WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3934/97 by Reimer BÖGE to the Commission. BSE - classification of Member States into differing risk areas
Date: 1997-12-04
Institutions: BOEGE, European Parliament
Subjects: animal disease, animal health, epidemic, health control, health policy, health risk, public health, veterinary inspection

C 187/96

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 6. 98

(98/C 187/144)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3934/97

by Reimer Bo¤ge (PPE) to the Commission

(4 December 1997)

Subject: BSE › classification of Member States into differing risk areas

Can the Commission indicate how, in its opinion, the Member States of the European Union should be classified,
on the basis of the IOE criteria, into BSE-free regions, low risk regions and high risk regions?

In the Commission(cid:146)s view, what shortcomings are there in those Member States which, on the basis of the IOE
standards, are classified as low risk areas and could therefore be viewed by the Commission as zero risk areas?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(19 January 1998)

Chapter  3.2.13  of  the  International  office  of  epizootics  (IOE)  code,  dealing  with  bovine  spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE), refers to three categories of countries: those free from BSE, those with a high incidence
of the disease and those with a low incidence. It does not classify countries on the basis of risk.

The incidence of BSE in a country is not synonymous with the risk of BSE. The incidence is determined by the
accuracy of detecting and reporting disease, whereas the risk of becoming infected or of transmitting BSE is
determined by measures taken to prevent or eliminate infection. Thus, a country in which inadequate measures
have been taken to prevent the use of infected feed and which has no effective surveillance for BSE may have
reported no cases, but may present a greater risk than a country which has reported a few cases but has taken
effective measures to deal with them.

The scientific veterinary committee, in its opinion of 21 October 1996, stated that it (cid:145)considers any risk from BSE
to be much lower in other Member States than in the UK, but it is not zero(cid:146). All Member States are at liberty to
submit evidence to the Commission if they seek to demonstrate that they have a particularly favourable position
in  regard  to  risk  from  BSE.  Several  have  already  done  so  and  their  submissions  will  be  examined  by  the
appropriate scientific committee.

The Commission cannot take a position with respect to the situation in any individual Member State until it has
received  the  scientific  advice.  As  a  first  step,  the  Scientific  steering  committee  is  presently  preparing  a
harmonised list of criteria against which all submissions will be evaluated.

(98/C 187/145)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3936/97

by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission

(12 December 1997)

Subject: Food hygiene

Now that the Commission has reorganized responsibility for food safety in response to Parliament(cid:146)s pressure
after the BSE crisis, does it not agree that it is time for the long-awaited proposal for a Framework Directive on
Food Hygiene to be drawn up? If so, when does the Commission intend to submit it?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(27 January 1998)

The Commission wishes to remind the Honourable Member of the existence of Council Directive 93/43/EEC of
14  June  1993  on  the  hygiene  of  foodstuffs (1).  Article  1(1)  of  this  Directive  (cid:145)lays  down  the  general  rules  of
hygiene for foodstuffs(cid:146).