WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2648/98 by John McCARTIN to the Commission. Export of pig offal from Northern Ireland
Date: 1998-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, MCCARTIN
Subjects: Northern Ireland, free movement of goods, health legislation, human nutrition, import licence, intra-EU trade, offal, swine

28.6.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 182/15

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission

(21 October 1998)

A number of Member States failed to meet the final objectives of the third multi-annual guidance programmes
(MAGP III), either globally or for certain segments of the fleet.

Any backlog from the MAGP III must be made up during MAGP IV under the same conditions that applied
during the MAGP III. Meanwhile, no construction or modernisation aid will be made available to any segment
of the fleet until the global MAGP objectives have been met. If the global objectives have been met, such aid
would be denied to those segments for which the segment objectives have not been met.

Concerning the three Member States specifically mentioned, France has made special efforts to remove
capacity during 1998 and is expected to achieve the global MAGP III objectives before the end of 1998. It
should be noted that this means that France would also be within the first intermediate objective of the MAGP
IV. Similarly the United Kingdom has now achieved the global objectives of its MAGP. In the case of the
Netherlands the Commission is carefully monitoring the steps being taken by the Dutch authorities to achieve
the MAGP objectives, but maintains the possibity of legal action if these steps prove to be unsatisfactory.

(1999/C 182/019)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2648/98

by John McCartin (PPE) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Export of pig offal from Northern Ireland

Is the Commission aware that the Irish Department of Agriculture has refused to grant import licences to
companies in Ireland wishing to import pig offal from Northern Ireland, despite the North Ireland authorities
clearly stating that the material in question (sourced from porcine animals) is not included under Commission
Decision 97/534 (1) as amended by Council Decision 98/248 (2) on specified risk material? Can the
Commission state whether this refusal is contrary to Community law on free trade?

(1) OJ L 216, 8.8.1997, p. 95.
(2) OJ L 102, 2.4.1998, p. 26.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(12 October 1998)

The Commission was unaware, prior to the receipt of the Honourable Member’s question, of any particular
problems concerning the movement of porcine offal from Northern Ireland to Ireland. The Commission will
contact the national authorities in order to obtain details of the situation.

It should be noted that the Community decisions mentioned by the Honourable Member are not applicable,
because they do not apply to porcine meat or offal, and in any case the date for applicability has been
postponed until 1 January 1999 by the latter decision. In the case of porcine offal fit for human consumption,
free circulation is governed by Council Directive 95/23/EC of 22 June 1995 amending Directive 64/433/EEC
on conditions for the production and marketing of fresh meat (1). Other provisions apply to products not fit
for human consumption.

Once the factual background is clarified, the Commission will examine whether the action by the Irish
authorities necessitates its further intervention.

(1) OJ L 243, 11.10.1995.