WRITTEN QUESTION E-0076/01 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Supplementary measures to restrict the transport of live animals and to improve checks on such transport.
Date: 2001-01-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: animal welfare, exchange of information, import (EU), length of journey, protection of animals, transport document, transport of animals, veterinary inspection, veterinary legislation

21.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 235 E/111

With regard to Community programmes to restore historic monuments, the Commission would refer the
Honourable Member to the answer given to Mrs Muscardini(cid:146)s Written Question E-0030/01 (1).

In addition, as the year 2001 is the first centenary of the death of Giuseppe Verdi, the Commission would
like to draw the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to the fact that the (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146) (2) programme(cid:146)s call for
proposals for projects to be carried out in 2001 provides for funding to be awarded to three projects to
commemorate this anniversary. Conditions for participation in the programme,
together with the
application form, are available on the Europa server at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/culture/index_en.html.

(1) See p. 95.
(2) OJ C 21, 24.1.2001.

(2001/C 235 E/115)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0076/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(29 January 2001)

Subject: Supplementary measures to restrict the transport of live animals and to improve checks on such

transport

1.
Does the Commission draw the conclusion from the (cid:145)Report from the Commission to the Council
and the European Parliament on the experience acquired by Member States since the implementation of
Council Directive 95/29/EC (1) amending Directive 91/628/EEC (2) concerning the protection of animals
during transport(cid:146) (3) that (cid:129) given the low priority assigned by Member States to transposition of the
Directive, the problems with transport from third countries and the fact that it is difficult to monitor
application of the existing rules (cid:129) supplementary measures are needed in the short term?

How does the Commission intend to bring about changes to the annual transport of 140 000 live
2.
horses for slaughter from Eastern Europe to the Member States of the European Union (cid:129) in particular
from Poland, the Baltic states, Hungary and Romania to Italy (cid:129) when there is inadequate protection in the
exporting countries and the transit countries and when the minimum standards of welfare applicable to
long-distance transport are not observed?

3.
Is the Commission considering reducing, and if possible completely terminating, the increase in the
maximum journey time of eight hours, permitted under Directive 91/628/EEC (provided special vehicles
food and drink), thereby adopting the important principle that
are used, there are resting periods,
slaughtering should take place within a certain distance and/or travelling time from the start of the
transport, or immediately on first entering a Member State of the European Union, so that the transport of
live animals can be entirely replaced with transport of meat?

4.
Pending any further scientific research into the transport of animals, and any review of transport
arrangements, and pending accession to the European Convention for the Protection of Animals during
International Transport (ETS 65), is the Commission prepared to take any action in the immediate future
towards restricting such transport?

5.
Is the Commission also prepared to make immediate improvements to monitoring of compliance
with the intention of existing rules, for example through a better exchange of information between the
Member States and by making it compulsory for recognised transport companies to be able, at any time,
to submit documentary evidence of their qualifications, the origin of their transport and the duration of
the journey etc.?

(1) OJ L 148, 30.6.1995, p. 52.
(2) OJ L 340, 11.12.1991, p. 17.
(3) COM(2000) 809 final of 6.12.2000.

C 235 E/112

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.8.2001

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(15 March 2001)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to Written Question P-0117/01 by
Mrs Paulsen (1).

(1) OJ C 187 E, 3.7.2001, p. 189.

(2001/C 235 E/116)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0079/01

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(29 January 2001)

Subject: Zero-deficit Spanish national budget for 2001 and respect for the principle of additionality in

implementing the Structural Funds

The Spanish national government has submitted to the national parliament, obtaining its approval,
a (cid:145)balanced(cid:146) budget for 2001 based on a zero deficit, justifying its decision on internal economic grounds
but also invoking the need to comply with the Community agreements on financial stability. This decision
of the Spanish government occurs in highly particular circumstances. For some years now the Spanish
government has been cutting the real wages of public employees, by the device of limiting pay rises to
predicted inflation levels (which always fall short of the reality), while also reducing both investment in
badly needed transport infrastructure and expenditure on R & D (not to mention cuts in other key areas).
At the same time, however, it is raising tax levels to twice the European figures. From the EU perspective,
it is surely particularly disturbing and unacceptable that a state which, every year, receives exceptional
payments under the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Funds should use those funds for the purpose of
balancing its budget and achieving a zero deficit, while at the same time cutting back on investment
funded from its own coffers, thus manifestly failing to comply with the governing principle of additionality
which prevails within the EU. In view of its responsibility for monitoring compliance with the Community
rules on the implementation of Community funds, can the Commission state its position on this attitude of
the Spanish central government? Has the Commission taken any initiative to ascertain whether this zero-
deficit budget of the Spanish state for 2001 has been drawn up and adopted on the basis of a relative
reduction in the national funding which should be earmarked for investment cofinanced by the EU, in
breach of the principle of additionality?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(15 March 2001)

According to the information forwarded to the Commission by the Spanish authorities, they have in the
past fulfilled all their obligations as regards additionality imposed under the Structural Funds.

During the 2000-2006 programming period, Spain intends to increase structural expenditure by an
average annual of 9,6 % in the case of Objective 1 and 17,4 % in that of Objectives 2 and 3.

(2001/C 235 E/117)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0081/01

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(29 January 2001)

Subject: Imposition on the Spanish regions of a Stability Law requiring a zero deficit in their annual

budgets

The Spanish national government has recently adopted (cid:129) in breach of the constitutionally guaranteed
autonomy of the Spanish regions (cid:129) a preliminary draft law, to be submitted to the Congress of Deputies,
which would oblige all administrations, from next year, to draw up their budget on the basis of a zero