WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4014/97 by Patricia McKENNA to the Commission. Keeping of animals in circuses
Date: 1998-01-14
Institutions: European Parliament, MCKENNA
Subjects: animal health, animal life, animal show, animal welfare, protection of animal life, transport of animals

C 310/10

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

9. 10. 98

With regard to the proposed construction of an electricity interconnector between Scotland and Northern Ireland,
the safety of the undersea route has been a priority from the outset, as it has long been known that Beaufort(cid:146)s
Dyke has been used for many years as a dumping ground for surplus munitions. Northern Ireland electricity
(NIE) has carried out three separate detailed surveys of the seabed along the route corridors being considered,
using  state  of  the  art  survey  equipment.  The  detailed  cable  routes  have  been  selected  within  the  surveyed
corridors so as to avoid all obstacles. Further surveys along these selected routes will be carried out both before
and after laying the cables as a matter of normal installation practice. When the cables are being installed, the
precision  methods  which  will  be  used  will  ensure  that  nothing  on  the  seabed  is  disturbed.  These  installation
methods are vastly less disruptive of the seabed than those used to lay a pipeline. NIE is working closely with the
health and safety authorities, and issued an addendum to its environmental statement in December 1997, as a
response  to  the  NRPB  memorandum  referred  to  above.  This  addendum  is  currently  in  public  consultation  in
Northern  Ireland.  However,  since  the  only  area  of  concern  raised  by  the  NRPB  was  near  the  Isle  of  Arran,
nowhere near the site of the interconnector, no new risk arises. The Commission is satisfied that the health and
safety issues surrounding the interconnector have been adequately addressed and that the laying of the cables
will not pose any risk to public health and safety.

(1)  OJ C 60, 25.2.1998, p. 136.

(98/C 310/10)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4014/97

by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission

(14 January 1998)

Subject: Keeping of animals in circuses

Does the Commission have any proposals concerning the keeping of wild animals in circuses?

Does it agree that keeping wild animals › particularly larger animals such as elephants and bears in circuses and
training them to do special tricks frequently involves cruelty? Does it accept that this practice runs contrary to the
provisions of the Treaty of Amsterdam on animal welfare?

Would the Commission be willing to compile a list of which animals may and may not be kept in circuses and
used for circus performances?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 1998)

Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 of 9 December 1996 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by
regulating trade therein (1) contains provisions on the importation of animals of the species listed in its Annexes
as well as on their housing and transport. In addition, the Commission(cid:146)s proposal for a Council recommendation
relating to the keeping of wild animals in zoos (2) will be extended with the recommendation that Member States
adopt  appropriate  provisions  for  the  keeping  of  wild  animals  in  other  establishments,  such  as  circuses.  The
Commission would like to point out, however, that the above instruments do not fall within the scope of the
declaration (No 24) in relation to the protection of animal welfare attached to the Treaty on European Union.

Finally, as  the number  of species  from  which  wild-collected  animals  are available  to  circuses  under  Council
Regulation (EC) No 338/97 is already limited and further reduced by conditions with regard to housing facilities
and transport, the Commission does not intend to draw up the list mentioned by the Honourable Member.

(1)  OJ L 61, 3.3.1997.
(2)  COM(95) 619 final.