WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1945/97 by Esko SEPPÄNEN to the Commission. BSE in The Netherlands
Date: 1997-06-04
Institutions: European Parliament, SEPPAENEN
Subjects: EU Member State, Netherlands, animal disease, cattle, epidemic, exchange of information, public health, veterinary legislation

11. 3. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 76/65

The main elements of the control programme are:

›  coordinated  deployment  of  control  resources  (aerial  surveillance,  patrol  vessels)  by  the  Member  States

concerned › Greece, Spain, France and Italy,

›  exchange of national fisheries inspectors which will be deployed on patrol vessels provided by different

Member States,

›  extensive sea patrols and port inspection,

›  zero tolerance on non-compliance with Community rules,

›  close monitoring of national control programmes by the Commission(cid:146)s fisheries inspectorate.

The adoption of a common control programme which envisages close co-operation and co-ordination between
Member States and facilitates the exchange and deployment of national inspectors marks a new departure for the
monitoring of this fishery. The programme has been agreed in order to overcome control deficiencies noted in the
past and to ensure that the fishery is conducted in full compliance with Community rules.

For its part, the Commission will closely monitor the implementation of the control programmes by Member
States  throughout  the  season  and  to  that  end  will  deploy  its  inspectors  in  ports  and  on  board  patrol  vessels
provided  by  Member  States.  In  this  regard,  the  Commission  and  the  Member  States  have  agreed  on  a  zero
tolerance  policy  with  respect  to  any  incidence  of  non-compliance  by  Community  fishermen  during  the  1997
season.

Fishermen  engaging  in  the  driftnet  fishery  will  now  have  the  possibility  of  receiving  cessation  premiums
provided  by  the  Italian  national  conversion  plan.  Joining  the  conversion  plan  is  voluntary,  therefore  those
fisherman wishing to continue driftnetting may do so, provided that Community legislation is respected.

(98/C 76/150)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1945/97

by Esko Seppa¤nen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(4 June 1997)

Subject: BSE in The Netherlands

According to reports in the Finnish press, the first case of BSE in the Netherlands occurred a few weeks ago.

Does the Commission know whether this report is true, and if so, what does it intend to do to prevent the spread
of the disease?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(5 August 1997)

The Commission was informed by the Dutch authorities immediately after confirmation of the first and again
after the second case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) on its territory, on 21 March 1997 and 7 April
1997.  At  the  same  time  the  authorities  in  other  Member  States  were  informed  by  way  of  the  animal  disease
notification  system  (ADNS),  in  accordance  with  Community  rules.  Subsequently  the  Dutch  veterinary
authorities reported on their findings and the measures taken, to the various meetings of the standing veterinary
committee.

The measures taken were considered adequate by the Member States and the Commission in protecting public
and  animal  health,  against  risk  of  exposure  to  the  transmissible  spongiform  encephalopathy  (TSE)  agent
resulting from these two outbreaks.