WRITTEN QUESTION No. 913/97 by Mihail PAPAYANNAKIS to the Commission. Research into BSE
Date: 1997-03-12
Institutions: European Parliament, PAPAYANNAKIS
Subjects: animal disease, animal experimentation, animal nutrition, cattle, fish, meat product, medical research, scientific research, sheep, veterinary medicine













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91997E0913

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 913/97 by Mihail PAPAYANNAKIS to the Commission. Research into BSE  


Official Journal C 391 , 23/12/1997 P. 0030 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-0913/97 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (12 March 1997)Subject: Research into BSEWhat stage has been reached by research into BSE? Have investigations been carried out into the possible use of meat meal (which was used for cattle breeding) for the breeding of animals other than cattle or in fish farms (salmon, etc.) in Europe and have any initial findings or analyses been forthcoming concerning the consequences of this?Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (16 May 1997)Details of the research programme carried out by the Community have already been submitted to the temporary committee of inquiry. A further call for proposals under the FAIR programme was published on 17 December 1996 with a deadline of 14 February 1997. Twenty three proposals for projects were received and these are currently under evaluation.Concerning the use of meat and bone meal for animal feeding, tests carried out in the United Kingdom have demonstrated that the other food species, notably pigs and poultry, are not susceptible to oral exposure to high concentrations of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent. Sheep, on the other hand, have developed disease in similar experiments and infective material has been recovered from their tissues. The Commission is not aware of any similar experiments on fish. Recent publications have indicated that some fish species do have the normal prion protein, as is found in the mammalian and avian species. Abnormal prion protein, which is associated with this diseases, has not been found in fish. It is therefore reasonable to expect that fish could be susceptible but there is no evidence to date that they develop disease. One project submitted under the FAIR programme is aimed at investigating the susceptibility of fish to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs).In the absence of definitive data, the Commission has taken the view that a high level of protection is necessary for all species which may enter the human food chain. Consequently, it has adopted Decision 94/382/EC of 27 June 1994 which requires minimum parameters for the processing of animal waste, and came into force on 1 January 1995 ((OJ L 172, 7.7.1994. )). This has been reviewed in the light of more recent evidence, and even more stringent parameters were applied as from 1 April 1997 ((Decision 96/449/EC - OJ L 184, 24.7.1996. )). Furthermore, based on the advice of the scientific veterinary committee, the Commission has also proposed the removal of specified risk materials from animal feed throughout the Community. However, this proposal was rejected by a simple majority in Council on 17 December 1996. The Commission is, at present, reflecting on the necessary follow-up to this matter.