WRITTEN QUESTION E-3326/02

by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(25 November 2002)

Subject: Illicit trafficking in and marketing of cattle

Evidence has emerged in Italy of criminal activities involving illicit trafficking in cattle, especially from Germany, some of them infected with diseases posing a danger to human health.

This was made possible, irrespective of individual responsibilities yet to be ascertained, by the use of fake identity tags worn by each animal. The animals were raised using banned substances such as anabolic drugs and cortisone preparations and then slaughtered in secret. Ongoing investigations have led to the arrest of 30 people, including veterinarians accused of collusion. More than 700 people are involved, including farmers, butchers, middlemen, traders and civil servants. Clandestine slaughter has apparently deprived the Community budget of around EUR 50 million.

In order to safeguard public health, does the Commission not consider that in addition to monitoring the main cattle diseases, and BSE in particular, it should tighten up security measures in the present system of meat traceability, which has serious deficiencies?

Does it not consider that it should assess the work of the Food and Veterinary Office responsible for verifying respect for Community legislation in the sphere of food safety?

Does it not consider that, in order to protect the honest majority of stock farmers, it should step up controls on the cross-border cattle trade?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(4 February 2003)

The Commission has not been informed by the Italian authorities on the events reported by the Honourable Member. However, information from the press was available to the Commission, from which it was clear that investigations were ongoing by the relevant authorities.

The Commission intends to seek clarification from the Italian authorities and is in particular concerned by the reported involvement of animals from Germany because in such an event the dissemination by the involved Member States of the information via the rapid alert system for food should have been also considered.

Concerning the availability of suitable Community measures aiming at preventing illegal activities, it should be stressed that the full range of legal acts already proposed by the Commission, and adopted by the Council and the Parliament, or future proposals already planned, will not be sufficient to prevent all possible occurrences of illegal and criminal acts.

The current Community legislation includes several provisions on the traceability of bovine animals.

Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 of the Parliament and of the Council of 17 July 2000, establishing a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 820/97(1), includes the obligation of Member States to establish a computerised database. This database must include information on the identity of all bovine animals, all holdings with bovine animals and all movements of bovine animals. Possible deficiencies in the operation of the databases of the Member States involved, will be investigated in the framework of the working programme of the inspection services of the Commission.

The Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) of the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General gives high priority to checks on compliance with Community legislation in the food safety sector. It has carried out a series of evaluations in relation to the traceability of beef and beef products in Member States during 2002. The reports of these missions are made available to the Parliament and placed on the Directorate General's website as they are finalised. It appears that the shortcomings noted by the inspectors as regards traceability do not stem from inadequate Community legislation, but from deficient organisation and/or lack of enforcement of the legislation in force. All deficiencies are reported to the national authorities, which are responsible for the correct implementation of food safety legislation at national level as well as for pursuing and penalising criminal activities, where appropriate, such as in the cases of illicit trafficking in cattle referred to.

The traceability of food, feed, food-producing animals, and any other substance to be incorporated into food or feed is comprehensively regulated, at the Community level, by Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002, laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety(2). As from 1 January 2005 Article 18 of this Regulation will be fully applicable. It stipulates that food and feed business operators must be able to identify both their suppliers and the companies that they supply with products. The operators are required to organise their businesses so that suitable traceability systems and procedures are in place and that information may be made available to the competent authorities on demand. Food and feed can be placed on the market subject to appropriate labelling and/or identification meant to facilitate its traceability.

With regard to the cross-border cattle trade it should be noted that Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and animal products with a view to the completion of the internal market(3) obliges Member States to ensure that bovine animals must satisfy the requirements of Council Directive 64/432/EEC of 26 June 1964 on animal health problems affecting intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine(4). This Directive obliges Member States to ensure that only animals that fulfil the relevant conditions laid down are sent from their territories.

Finall, the information concerning possible deprivations of EUR 50 million to the detriment of the Community budget due to clandestine slaughter will be transmitted to the European Anti-fraud Office.

(1) OJ L 204, 11.8.2000.

(2) OJ L 31, 1.2.2002.

(3) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990.

(4) OJ P 121, 29.7.1964.