WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3709/97 by Wolfgang KREISSL-DÖRFLER to the Commission. Transport of animals to Lebanon
Date: 1997-11-10
Institutions: European Parliament, KREISSL-DOERFLER
Subjects: Lebanon, beef, cold store, export, live animal, refrigerated product, sheepmeat, storage of food, transport of animals

30. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134/179

The  Commission  is  not  familiar  with  the  Ministry  of  finance  projections  cited  by  the  Honourable  Member.
Nevertheless, it is essential to understand that there is no unique measure of the net budgetary position of the
Member  States.  To  calculate  such  estimates  it  is  necessary  to  make  assumptions  about,  for  example,  the
definition  of  expenditure,  the  beneficiaries  of  expenditure,  and  the  accounting  treatment  of  spending.  These
assumptions play a crucial role in the measurement of budgetary positions, and explain why estimates for the
same Member State can differ, often substantially. The Commission, taking account of this, does not produce
data for budgetary positions nor does it endorse any particular methodology for estimating them.

(1)  COM(97) 2000 final.
(2)  SEC(97) 1918.

(98/C 134/245)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3709/97

by Wolfgang Kreissl-Do¤rfler (V) to the Commission

(10 November 1997)

Subject: Transport of animals to Lebanon

Each year hundreds of thousands of live animals are exported from the European Union Member States to third
countries. Again and again it emerges that the animals are being transported under scandalous conditions, which
have  been  repeatedly  condemned  by  the  European  Parliament.  The  necessity  to  transport  live  animals,
particularly animals for slaughter, can hardly continue to be justified, all the more so when such transportation is
subsidized  by  the  EU.  It  appears  that  the  Lebanese  agriculture  ministry  recently  indicated  its  willingness  to
import  more  frozen  meat  instead  of  live  animals,  if  the  EU  could  provide  financial  assistance  with  the
construction of cold-storage depots.

Is the Commission aware of Lebanon(cid:146)s willingness to import more frozen meat from EU countries and its wish
for cold-storage depots?

If so:

1.  Which  Lebanese  government  department  has  sought  support  from  the  Commission  for  the  building  of
cold-storage depots in Lebanon? When was the request made and when and how did the Commission react?

2.  Has the Commission made a spontaneous offer to the Lebanese authorities to assist with the building of
cold-storage depots in Lebanon, for example in the framework of the European Union(cid:146)s MEDA programme?
When was this offer made, and what was the reaction from the Lebanese side?

3.  Can the Commission give more details of the (cid:145)cold-storage depot project(cid:146), e.g. size, capacity, locations, cost,

starting and completion dates for building?

4.  Can  the  Commission  say  to  what  extent  and  in  what  time  frame  the  export  of  live  cattle  and  sheep  for

slaughter to Lebanon will be reduced by the building of cold-storage depots?

If not:

Does the Commission intend to make the Lebanese authorities an offer of financial help with the building of
cold-storage depots on its own initiative?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(17 December 1997)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible.