WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3877/98 by Riccardo GAROSCI to the Commission. Statements made by EU experts at the joint EP/ Commission conference on food safety and the BSE crisis
Date: 1999-01-04
Institutions: European Parliament, GAROSCI
Subjects: European Commission, European Parliament, administrative transparency, animal disease, cattle, foodstuff, foodstuffs legislation, product safety, report, veterinary inspection

C 207/140

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.7.1999

(1999/C 207/190)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3877/98

by Riccardo Garosci (PPE) to the Commission

(4 January 1999)

Subject: Statements made by EU experts at the joint EP/Commission conference on food safety and the BSE

crisis

At the joint EP/Commission conference on food safety following the BSE crisis held in Brussels on
30 November 1998, several speakers, including members of the SSC and the SCAN, expressed doubts about
the countries with no cases of BSE, maintaining that the disease does not stop at borders and that checks in
those countries are minimal, which is why few cases have been recorded. Given that there was much talk
during the conference of ‘transparency’ and information, such allegations are extremely serious.

Annex 6 to the second quarterly report of the BSE monitoring committee states that only 3 countries have had
an extremely limited number of cases of BSE: Denmark (1), Luxembourg (1) and Italy (2). In view of the above,
would the experts provide more information on the doubts voiced at the meeting? It is unacceptable for people
in their position to make unsubstantiated allegations of this kind.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(28 January 1999)

At the joint EP/Commission conference on 30 November and 1 December 1998, the verbatim report of which
is already available on the Commission’s internet site, the scientific experts present made known their views on
the situation in the Community as regards bovine spongiform encephalopathy and its likely trend. They spoke
in complete independence and openness. The Commission cannot therefore respond on their behalf to the
Honourable Member’s request.

Under Commission Decision 98/272/EC of 23 April 1998 on epidemio-surveillance for transmissible
spongiform encephalopathies and amending Decision 94/474/EC (1) a first review of surveillance for TSEs
will be made in spring 1999. On this occasion the Commission, in order to check that the purposes for which
the Decision was adopted have been attained, will carefully examine the programmes set up by Member States.

(1) OJ L 122, 24.4.1998.

(1999/C 207/191)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3879/98

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(11 December 1998)

Subject:

‘World Vision Austria’ and misappropriation of funds

It recently emerged in Austria that a large amount of funds @ Sch. 15 million @ destined for the ‘World Vision
Austria’ aid organisation had been misappropriated.

Since an Austrian Member of the European Parliament and EU project funds are involved, will the Commission
answer the following questions:

1. What official contacts and links exist between the aid organisation ‘World Vision Austria’ and the

European Union?

2. Are any aid projects being carried out by ‘World Vision Austria’ on behalf of, or in cooperation with, the

European Union, and if so which projects?

3. What are the objectives and who are the recipients of the aid?