WRITTEN QUESTION No. 949/98 by Mark WATTS to the Commission. Impact on animal protection of the GATT/WTO
Date: 1998-03-30
Institutions: European Parliament, WATTS
Subjects: GATT, animal experimentation, animal welfare, cosmetic product, fur-bearing animal, hides and furskins industry, import restriction, protection of animals

C 354/44

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

19. 11. 98

(98/C 354/80)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0949/98

by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission

(30 March 1998)

Subject: Impact on animal protection of the GATT/WTO

Fears of GATT challenges have already led the EU severely to dilute two of its key animal protection measures,
namely the ban on the import of pelts from countries using the leghold trap and the prohibition on the marketing
of cosmetics tested on animals.

The GATT/WTO could well deter the EU from introducing new animal protection measures, as while the EU
can, under the GATT, prohibit the use of a cruel system within its own territory, it cannot prohibit the import of
products derived from animals subjected to that system.

Does the Commission agree that the GATT/WTO poses a threat to the introduction of improved standards of
animal protection? Is the Commission in favour of the EU taking the lead at the WTO Ministerial Conference in
Geneva in May in persuading the other WTO contracting parties of the need to reform the GATT/WTO to ensure
that it does not prevent contracting parties from introducing measures genuinely aimed at securing improved
standards of animal protection?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission

(7 May 1998)

It is correct that the Community(cid:146)s obligations under the World trade organisation (WTO) agreement are among
the elements which must be taken into account when developing any policies which may affect trade, including
those  mentioned  by  the  Honourable  Member.  However,  as  the  Honourable  Member  indicates  the  General
agreement on tariffs and trade (GATT)/WTO does not prevent the introduction of measures which are considered
to be necessary for the protection of animals on the territory of the Community.

It  is  the  Commission(cid:146)s  view  that  it  cannot  unilaterally  impose  the  Community(cid:146)s  welfare-based  production
standards  on  third  countries.  For  example,  WTO  rules  do  not  permit  the  Community  to  prohibit  imports  of
cosmetic products on the sole ground that they have been tested on animals, even if the Community imposes such
an animal-testing ban for marketing of Community products. Rather than proceeding to an import ban of such
products,  the  Community  should  focus  on  the  creation  of  multilateral  standards  for  animal  welfare.
The Community should first try to convince its trading partners to modify their policies in the direction it thinks
appropriate.  Consumers  in  Europe  should,  moreover,  be  in  a  position  to  make  an  informed  choice  about  the
animal welfare aspects of the products they buy, for example through labelling schemes.

Given that animal welfare is becoming increasingly relevant in terms of international trade, this issue may in the
future be raised in the WTO context. The possibility of amending WTO rules to address welfare concerns more
generally will be addressed in the context of the determination of the Community(cid:146)s negotiating objectives for the
next stage of the WTO negotiations.

(98/C 354/81)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0952/98

by Riitta Myller (PSE) to the Commission

(30 March 1998)

Subject: Cooperation between the Structural Funds and the PHARE/TACIS programmes

In  recent  years,  various  Community  programmes  and  instruments  have  been  introduced  in  support  of
cross-border cooperation across the Union(cid:146)s external borders. The CBC section, a new element in the TACIS and
PHARE  programmes,  has  for  example  played  an  important  part  in  this.  However,  the  introduction  of  the
programmes  has  not  been  trouble-free.  It  would  be  highly  desirable  to  improve  the  coordination  and
effectiveness  of  the  programmes.  To  this  end,  an  adequate  legal  basis  should  be  created  for  cross-border
cooperation between the EU and third countries.