion.) have not been spent on laboratories, research and equipment, as Community legislation requires?

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19.

(2) OJ L 168, 2.7.1994, p. 31.

(3) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 13.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(21 June 2001)

With regard to exposure to diseases Greece is in a special situation because of its borders to third countries which are infected with diseases exotic to the Community. Besides this, the Commission is well aware of the difficulties occurring in Greece with regard to veterinary activities. The Commission therefore supports several Greek veterinary activities - technically and financially - in order to detect and eliminate disease outbreaks as quickly as possible.

As regards the Honourable Member's questions the Commission answers as follows:

- The programmes for eradication, monitoring and combating of animal diseases are checked by the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) and by the financial services of the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General. Detailed reports of the FVO's inspection missions, including a description of the irregularities found, are published on the Internet (http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/inspections/vi/reports/greece/index_en.html).

As regards the eradication costs of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks which occurred in Greece in 2000, the Greek authorities introduced in January 2001 a claim of GDR 2,35 billion. These expenditures may be co-financed at 60 % under Article 11 of Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field.

To date no financial decision on the reimbursement of such expenditures has been taken by the Commission because the Greek authorities have postponed the on-the-spot financial control.

- In accordance with the provisions in Article 5 of Council Directive 90/423/EEC of 26 June 1990 amending Directive 85/511/EEC introducing Community measures for the control of foot-and-mouth disease, Directive 64/432/EEC on animal health problems affecting intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine and Directive 72/462/EEC on health and veterinary inspection problems upon importation of bovine animals and swine and fresh meat or meat products from third countries, Member States must draw up contingency plans for foot-and-mouth disease applying the criteria set up in Commission Decision 91/42/EEC of 8 January 1991 laying down the criteria to be applied when drawing up contingency plans for the control of foot-and-mouth disease, in application of Article 5 of Council Directive 90/423/EEC(1).

By letter of 29 August 1991 Greece submitted its contingency plan, which, after detailed evaluation by the Commission, was approved by Commission Decision 93/455/EEC of 23 July 1993 approving certain contingency plans for the control of foot-and-mouth disease(2).

Since that time Greece eradicated FMD outbreaks in 1994, 1996 and 2000, on the basis of stamping out, movement control and surveillance. During each epidemic the Commission carried out veterinary inspection missions, which did reveal some shortcomings, but more importantly confirmed the successful implementation of control measures to eradicate the disease.

The incursion of FMD in 2000 was detected at an early stage due to movement control measures and surveillance carried out in the framework of the EVROS monitoring program for exotic diseases (FMD, blue tongue, sheep pox and pest of small ruminants) set up by the Greek authorities in 1999. This program was for the first time implemented and co-financed by the Commission in 2000.

In September 2000, shortly after the last outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease and on request of the Commission to all Member States, Greece submitted a revised version of the contingency plan taking account of the experience gained during the past years. This contingency plan, is available for the Food and Veterinary Office to proceed with their inspections of FMD contingency plans in all Member States. A final report of these inspection missions will be available in accordance with Commission procedures when the evaluation of the contingency plans of all Member States is completed.

- The results of the inspection missions of the FVO indicate that the main problems in Greece as regards animal disease eradication, monitoring and control programmes are the inadequate staff cover, the limited resources available to the local veterinary services and to laboratories and the low number of operating local veterinary services. These inadequacies have indeed led to shortcomings in the implementation of the above-mentioned programmes. The Commission is engaged in ongoing discussions with the Greek authorities to address these inadequacies.

The Commission cannot confirm that the inspection fees referred to have not been spent because there is no information available on this subject.

(1) OJ L 23, 29.1.1991.

(2) OJ L 213, 24.8.1993.