WRITTEN QUESTION P-2976/98

by Honório Novo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(28 September 1998)

Subject: The situation as regards BSE in Portugal

Official figures published in accordance with the EU's animal disease notification system indicate that Portugal is the only country where the number of officially detected cases of BSE has steadily risen in recent years, with 33 new cases of this disease registered in the first half of this year alone.

The same sources indicate that the situation has worsened since June, with a further 18 cases bringing the total number to end September to 51. Portugal is, moreover, the only country where further cases of BSE have been found in the period June to September.

I have been told that the Commission and other Community bodies responsible for monitoring BSE have approached the Portuguese Government regarding this worsening situation. Given that in all matters concerning public health, full transparency is essential,

1. Can the Commission confirm that it has sent the Portuguese Government a formal request for information about the real situation as regards BSE in Portugal and details of what the Portuguese Government is doing to prevent the spread of the disease? Has the Portuguese Government already officially replied to these requests, and if so, what has it said?

2. Can the Commission confirm that an inspection of the situation and the spread of BSE in Portugal was completed in September 1998, and that the corresponding report is in the process of being finalised? What does this report say?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(30 October 1998)

According to Community legislation, all Member States must regularly inform the Commission on their disease situation with respect to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), and must notify the number of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) cases which occurred on their territory within 5 working days by means of the animal disease notification system. In 1996, 1997 and 1998 there were several veterinary inspection missions to Portugal with regard to the implementation of Community legislation on BSE.

The Commission made a formal request to Portugal in the standing veterinary committee (SVC) of 9 and 10 June 1998, for information on the current situation regarding BSE. During the SVC meeting of 7 and 8 July 1998, the Portuguese authorities presented an oral report on BSE, covering the epidemiological situation, the measures in place and the controls carried out.

Following the inspection mission organised 11-15 May 1998, the Commission on 2 September 1998 asked Portugal to submit comments on its draft report, which were received on 25 September 1998. Furthermore, in the mean time and in connection with this mission, a meeting was arranged on 11 September 1998 between the Portuguese authorities and the Commission to assess the situation and to express the concern of the Commission.

Since July 1998, the Commission's President and the Commission members responsible for agriculture and for consumer health protection have on several occasions had direct contacts with members of the Portuguese government and alerted them to the seriousness of the BSE situation and the need to take appropriate measures.

The Commission confirms that an urgent veterinary inspection mission to Portugal was carried out 28 September - 2 October 1998. This mission, prompted by a marked increase in the number of BSE cases, followed up on the findings of the previous mission in May 1998. It covered epidemio-surveillance and the effectiveness of the applied risk management strategy, in particular the implementation of the ban on feeding mammalian protein to ruminants, the processing of mammalian waste, the specified risk material measures and the national eradication plan. As far as possible it also gathered information on the dispatch from Portugal of live bovine animals and beef. The report of this mission will be prepared under the special procedures for urgent reports as foreseen in Commission Decision 98/139/EC of 4 February 1998 laying down certain detailed rules concerning on-the-spot checks carried out in the veterinary field by Commission experts in the Member States(1). In accordance with this Decision the reports on the missions in May 1998 and September 1998 will be submitted to the Parliament and be published on the internet.

(1) OJ L 38, 12.2.1998.