WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2643/97 by Inger SCHÖRLING to the Commission. Contravention of meat export ban
Date: 1997-07-25
Institutions: European Parliament, SCHOERLING
Subjects: United Kingdom, animal disease, beef, consumer protection, export monitoring, export restriction, fraud, product quality, single market, veterinary inspection

17. 3. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 82/111

The Commission also revealed that at the centre of this trade was probably Belgium, where there are said to be
enterprises that have been specializing in the fraudulent import and export of British beef for some time.

Can the Commission, at the end of its investigation, add to this information, which is very disturbing, and does it
not suspect the existence of other illegal trade that has not yet been identified? Does it not feel, moreover, that
this  situation  is  mainly  due  to  the  inadequacy,  shortcomings  and  ineffectiveness  of  the  customs  and  sanitary
checks in certain Member States, and especially the United Kingdom, that were introduced after the decision to
impose an embargo was taken?

Is  the  Commission  able  to  evaluate  the  checks  made  in  the  United  Kingdom  and  in  the  Member  States
incriminated in the recent events and to judge whether they comply with the commitments entered into as part of
the fight against BSE?

Is  the  Commission  not  convinced  of  the  need  for  sanctions  against  the  persons  responsible  who  have  been
identified and for the checks on the origin of beef to be tightened up as a matter of urgency so as to prevent
fraudulent trade on such a scale and to ensure, as far as possible, the protection of the consumer(cid:146)s health and
confidence in the beef production chain, since it is once again the European Union(cid:146)s breeders as a whole who are
in danger of being heavily penalized by the consequences of an unacceptable situation?

(98/C 82/184)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2643/97

by Inger Scho¤rling (V) to the Commission

(25 July 1997)

Subject: Contravention of meat export ban

The Commission has reported that the UK has contravened the beef export ban introduced to prevent the spread
of BSE (mad cow disease). More than 1000 tonnes of beef are believed to have been sold illegally to a number of
countries.

Consumer confidence in the EU(cid:146)s meat industry is, quite rightly, already very low, and reports of large-scale
illegal exports are driving it even lower.

Are there no effective export controls? How can such a large quantity of meat escape official controls?

What steps has the Commission taken, or will it take, both to take legal action in respect of such a serious breach
of the export ban and to ensure that it does not happen again?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2579/97, P-2642/97 and P-2643/97
given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission

(2 October 1997)

The  matter  to  which  the  Honourable  Member  refers  relates  to  a  recently  uncovered  fraud,  involving  the
redescription and recertification of frozen beef of British origin as coming from other Member States.

Investigations by the Commission, working very closely with the relevant Member State authorities, into the
extent and implications of this fraud are currently in hand and have been reported to the Parliament on an interim
basis. However, care is needed at this stage not to jeopardize the success of these investigations through the
premature release of information on their findings.

Primary responsibility for controlling the health marking, certification and movement of such beef rests with the
Member States concerned. Although frauds are extremely difficult to prevent completely, it has become clear
from the Commission’s investigations that there is a need to improve health controls at a national level so as to
increase  the  level  of  detection  and  prevention  of  such  illegal  activity.  In  response  to  the  shortfalls  already
identified  by  the  Commission’s  inquiries,  a  formal  letter  requesting  information  has  already  been  sent  to  the
United Kingdom.

Investigations into the possible existence of other fraudulent meat movements are continuing, with a view to
ensuring that a full picture is obtained and that all possible avenues are explored.