WRITTEN QUESTION E-3047/00 by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Transport of animals.
Date: 2000-09-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, animal welfare, application of EU law, infringement of EU law, transport of animals, transport regulations

8.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/169

(2001/C 136 E/197)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3045/00

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(28 September 2000)

Subject: Euro games

What games for popular consumption have been produced with European Union funding to teach people
about the euro?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(17 November 2000)

As part of the Eurofacile programme, the Commission has developed prototype games with consumer
associations and with associations representing social groups which have difficulty gaining access to
information about the euro.

Apart from these purely educational games, the Commission has not provided financial backing for
any game to be marketed commercially, not wishing to become involved in what is a highly competitive
field. Games may have featured as teaching aids in projects carried out in partnership with civil society
(non-profit-making associations).

The Commission has also agreed to make available to game designers facilities such as the Quest database,
which contains questions and answers on the euro.

The Commission does not claim an exhaustive knowledge of the field, but is aware of various euro games
marketed by well-known manufacturers.

(2001/C 136 E/198)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3047/00

by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(28 September 2000)

Subject: Transport of animals

In July and August 2000, investigators from Compassion in World Farming and Animals(cid:146) Angels spent
two weeks in the Italian port of Brindisi. They observed several breaches of Council Directive 91/628/
EEC (1) (as amended) on the protection of animals during transport in respect of sheep arriving from the
Netherlands and Spain. The main problems observed included the failure to give animals 24 hours rest
after the permitted maximum journey time, the transport of unfit animals and the use of (cid:145)basic(cid:146) vehicles
which, under Council Regulation 411/98 (2), should not be used to transport animals for more than 8
hours, actually to transport them on very much longer journeys.

What steps is the Commission taking (a) to persuade Italy to enforce EU law in respect of animals passing
through Brindisi and (b) to persuade Spain and the Netherlands not to permit animals to leave their
territory when the consignment is in breach of Council Directive 91/628 and/or Council Regulation 411/
98?

(1) OJ L 340, 11.12.1991, p. 17.
(2) OJ L 52, 21.2.1998, p. 8.

C 136 E/170

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.5.2001

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(20 November 2000)

The Member States bear the primary responsibility for the enforcement of Community legislation on a
day-to day basis, whilst the Commission in turn has a duty to ensure that all Community legislation is
properly enforced by the Member States.

In this regard, the Commission has already received information concerning serious problems regarding
the enforcement of Community legislation on the protection of animals during transport at the port of
Brindisi in Italy. In particular, reports sent to the Commission by the Italian authorities in relation to
breaches of Council Directive 91/628/EC of 19 November 1991 on the protection of animals during
transport corroborate to some extent the observations made by the animal protection organizations that
the Honourable Member has mentioned.

At the beginning of August 2000 the Commission formally requested several Member States to investigate
the matter urgently and, in particular, to take the necessary actions in relation to the use of inappropriate
vehicles.

The inspectors of the Commissions(cid:146) food and veterinary office will carry out further inspections in Gorizia,
Bari and Brindisi in November in connection with this matter.

It should be mentioned that infringement proceedings have also been opened against some Member States
in relation to the failure to implement Community legislation in relation to the protection of animals
during transport.

Concerning further initiatives,
in accordance with Article 13 of Directive 91/628/EC, as amended by
Council Directive 95/29/EC of 29 June 1995 (1), the Commission will submit to the Council, as soon as
possible, a report on the implementation in the Member States of Community legislation in this field. The
report will also be presented to the Parliament.

Following the conclusion of this report the Commission intends to present proposals to improve the
transport of animals, and problems related to insufficient enforcement of the provisions mentioned by the
Honourable Member will be considered.

(1) OJ L 148, 30.6.1995.

(2001/C 136 E/199)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3050/00

by Jean-Claude Martinez (TDI) to the Commission

(28 September 2000)

Subject: Elephant hunting in Africa

The cruel and senseless practice of elephant hunting is still going on, unfortunately against a background
of widespread indifference.

Given that the massacre of these mammals, one of the symbol(cid:146)s of our planet, is prompted by financial
motives connected to the trade in ivory tusks, what steps will the Commission take to introduce a total
Community-wide ban on this vile trade?

Will the Commission introduce a system of fines for states which continue to allow hunting of this kind
within their territory, reminiscent as it is of the archaic and barbaric practices of former times?

it take measures against travel agencies and other organisations which organise these large-scale

Will
massacres under the guise of safaris or big-game hunting?