WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2480/97 by Phillip WHITEHEAD to the Commission. Humane trapping standards between EC, Russia and Canada, and ECO-label
Date: 1997-07-16
Institutions: European Parliament, WHITEHEAD
Subjects: animal experimentation, hunting, hunting regulations, marketing standard, protection of animals, quality label

3. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 102/47

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 1997)

The  Natura  2000  network  will  be  set  up  in  three  phases.  The  Member  States  will  propose  sites;  the
1.
Commission will adopt the list of sites of Community importance, in agreement with the Member States; the
Member States will designate these sites as special areas of conservation. During the first phase, now under way,
it  falls  to  each  biogeographical  region  to  determine  the  list  of  selected  sites  together  with  their  geographical
coordinates.

In exceptional cases, where to make information public could compromise the aim of conserving a species, the
Member State concerned sends that information to the Commission only in printed form. The relevant data is not
entered into a computer.

Responsibility for dialogue with each landowner involved lies with the Member States. For its part, the
2.
Commission tries to inform the various socio-economic groups and representational bodies about the creation of
the Natura 2000 network and its practical implications. In particular, it publishes an information letter, which
reaches a wide audience.

Regulation  (EC)  No  1404/96  of  15  July  1996  amending  Regulation  (EC)  No  1973/92  establishing  a
3.
financial  instrument  for  the  environment  (Life) (1)  provided  a  reference  amount  of  ECU  450  million  for  the
period 1996-99. Annual amounts have to fit in with the limits of the financial perspective.

Article  7(3)  of  the  Regulation  stipulates  that  the  reference  amount  is  to  be  examined  by  the  Council  before
31 December 1997 on the basis of a report to be forwarded by the Commission before 30 September 1997.

At  this  stage,  and  in  view  of  the  tight  nature  of  the  current  financial  perspective,  the  Commission  does  not
envisage asking for the reference amount laid down in the Regulation to be increased.

(1)  OJ L 181, 20.7.1996.

(98/C 102/66)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2480/97

by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission

(16 July 1997)

Subject: Humane trapping standards between EC, Russia and Canada, and ECO-label

Does the Commission consider that, while humane trapping standards are being developed there could be a case
for developing a European-wide label indicating that a product is animal-testing-free?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(24 September 1997)

The Commission points out to the Honourable Member that no direct link can be made between the existence of
humane  trapping  standards  stemming  from  the  agreement  between  the  Community,  Canada  and  the  Russian
Federation, as approved by the Council on 22 July 1997, and the case for a label indicating that a product has not
been tested on animals. These are in fact two different problem areas, the first specifically concerned with the
trapping of animals and the second relating to scientific experimentation on animals.

As  regards  the  second  topic,  Community  legislation  chiefly  consists  of  Directive  86/609/EEC  regarding  the
protection  of  animals  used  for  experimental  and  other  scientific  purposes  (1)  and,  in  the  cosmetics  field,  by
Directive 76/768/EEC relating to cosmetic products (2).

(1)  OJ L 358, 18.12.1986.
(2)  OJ L 261, 27.9.1976.