WRITTEN QUESTION P-2894/00 by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Ear-tags for cattle.
Date: 2000-09-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EC conformity marking, agricultural guidance, beef, cattle, disease prevention, labelling, traceability, veterinary legislation

C 113 E/206

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

in force. These provisions stipulate that those who peacefully
Mussolini(cid:146)s Fascist dictatorship, are still
pursue by political means the independence of part of the present-day Italian Republic shall be punished
by imprisonment.

Can the Commission ascertain whether the behaviour of the Italian judges, in this as in other cases, is not
in open breach of the right to freedom of opinion which is the cornerstone of all democracies, as well as
of Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union?

Does the Commission not believe that the articles of the Italian criminal code, known as (cid:145)Rocco(cid:146), and in
particular those dealing with so-called crimes of opinion and perpetrators of attacks on (cid:145)the unity of the
State(cid:146), dating back to the Fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini and still
in force today, violate the
principles of freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law
enshrined in the Treaty?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(13 October 2000)

It is not for the Commission to scrutinise judges(cid:146) decisions, which are assessed by the competent bodies in
the legislative and judicial systems of the Member States. In the case referred to by the Honourable
Member, these are the competent appeal judge and the Court of Cassation.

Nor is it for the Commission to rule on whether the articles of the Italian criminal code are compatible
with the EC Treaty. Criminal law is a matter for the Member States, and it falls to the Court of Justice to
judge whether Community law has been breached.

If the individual referred to by the Honourable Member considers himself to have been the victim of an
infringement of the European Convention on Human Rights, he should take the matter to the European
Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. However, all domestic legal remedies must
first have been
exhausted, and the appeal must be lodged within six months of the final decision being handed down in
the Member State.

(2001/C 113 E/221)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2894/00

by Esko Sepp(cid:228)nen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(6 September 2000)

Subject: Ear-tags for cattle

The EU requires farmers to mark cattle with ear-tags. This applies even to animals of indigenous breeds
which do not receive EU support. What function do ear-tags serve in such cases?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(5 October 2000)

With the adoption of Council Directive 92/102/EEC of 27 November 1992 on the identification and
registration of animals (1) Member States should already ensure that bovine animals shall be identified with
an eartag bearing a code, which makes it possible to identify each animal individually as well as the
holding on which it was born.

Directive 92/102/EEC has two basic objectives: the localisation and the tracing of animals for veterinary
purposes, which is of crucial importance for the control of contagious diseases; and the management and
supervision of livestock premiums as part of the reform of the agricultural policy.

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/207

Furthermore experience and notably the bovine spongiform encephalopathy crisis had shown that the
implementation of Directive 92/102/EEC had not been entirely satisfactory and needed further improve-
ment.
It was necessary to adopt a specific regulation for bovine animals in order to reinforce the
provisions of the Directive.

Hence Council Regulation (EC) No 820/97 of 21 April 1997 establishing a system for the identification
and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products (2) was adopted.
According to this Regulation bovine animals shall be identified by an eartag applied to each ear and
accompanied by a passport throughout any movement. These requirements are upheld in Regulation (EC)
the Council of 17 July 2000 establishing a system for the
1760/2000 of
identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products
and repealing Council Regulation No 820/97 (3).

the Parliament and of

(1) OJ L 355, 5.12.1992.
(2) OJ L 117, 7.5.1997.
(3) OJ L 204, 11.8.2000.

(2001/C 113 E/222)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2896/00

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

(6 September 2000)

Subject: Integration of Poland and the Czech Republic in the trans-European networks

The forthcoming EU accession of Poland and the Czech Republic increases the importance of further
developing the trans-European transport networks. The prospect of an uninterrupted north-south transport
link stretching from Stettin to Koper via Berlin, Prague and Linz is of the greatest importance to many
economic regions. This link will, not least, give the applicant countries Poland and the Czech Republic
access to the Danube and the Mediterranean ports.

The route from Budweis to Linz, extending the Phyrn route, will be of particular strategic value. The most
recent studies show that
this route has particular advantages over the other possibilities. Regional
integration and quality of business locations will be lastingly furthered in the border region.

The Linz-Budweis/Prague rail link already forms part of the trans-European network as well as the TINA
network in the Central and Eastern European countries. But development of the road link is only being
taken into account by the applicant countries.

How were the budget and time frame for implementation of track development for the Budweis-Linz
section arrived at?

What reasons,
programme? How soon can an affirmative decision be expected?

in the Commission(cid:146)s view,

justify omitting the Budweis-Linz road link from the TEN

What accompanying measures at national and regional level need to be taken, in the Commission(cid:146)s view,
to support and accelerate the implementation of the TENs?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(5 October 2000)

The contribution towards setting up the European transport network forms part of the major Community
policies provided for by EC Treaty Articles 154-156 (former Articles 129b-129d). Moreover, Decision
No 169/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines
for the development of the trans-European transport network (1) defines that policy.