WRITTEN QUESTION E-3792/00 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. Public health considerations and French beef.
Date: 2000-12-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: France, Internet, beef, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, health control, opinion, public health, scientific committee (EU), veterinary inspection

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/51

(2001/C 187 E/054)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3790/00

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Value Added Tax rates for the repair of buildings

(7 December 2000)

Does the Commission believe it is desirable that pressure for new housing should be met, wherever
possible, through modification or renovation of existing housing stock rather than through the construc-
tion of new housing on virgin greenfield sites, and is it prepared to accede to Gordon Brown(cid:146)s request to
reduce VAT to 5 per cent on converting properties into multiple dwellings and to allow any EU
government which so desires to introduce a zero rate of VAT on renovation of existing building stock in
order to encourage conservation and protection of the countryside?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(1 February 2001)

The situation under current Community VAT legislation is that category 9 of Annex H of the 6th VAT
Council Directive 77/388/EEC of 17 May 1977 on the harmonization of the laws of the Member States
relating to turnover taxes (cid:129) Common system of value added tax: uniform basis of assessment (1) covers the
(cid:145)supply, construction, renovation and alteration of housing provided as part of social policy(cid:146). Member
States may therefore apply a reduced VAT rate of not less than 5 % to these services. Any repairs or
modifications to housing stock which does not fall within this definition attracts the standard rate of VAT.

As far as zero rating is concerned, only those Member States which applied a zero rate of VAT on
1 January 1991 are permitted to maintain this rate for a transitional period. It is therefore not possible,
under current Community law, to introduce a new zero rate.

(1) OJ L 145, 13.6.1977. Directive as last amended by Council Directive 2000/65/CE of 17 October 2000 (OJ L 269,

21.10.2000).

(2001/C 187 E/055)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3792/00

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(7 December 2000)

Subject: Public health considerations and French beef

Has either the Scientific Veterinary Committee or the Veterinary Standing Committee considered whether
French beef poses a threat to public health? Is so, what are their conclusions?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(16 March 2001)

The question of the safety of cattle meat in general has been addressed in several opinions of the
Commission(cid:146)s independent Scientific Steering Committee (SSC). The safety of meat is of primary concern
for the Commission and extensive measures have been put in place to safeguard public health in the
Member States, including in France. A number of issues arising from measures introduced in France, or in
relation to measures introduced in other Member States relative to French beef, were addressed by the SSC
at its meeting of 27/28 November 2000.

C 187 E/52

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

At that meeting an opinion was adopted on:

(cid:129) the scientific basis for import bans proposed by three Member States with regard to BSE risks in

France and Ireland;

(cid:129) the scientific basis for several measures proposed by France with regard to BSE risks;

(cid:129) the scientific basis for banning animal protein from the feed for all farmed animals, including pig,

poultry, fish and pet animals.

This opinion is available on the internet website http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/ssc. The safety of
French meat-on-the bone is addressed in section 2.a. The SSC agrees that some risk reduction can be
considered in France by means of the removal from human consumption of the meat-on-the-vertebrae
((cid:145)T-bone steak(cid:146)).

The Scientific Steering Committee re-assessed on 12 January 2001 the safety of the vertebral column and
in the light of the additional risk reduction measures coming into force in 2001. This
T-bone steak,
opinion is also available on the above-mentioned website under the title (cid:145)Opinion on the questions
submitted by EC-services following a request of 4 December 2000 by the EU Council of Agricultural
Ministers regarding the safety with regard to BSE of certain bovine tissues and certain animal-derived
products(cid:146).

(2001/C 187 E/056)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3794/00

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(7 December 2000)

Subject: SIDS research project

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also called (cid:145)cot death(cid:146), and stillbirth, the unforeseen death of a foetus,
are two of the biggest problems (cid:129) from the scientific point of view and where State health services are
concerned (cid:129) that modern medicine has yet to solve.

In sudden infant death syndrome, an apparently healthy infant between a month and a year old dies out of
the blue and without warning. The condition affects 1 in 500 to 1 000 infants born and is the most
frequent cause of death in the first year of life. The unexpected death of the foetus at the final stage of
pregnancy is five times as common, despite the latest advances in maternity care. The emotional
consequences for the relatives are devastating, and medical and psychotherapeutic support entails very
substantial costs to society, without considering the untimely loss of a large number of potentially
productive individuals.

A fuller understanding of these syndromes, which occur in the perinatal and neonatal periods (cid:129) both still
shrouded in such deep mystery (cid:129) would undoubtedly lead to immense scientific and financial benefits.
There is as yet no standard systematic approach to the conditions at clinical level. Further, extremely
delicate research on a microscopic scale is accordingly required, but this could be carried out only in
highly specialised centres.

In the light of the foregoing and of the social repercussions can the Commission say whether it has made
provision in its research programmes for projects to probe into the subjects referred to above? If not,
would it be willing to support research projects focusing on the neurocardiac disorders associated with
SIDS and foetal death?