WRITTEN QUESTION E-0476/00 by Joseph Daul (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Forest damage following Hurricane Lothar.
Date: 2000-02-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Austria, France, Germany, budgetary reserve (EU), cyclone, deforestation

26.1.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 26 E/47

watered. The report on animal welfare issues raised by the production of p(cid:226)tØ de foie gras commissioned by
the Commission in 1998 reaches the conclusion that the usual methods of production are in breach of the
principles laid down in the directive.

What measures does the Commission intend to take to enforce Directive 98/58 in respect of the
production of p(cid:226)tØ de foie gras?

(1) OJ L 221, 8.8.1998, p. 23.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(6 April 2000)

The aim of Council Directive 98/58/EC is to lay down the main principles for the protection of all species
of animals kept for farming purposes. It constitutes a legal
instrument for the elaboration of future
proposals in the field of animal welfare ensuring the uniform application of the Council of Europe
Convention on the same subject in the Community.

The Directive currently addresses the welfare requirements to be applied for the protection of animals kept
for the different types of production, including the production of foie gras. The Directive also imposes a
responsibility on the owner or keeper of the animals to ensure that their welfare respects the minimum
requirements provided.

Two Recommendations for the protection of ducks and geese bred for the production of foie gras were
adopted in June 1999 in the framework of the above mentioned Convention. The Commission and the
Member States of the Union actively participated in the process of drafting and adoption of these
recommendations.

The report produced by the scientific committee on animal welfare concerning the (cid:145)Welfare aspects for the
production of foie gras in ducks and geese(cid:146) was used as reference for the finalisation of the above
mentioned recommendations.

The recommendations recognise the necessity to keep the birds in social groups and prohibit the use of
small individual cages which are currently used. This prohibition will come into effect on 31st December
2004 for new or replacement accommodation and for all the accommodation on 31st December 2010 at
the latest.

The recommendations also call for further research to develop alternative techniques that do not require
force feeding for the production of foie gras. It has been agreed that until new scientific evidence on
alternative methods and their welfare aspects is available, the production of foie gras shall be carried out
only where it is current practice and then only in accordance with standards laid down in domestic law.

If necessary, in accordance with the provisions of Article 5 of Directive 98/58/EC, the Commission will
submit to the Council further appropriate proposals for the uniform application of the above mentioned
recommendations.

(2001/C 26 E/060)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0476/00

by Joseph Daul (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 February 2000)

Subject: Forest damage following Hurricane Lothar

On 26 December 1999 Hurricane Lothar caused enormous damage to forests in France, Southern
Germany and Austria, and particularly to farmer-owned private and communal forest, threatening the
livelihoods of many family farms.

In the EP debate of 18 January 2000, the Commission referred to possible changes to the Structural Funds,
though without promising a specific aid for this dramatic situation. However, changes alone are not
enough since structural assistance goes to smaller businesses which frequently also have an agricultural
operating unit that is vital for their survival.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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26.1.2001

During the debate, Commissioner Barnier did, however undertake to consider reinstating the budget line
for emergency aid deleted two years ago.

Is the Commission prepared to look beyond the existing framework of the Structural Funds and to
examine the 2000 budget of the Commission for mobilisable reserves for immediate emergency aid, for
instance from the LIFE and ECHO programmes, and possibly to reinstate a budget line for disaster aid
within the European Union for 2001?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(11 April 2000)

With regard to the Structural Funds, the Honourable Member is requested to refer to the answers given by
the Commission to written questions 0024/00 from Ms Patrie, 0159/00 from Mr Lang and 0307/00 from
Mrs Thomas-Mauro, and to oral question H-0008/00 from Ms Patrie.

There are no provisions in the LIFE Regulation, which is currently under review, for the allocation of a
portion of its funding to emergency measures, without a call for projects procedure being initiated. We
cannot, therefore, envisage the funding, under the LIFE programme, of any general measures to repair
environmental damage caused by the natural disasters which struck France, Germany and Austria
in December 1999. We do not, however, rule out the possibility that proposals for new projects under
LIFE-Nature or LIFE-Environment could, while meeting the LIFE criteria, also serve to repair the damage to
the environment. Any application meeting this profile will be examined (on a case by case basis) under the
project monitoring procedures or the tendering procedure for LIFE.

Article 1 of the Regulation governing the Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) specifies that: (cid:145)The Commu-
nity(cid:146)s humanitarian aid shall comprise assistance, relief and protection operations on a non-discriminatory
basis to help people in third countries, particularly the most vulnerable among them, and as a priority
those in developing countries(cid:133)(cid:146) (1). It cannot, therefore, provide assistance in respect of the severe damage
caused by natural disasters in the Member States in December 1999.

Since there are provisions for a number of different aid schemes in the Structural Funds Regulations, the
Commission currently has no plans to reinstate a specific budget heading for emergency disaster aid within
the Community.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid. OJ L 163, 2.7.1996.

(2001/C 26 E/061)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0479/00

by Carlos Ripoll y Mart(cid:237)nez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Objective 2 for the Balearic Islands

(24 February 2000)

The municipality of Consell
(on Majorca, Balearic Islands) submitted to the Balearic Islands regional
government a project for an extension to the town(cid:146)s school to promote adult education and vocational
training, under Objective 2.

Mr Rechach, departmental secretary-general for documentation in the Ministry for Economic Affairs of the
government of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands, informed the mayor that the European
Commission had rejected the project because it was located at the school.

Has any proposal under Objective 2 been received from Consell in connection with the above project?

Has the European Commission taken a formal decision to reject the project?

If so, on what grounds was the decision based?