WRITTEN QUESTION E-1413/99 by Heidi Hautala (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Veterinary treatment of horses.
Date: 1999-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: animal health, consumer protection, equidae, foodstuff, horsemeat, public health, veterinary drug, veterinary legislation

C 170 E/6

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2000

With regard to the second question posed by the Honourable Member concerning the Guarantee Section
(Markets) of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), these measures generally
give beneficiaries the right, in certain conditions, to receive the sums indicated in the regulations governing
the common agricultural policy (CAP). These regulations are applicable in each Member State and each
Member State is obliged to apply them. On the other hand, for certain specific schemes financed by the
EAGGF-Guarantee, application is optional. For example, the United Kingdom does not grant aid for the
consumption of butter to persons receiving social assistance (Council Regulation (EEC) 2990/82 of
9 November 1982 on the sale of butter at reduced prices to persons receiving social assistance (3)), a
scheme only applied in Ireland. Furthermore, since 1999, the United Kingdom does not distribute
agricultural products to underprivileged persons in the Community (Council Regulation (EEC) 3730/87 of
10 December 1987 laying down the general rules for the supply of food from intervention stocks to
designated organisations for distribution to the most deprived persons in the Community (4)).

A list of agricultural mechanisms for which the United Kingdom did not declare expenses in the course of
the 1998 financial year is being sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the General Secretariat of
the Parliament.

(1) OJ L 33, 8.2.1979.
(2) OJ L 43, 14.2.1997.
(3) OJ L 314, 10.11.1982.
(4) OJ L 352, 15.12.1987.

(2000/C 170 E/007)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1413/99

by Heidi Hautala (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Veterinary treatment of horses

There is increasing concern amongst veterinarians and horse owners at the loss of a number of important
medicines used for the treatment of horses, thereby compromising both the health and welfare of these
animals. The reason is the obligation on pharmaceutical companies to establish, at great cost, maximum
residue limits (MRLs) for all drugs used to treat food-producing animals.

The cost is not justified for products used for (cid:145)minor(cid:146) species for which there is little commercial return.
The EU classifies the horse as a food-producing animal, even though less than 15 % enter the human food
chain. One possible solution is to reclassify the horse as a companion animal. Will the Commission
confirm that such a move is being considered and, also, that other solutions are being discussed?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(15 November 1999)

The availability of medicinal products for food producing animals is a complex problem. The problem has
an animal welfare aspect since necessary treatments cannot be applied due to a prohibition on the use of
certain drugs, and also a consumer health protection aspect. It reflects a conflict between the agricultural
needs, the required investments of the pharmaceutical industry and the public perception of the problem
as a whole. The problem also has an important international aspect, as a significant proportion of the
horsemeat consumed in the Community is of foreign origin.

In accordance with the EC Treaty, equidae (donkeys, horses and their crossbreeds) are agricultural animals.
Council Directive 64/0433/EEC of 26 June 1964 on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in
fresh meat (1) applies to horsemeat. Reclassification of equidae as companion animals would deprive a
substantial number of citizens of their traditional food.

20.6.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 170 E/7

While in the Community horses are bred primarily for uses other than food production, slaughter of
horses is common at a certain stage of their lives and is not excluded by Community law. No Member
State forbids the slaughter of horses and trade in horses for slaughter for food. Taking account of the age a
horse may reach, the frequent change of owner and nationality and the different purposes for which a
horse may be used during its career,
the enforcement of a general distinction between horses as
companion animals and food producing animals would be difficult.

The protection of the health of European consumers is ensured by Council Regulation (EEC) 2377/90 of
26 June 1990 laying down a Community procedure for the establishment of maximum residue limits
maximum residue limits (MRLs) of veterinary medicinal products in foodstuffs of animal origin (2).
Substances for which MRLs cannot be established (because these products or their metabolites are toxic
in any concentration) have already lost their marketing authorisation for food producing animals. Those
for which provisional MRLs have been established will disappear from the market by 1 January 2000, if
the industry fails to establish the definitive MRL.

However, the loss of certain substances does not mean that there are no therapeutic alternatives. Some of
the substances without MRL may be replaced by other substances for which MRLs are established, and
indication. However, some of these alternatives may be
which are effective for the identical clinical
substantially higher in price or more difficult in their application.

The current state of play is that the European agency for the evaluation of medicinal products (EMEA)
established a list of those medicinal products that are indispensable and would be irreplaceably lost for the
treatment of
food-producing animals as from 1 January 2000. The Commission has informed the
Parliament (3) that fewer than 15 substances fall into this category.

However, the off-label use of medicaments, for example of those developed for human medicine, is of
equal importance and is common in today(cid:146)s sophisticated horse medication. Such treatment, however,
requires the removal of the animal from the food chain.

Council Directive 81/0851/EEC of 28 September 1981 on the approximation of the laws of the Member
States relating to veterinary medicinal products (4) has made provisions to avoid shortfalls in supply of
medicaments. In Article 4 of that Directive the exceptional conditions are laid down for the use of
medicinal products which integrate substances in a composition not authorized for food producing
animals in given Member State. This so-called (cid:145)cascade(cid:146) eventually requires that the included substances
have an authorisation in another veterinary medicinal product for food producting animals in the Member
State concerned. A waiting period of 7 to 28 days must be observed, depending on the product derived
from this animal.

However, today(cid:146)s horse medicine is highly sophisticated, well comparable with small animal practive and
in parts with human medicine. It is not uncommon that horse practitioners use medicaments developed
for treatment of human or pet animals. For substances included in such medicaments MRLs may never be
established, and there are each day new medicaments on the market. This (cid:145)off-label(cid:146),
i.e. outside the
intended indication, use of medicaments in horses requires the removal of the animal from the food chain.

With regard to the complex nature of the problems related to availability of medicinal products for food
producing animals, easy and quick solutions cannot be found. A concerted action of the Commission
industry agriculture and
together with the authorities in the Member States and the pharmaceutical
fisheries is needed to ensure effective medicinal treatment of (cid:145)minor species(cid:146).

However, taking account of the aforementioned particularities of equidae, the Commission informed the
Agricultural Council of 14 June 1999 about its intention to present as soon as possible appropriate
proposals. These proposals, based on Article 152 (ex-Article 129) of the EC Treaty will address the
possibility to administer non-MRL substances to equidae under certain controlled conditions ensuring the
observation of the required withdrawal periods.

(1) OJ 121, 29.7.1964.
(2) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990.
(3) Committee on the environment, public health and consumer protection, 1-2 September 1999.
(4) OJ L 317, 6.11.1981.