WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1950/96 by Hiltrud BREYER to the Commission. BSE
Date: 1996-07-16
Institutions: BREYER, European Parliament
Subjects: United Kingdom, animal disease, cattle, export restriction, health risk, medical research, public health, research report, veterinary inspection, veterinary medicine













EUR-Lex - 91996E1950 - EN






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91996E1950

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1950/96 by Hiltrud BREYER to the Commission. BSE  


Official Journal C 011 , 13/01/1997 P. 0029 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1950/96 by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Commission (16 July 1996)Subject: BSE1. After prohibiting exports for some three months, the Commission decided to relax the ban on gelatin, tallow and semen from British stocks.(a) On what recent studies was this decision based?(b) If there are no studies showing these products to be harmless, what was the basis for the revision within three months of a decision that was taken on scientific grounds?2. Why was the decision to relax the export ban taken against the will of the Scientific Committee for Food?Joint answer to Written Questions E-1948/96 and E-1950/96 given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (4 October 1996)Commission Decision 96/239/EC on emergency measures to protect against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)SSSS ((OJ L 78, 28.3.1996. )) was taken as a safeguard measure in order to allow for re-evaluation of the situation. This Decision was based on the opinion of the scientific veterinary committee of 22 March 1996.Commission Decision 96/362/EC ((OJ L 139, 12.6.1996. )) amending Decision 96/239/EC was based on a scientific assessment that gelatin and tallow produced in accordance with the rules laid down in the Annex to the Decision, and semen, were considered safe. One of the most important criteria in assessing the safety of the gelatin is the sourcing of the raw material. In this respect, therefore, all tissues which have been shown to contain infectivity or could be contaminated with the infective agent (skull, vertebral column, brain, spinal cord, eye, tonsil, thymus, intestines and spleen) are excluded. The skin and bones which may be used in gelatin manufacture are classified as low risk tissues.An interim report by Inveresk research international limited, an independent research laboratory, on the validation of the clearance of scrapie from the manufacturing process of gelatin (IRI Project No 851180) was another element used in the risk-assessment of gelatin. The study was financed by the gelatine manufacturers of Europe, an organisation with members throughout Europe.As a result of the final report by Inveresk research international limited, which was presented to the Commission after Decision 96/362/EC had been adopted, the Commission has asked its scientific advisers to re-assess the safety of gelatin. However, other scientific evidence supports the thesis that chemical and heat treatments used in gelatin manufacturing will contribute to the inactivation of any agent which could be present. Further research on the inactivation of the BSE and scrapie agents in gelatin manufacture are under consideration.Decision 96/362/EC requires that the export of gelatin from the United Kingdom will not take place until the Commission has carried out inspections and found the production to be in accordance with the Decision. This will not be implemented until the scientific advice is clarified.