WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2657/97 by Patricia McKENNA to the Council. Cruelty in pigmeat production
Date: 1997-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, MCKENNA
Subjects: animal welfare, fresh meat, intensive livestock farming, marketing restriction, pigmeat, supermarket, swine, veterinary legislation

30. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134/17

(98/C 134/21)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2657/97

by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Council

(1 September 1997)

Subject: Cruelty in pigmeat production

There  is  a  growing  antipathy  to  the  use  of  sow  stalls  and  tethers  by  the  pig  industry  among  EU  consumers
because of the cramped conditions in which the animals are reared. For that reason, Tesco, a major supermarket
chain in Britain, announced that it will introduce a ban on the sale of fresh pork reared by this system from
1 August next. The ban will be extended to other pigmeat products within a year.

Tesco(cid:146)s move has been taken seven years before an EU-wide ban on the system is due to take effect.

Given the growing trends among consumers, will the EU re-evaluate its ban with a view to introducing it sooner
to reduce cruelty in the pig industry and restore consumer confidence in pigmeat products?

Answer

(15 January 1998)

On 19 November 1991 the Council adopted Directive 91/630/EEC (1) laying down minimum standards for the
protection of pigs.

Among  other  things,  the  Directive  laid  down  requirements  relating  to  the  amount  of  unobstructed  floor  area
which  must  be  available  to  each  pig  reared  in  a  group  and  provisions  relating  to  the  construction  of  rearing
installations.

It also provided for a ban, as of 31 December 1995, on the construction or conversion of installations in which
sows and gilts could be tethered.

Nevertheless,  the  competent  authority  could  grant  a  dispensation  to  allow  installations  built  prior  to
1 January 1996 to be used for an additional temporary period (until 31 December 2005).

However,  Article  6  of  the  Directive  stipulates  that:  (cid:145)by  1  October  1997,  the  Commission  shall  submit  to  the
Council a report, drawn up on the basis of an opinion from the Scientific Veterinary Committee, on the intensive
pig-rearing system(s) which comply with the welfare requirements of pigs from the pathological, zootechnical,
physiological and behavioural points of view and on the socio-economic implications of the different systems.
The report shall particularly take into account the welfare of sows reared in varying degrees of confinement and
in  groups  and  shall  be  accompanied  by  appropriate  proposals  which  take  account  of  the  conclusions  of  the
report(cid:146).

The Council can assure the Honourable Member that, as soon as it has received the Commission report and any
accompanying proposals, it will examine them with all the attention and speed necessary to enable it to act as
soon as possible.

(1)  OJ L 340, 11.12.1991, p.33.

(98/C 134/22)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2658/97

by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission

(1 September 1997)

Subject: Links between BSE and CJD

On 1 July 1997 Britain(cid:146)s Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) issued a paper, (cid:145)Research
into the link between BSE and nvCJD(cid:146).

The paper found that there was no evidence to refute the suggested link between BSE and CJD. But it also stated
that the evidence to date was insufficient to make prove scientifically that there was a causative link between the
two diseases.