WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3596/97 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI , Gastone PARIGI , Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. Slaughter of pigs infected with swine fever
Date: 1997-11-13
Institutions: AMADEO, European Parliament, MUSCARDINI, PARIGI
Subjects: Netherlands, animal plague, decontamination, epidemic, health control, health risk, slaughter of animals, swine

17. 7. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 223/9

3.  say, with reference to Directive 80/217 (2), what it thinks about the absence of an accurate census of the

holdings infected, suspected of being infected or situated in protection and surveillance areas?

(1)  OJ L 355, 5.12.1992, p. 32.
(2)  OJ L 47, 21.2.1980, p. 11.

(98/C 223/09)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3596/97

by Cristiana Muscardini (NI), Gastone Parigi (NI)
and Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(13 November 1997)

Subject: Slaughter of pigs infected with swine fever

There  has  been  an  outbreak  of  swine  fever  in  the  Netherlands  and  it  is  alleged  that  the  Dutch  should  have
slaughtered a large number of pigs before the outbreak, in view of the considerable cost to the European Union of
slaughtering infected animals.

Can the Commission say:

1. 

if it can assess whether the system used by the Dutch offers adequate safeguards against possible errors, in
order to uncover technical or administrative shortcomings, especially as regards the source of the outbreak
and the slaughter of animals which have had contact with the infection;

2.  whether it considers the economic assessments made to be fair, i.e. that they have not been overestimated?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-3595/97 and E-3596/97
given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(12 January 1998)

During 1997 the Commission has carefully analyzed the evolution of classical swine fever in the Netherlands.
The epidemiological situation has been constantly reviewed with representatives of the Member States during the
monthly meetings of the standing veterinary committee.

The Commission has sent a number of missions to the Netherlands to assist the Dutch authorities and to ascertain
the effectiveness of the measures taken to eradicate the disease.

During  missions  it  has  been  noted  that  great  efforts  have  been  made  by  the  Dutch  authorities  to  curtail  the
epidemic length but problems have also been identified in the management of the epidemics.

These  problems  concerning  the  correct  use  of  the  uniek  bedrijfsnummer  (UBN)  numbers,  the  census  of  the
holdings,  the  efficacy  of  the  audit  system  used,  and  the  compensation  assessment  for  the  pigs  slaughtered
because infected or suspected of infection, are being carefully examined and they are at present matter for a
discussion between the Commission and the Dutch authorities.

(98/C 223/10)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3606/97

by Jose· Garc(cid:14)·a-Margallo y Marfil (PPE) to the Commission

(13 November 1997)

Subject: Commission communication on the impact of the introduction of the euro on capital markets

(COM(97) 0337)

The third part of this report makes a number of points on the impact of the introduction of the euro on variable
capital markets. Referring to stock market operations (one of the aspects raised), it states that, in view of the
absence of a significant relationship between the nominal value of shares and their negotiation price, there are no
substantial  arguments  for  such  values  to  be  quoted  and  negotiated  partly  in  euros  and  partly  in  national
currencies.

Can the Commission provide further information on this point?