WRITTEN QUESTION P-4058/00 by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Inspection of meat imported into Greece.
Date: 2000-12-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, application of EU law, import (EU), meat, veterinary inspection

19.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 174 E/223

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(12 February 2001)

The Commission does not know the individual emoluments of the members of the Executive Board of the
European Central Bank (ECB). According to the notes on the Profit and Loss Account of the ECB for the
year ending 31 December 1999 the emoluments of the Executive Board of the ECB amounted to a total of
€ 1,8 million in the year 1999 (1).

(1) ECB Annual Report 1999, page 156.

(2001/C 174 E/239)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-4058/00

by Ioannis Mar(cid:237)nos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 December 2000)

Subject: Inspection of meat imported into Greece

The Greek press reports that there are only 250 public health inspectors in Greece, whereas the country
needs at least 1000 in order to safeguard consumers(cid:146) health as Greece is a net importer of meat products
from within and outside the European Union. In addition to the shortage of personnel, allegations have
emerged that inspections of meat and other imported produce are inadequate as they are carried out on a
five-day basis and only during civil servants(cid:146) eight-hour working day, whereas the largest quantities are
imported at times when no inspection is possible. The Greek State Secretary for Agriculture acknowledged
the laxity of the inspections when he referred to (cid:145)occasional(cid:146) checks being carried out and only on
weekdays. What action will the Commission take to compel the Greek authorities to increase the number
of staff and inspections to ensure that public health in Greece is effectively protected? Are there other
Member States in which inspections of meat are carried out only five days a week and during office hours
and, if so, which? In which Member States are inspections carried out every day and at any time that
consignments are imported?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf on the Commission

(23 February 2001)

The Commission(cid:146)s Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) carried out an inspection in Greece for the purpose of
assessing controls at border inspection posts from 29 March 1999 to 3 April 1999. Following an
exchange of correspondence, the Greek central competent authorities (CCA) were requested to give
additional information in relation to the recommendations of the inspection report and they responded
on 29 February 2000 with satisfactory guarantees. The Commission intends to carry out a further
inspection on import controls in Greece in March 2001.

The FVO carried out an inspection in Greece from 25 to 29 September 2000 on the production of fresh
meat (pork). This revealed continuing, serious problems and so the Greek CCA were requested by letter of
31 October 2000 to submit an action plan. The objective is for Greece to address, by means of
constructive proposals, the identified weaknesses in the systems of control and to set a timetable for
their urgent implementation. The CCA(cid:146)s reply was received by the Commission on 20 December 2000 and
is currently being examined.

Businesses, including meat factories and ports, work varying hours. Meat factories tend to work regular
hours whereas outside factors impinge on ports. As an official presence/supervision is prescribed for
certain activities, fees are levied. The calculation of the fees is based on known hours and throughputs.
Staffing is adjusted to cover the hours. This sometimes involves official staff being on-call for situations not
requiring a full-time presence. In fact, most Member States carry out import controls outside of official
office working hours.

C 174 E/224

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

19.6.2001

Inspections (meat and border) by the authorities of the Member States are not necessarily conducted on a
24 hour basis, 365 days a year. Thus any consignments arriving outside of conventional hours at the place
of destination may have to await inspection until resumption of work by the inspection staff. For import
controls Community legislation provides for pre-notification of the consignments in order to allow
veterinary staff to be made aware of the arrival of consignments and to ensure that the import checks
can be carried out if necessary outside of official working hours.

(2001/C 174 E/240)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-4059/00

by Willy De Clercq (ELDR) to the Commission

(20 December 2000)

Subject: Access to innovative medicines

Council Directive 89/105/EEC (1) of 21 December 1988 relating to the transparency of measures regulating
the prices of medicinal products for human use and their inclusion in the scope of national health
insurance systems provides for a maximum period of 180 days for pricing and reimbursement approval by
the Member States, once marketing approval has been granted. Some Member States, such as Belgium, still
take up to four times as long to grant pricing and reimbursement approval for new medicinal products.
This deprives patients from access to crucial new pharmaceutical products. Can the Commission inform
Parliament on what it has done or what it will do to ensure that patients are not denied access to new
drugs because of bureaucratic inefficiency?

(1) OJ L 40, 11.2.1989, p. 8.

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(20 February 2001)

The Council Directive 89/105/EEC, of 21 December 1988, relating to the transparency of measures
regulating the pricing of medicinal products for human use and their inclusion within the scope of
national health insurance systems has been fully transposed into national law by all Member States. It is
worth noting that the periods of time laid down in the Directive to which the question makes reference
are mandatory, and not optional.

It is indeed true that there have been complaints surrounding the length of time taken by some Member
States to agree on prices and reimbursement rates for medicinal products, and the Commission will
continue to monitor the situation closely.

The specific facts to which the question makes reference are currently a matter of law. The Commission
has instituted infraction proceedings against Belgium (cid:129) Cases 1999/5305, 2000/4442 and 2000/4544
form a linked dossier, and are being actively pursued by the Commission.

(2001/C 174 E/241)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4063/00

by Isidoro SÆnchez Garc(cid:237)a (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: Businesses and the EU-Mexico Agreement

(9 January 2001)

The Agreement between the European Union and Mexico was signed in December 1999 and entered into
force on 1 July 2000. Its content means that the agreement provides the future framework for cooperation
between firms on both sides. The achievement of one of the key objectives of the agreement, to adjust the
balance in view of Mexico(cid:146)s excessive economic, commercial and financial dependence on its North
American neighbour, will depend on the success of such business cooperation.