WRITTEN QUESTION E-1541/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(28 May 2001)

Subject: Prevention of animal diseases by allowing agricultural markets to take better account of natural biological laws

1. In the Commission's view what are the possibilities of preventing the rapid dissemination of plant and animal diseases and the transfer of pests and infectious animals over long distances, given that natural geographical barriers which may limit or prevent this are to an increasing extent disappearing as a result of trade and transport operations?

2. In the Commission's view, what measures could be taken to prevent the transport of seed and breeding animals over long distances which results from the concentration of agricultural production in areas where the lowest production costs are anticipated and to prevent the final product being traded over long distances, thereby increasing the risk of the spread of diseases?

3. Does the Commission regard as acceptable the continued failure within the territory of the Member States of the European Union to exploit the possibilities offered by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to make the import of plants, animals and foodstuffs subject to strict health rules?

4. What new and more comprehensive arrangements are being envisaged by the Commission to prevent a further spread of BSE, swine fever, foot-and-mouth infection and other diseases?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(20 July 2001)

1. and 2. Increased movements of people, animals and goods throughout the world and globalisation of agricultural markets imply additional risks of spreading human,

animal and plant diseases. Given the complexity of these issues, to which only a formal answer can be given in this reply, the Commission would like to draw the Honourable Member's attention to its White Paper on Food Safety(1), where detailed information is provided on the Commission's views in this regard.

3. A very comprehensive set of legislation is already in place on health rules on import of plants, animal and foodstuffs into the Community, which is in line with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures. Therefore the Commission does not agree with the assumption of the Honourable Member that the possibilities offered by the WTO are not exploited.

At the request of the Commission, food safety will be on the agenda of a special session of the WTO on agriculture, due to meet in July 2001.

4. The Parliament, the Council and the Commission are already engaged in a review of the Community policy on some major animal diseases.

In particular:

- the Council adopted a Directive 2000/75/EC of 20 November 2000 laying down specific provisions for the control and eradication of blue tongue(2);

- the Parliament and the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of 22 May 2001 laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies(3) including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE);

- following the opinion of the Parliament, a new Directive on the control of classical swine fever is at present in the process of adoption by the Council;

- the Council reached a political agreement on a common position on the proposed regulation on animal by-products at its meeting on 19 June 2001;

- the Council has also reached a political agreement on the proposed Food Authority;

- the Commission has already committed itself to a review of the current legislation on foot-and-mouth disease once the current outbreak is eradicated;

- the Commission will submit in the next months to the legislator two proposals on the monitoring and control of zoonoses (Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli, and others).

Through the activities of its Food and Veterinary Office, the Commission is closely involved in evaluating the manner in which animal health legislation is implemented in the Member States. The reports of the Office's evaluation missions are available on the Directorate general (DG) Health and Consumer Protection website. Future missions to be undertaken by the Office will pay particular attention to the issues raised by the recent disease problems identified in the animal health sector.

(1) COM(1999) 719 final.

(2) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000.

(3) OJ L 147, 31.5.2001.