WRITTEN QUESTION E-1306/00 by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission. The welfare of broiler chickens.
Date: 2000-04-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European social policy, animal welfare, food safety, poultry

C 72 E/40

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.3.2001

(2001/C 72 E/043)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1295/00

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(19 April 2000)

Subject: Driving licences and diabetes

The British Government has interpreted Directive 91/439/EEC (1) in such a way as to require it to ban
virtually all people who treat their diabetes with insulin from driving passenger-carrying vehicles and
vehicles exceeding 3,5 tonnes in weight.

1.

Is the Commission aware if any other Member States have introduced such restrictive measures?

The British Government argues that its policy derives from (cid:145)long-standing expert assessment of the dangers
associated with the driving of
the House of
Commons Science and Technology Committee reported in February 2000 that the source of this evidence
could not be identified.

larger vehicles by insulin-treated diabetics(cid:146). However,

Is the Commission aware of any evidence which might support the interpretation of the Directive

2.
being applied by the British Government?

(1) OJ L 237, 24.1.1991, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(21 June 2000)

Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July 1991 on driving licences (1), stipulates in Annex III point 10 that:

Only in very exceptional cases may driving licences be issued to, or renewed for, applicants or drivers
in this group suffering from diabetes mellitus and requiring insulin treatment, and then only where
duly justified by authorised medical opinion and subject to regular medical check-ups.

This requires that people with diabetes mellitus should not normally be allowed to drive lorries or buses,
as there is a risk that they will suffer from blackouts. If this occurs while the individual concerned is
driving such large vehicles, there is an obvious risk of a major accident occurring.

The medical provisions laid dawn in Annex III of the Directive are based on the expert advice of medical
experts from across the Community.

As regards the interpretation of the Directive the detailed rules applicable for defining (cid:145)very exceptional
cases(cid:146) are a matter for each Member State to set as they see fit. However, it is clear that this cannot be
interpreted as meaning that all insulin-dependent diabetics may drive lorries or buses.

(1) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991.

(2001/C 72 E/044)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1306/00

by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission

(19 April 2000)

Subject: The welfare of broiler chickens

The recent report by the Commission(cid:146)s Scientific Committee on Animal Health & Animal Welfare on (cid:145)The
welfare of chickens kept for meat production (broilers)(cid:146) concludes that the broiler industry(cid:146)s determination
to achieve fast growth rates leads to many broiler chickens suffering from painful leg disorders and ascites.
The Scientific Committee also indicated that the highest acceptable stocking density is around 30 kg/m2

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 72 E/41

and that welfare would be improved if stocking densities were below that figure. The committee also
concluded that the severe feed restrictions to which broiler breeders are subjected result in unacceptable
welfare problems and that the welfare of breeding birds must be improved.

What steps does the Commission plan to take to address the broiler health and welfare problems
highlighted by the Scientific Committee(cid:146)s report?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(8 June 2000)

The Commission(cid:146)s responsibilities towards animal protection have increased under the recent amendment
of the EC Treaty which requires the European institutions and Member States to consider animal welfare a
priority when drawing up agriculture, transport, single market and research policies.

Article 5 of Council Directive 98/58/EC concerning the protection of animals kept for farming purposes (1)
provides for the Commission to submit to the Council any proposals which may be necessary for the
uniform application of the European Convention for the protection of animals kept for farming purposes
and, on the basis of a scientific evaluation, any recommendations made under this Convention and any
other appropriate specific rules.

Since the report of the scientific committee on animal health and animal welfare on the welfare of
chickens kept for meat production (broilers) was adopted on 21 March 2000, the Commission now
possesses scientific elements on which to prepare specific provisions based on Article 5 of the above
mentioned directive. It is the intention of the Commission to consider the problem of the welfare of
broilers in the light of the committee(cid:146)s opinion.

(1) OJ L 221, 8.8.1998.

(2001/C 72 E/045)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1308/00

by Paul R(cid:252)big (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(27 April 2000)

Subject: Rules for third-country shipments

There are frequent problems in Italy for third-country shipments, in many cases leading to confiscation by
the Italian authorities of the haulage firms(cid:146) vehicles.

An administrative agreement between Italy and Germany now says that German haulage firms may bring a
third-country shipment on to Italian territory if they have the appropriate bilateral permit and have
previously been in transit through the home country of the vehicle concerned. But there is no such option
for Austrian hauliers, making it impossible for them to complete a third-country shipment on Italian
territory (with the exception of ECMT permits).

Can the Commission answer the following:

(cid:129) How can the administrative agreement between Italy and Germany on third-country shipments be

compatible with the non-discrimination requirement of Article 1(3), first indent?

(cid:129) By what date may we expect to see non-discriminatory haulage of third-country shipments throughout
the EU? In other words, what agreements have been reached and how do negotiations stand on
transport agreements between the EU and third countries?