WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2281/97 by Johanna BOOGERD-QUAAK , Jan MULDER to the Commission. Classic swine fever in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe
Date: 1997-07-02
Institutions: BOOGERD-QUAAK, European Parliament, MULDER
Subjects: Netherlands, animal experimentation, animal plague, foodstuffs legislation, import, pigmeat, slaughter of animals, swine, vaccination

3. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 102/23

(98/C 102/34)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2278/97

by Luigi Moretti (NI) to the Council

(18 July 1997)

Subject: Employment

In December 1993 the Brussels European Council expressed its support for a new economic and social strategy
designed to fight the scourge of unemployment. In 1994 the Corfu European Council, and later the Essen summit,
confirmed the commitment to adopting specific measures, including the encouragement of regional and local
initiatives to create new jobs.

In its proposal COM(95) 250 final of 13 June 1995 (1) the Commission sought to give fresh impetus to this effort
by introducing a new programme entitled Essen, designed to promote new sources of employment.

Will the Council say why this programme has been blocked and what measures it plans to take?

(1)  OJ C 235, 9.9.1995, p. 8.

Answer

(7 November 1997)

The Commission submitted a proposal to the Council on 19 June 1995 on Commission activities of analysis,
research, cooperation and action in the field of employment (OJ C 235/95).

That proposal was amended by the Commission in September 1996 (OJ C 342/96 and it is this latter proposal
which is now being examined by Council bodies.

The Honourable Member should know that, in the light of the outcome of the European Council in Amsterdam,
all delegations said they could support in principle the establishment of the proposed action.  If indeed there was
a  blockage  at  some  point,  consideration  of  the  actual  text  of  the  Decision  resumed  under  the  Luxembourg
Presidency in July 1997.  There is every reason to hope that a Council Decision on the matter can be adopted
shortly.

(98/C 102/35)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2281/97

by Johanna Boogerd-Quaak (ELDR) and Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: Classic swine fever in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe

(2 July 1997)

It appears that the desired results have not been obtained in the Netherlands or in other countries through the
existing control method of slaughtering animals infected with swine fever. At the same time, there is increasing
resistance  in  society  to  this  control  method.  Accordingly,  other  control  method  should  be  considered  where
appropriate.

In view of the foregoing, is the Commission prepared to authorize an experiment with a new vaccine or

1.
with the newly developed marker vaccine against swine fever in certain areas of the Netherlands?

2. What is the minimum number of pigs which the Commission thinks should be involved in this experiment
in the Netherlands?

Does  the  Commission  feel  it  is  important  for  meat  from  vaccinated  pigs  not  to  end  up  in  the  human

3.
consumption chain in any form whatsoever, and that the meat should therefore be destroyed?

Does the Commission regard the existing destruction capacity in the Netherlands as adequate if a decision

4.
has to be taken to destroy meat from vaccinated pigs?

5.
If the Commission authorizes a vaccination experiment against swine fever in the Netherlands, will this
have consequences for exports of pigmeat from areas outside the experimental area which are not infected with
swine fever?