WRITTEN QUESTION E-0096/01 by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission. BSE: blood donations.
Date: 2001-01-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: France, United Kingdom, blood transfusion, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, disease prevention, health policy, organisation of health care

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/181

(2001/C 187 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0093/01

by Rosa MiguØlez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Dumping of cattle carcasses in Mes(cid:237)a (Galicia, Spain)

(29 January 2001)

In the first days of 2001 more than 300 cattle carcasses were discovered in a disused open-cast quartz
mine in Galicia, having been secretly dumped there. Those responsible for this dumping appear to have
been employees of the enterprise entrusted by the regional government with the task of incinerating these
carcasses, considered unsuitable for the food chain.

In view of the reasons given by the Galician regional authorities and the Spanish national authorities in
justification of this act of dumping:

Can the Commission state whether (cid:129) and if so, through what mechanisms (cid:129) it is monitoring the
implementation in the Member States of the measures adopted by the Council for the eradication of BSE
and the protection of consumer health in Europe?

Can the Commission state what penalties it intends to apply to acts such as the above?

Can the Commission state what measures it intends to take concerning this particular case of dumping of
cattle carcasses in Galicia?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(13 March 2001)

In relation to matters relating to public and animal health, the Commission(cid:146)s policy is to maintain a high
level of vigilance in order to ensure that Member States fully comply with their obligations under
Community law.

Commission experts carry out regular on-the-spot checks in all Member States to verify the correct
implementation of Community legislation on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and related
matters.

The specific matter raised by the Honourable Member is being investigated by the Commission.

In cases where, after establishing the facts, it appears to the Commission that Spain is not fulfilling its
obligations,
the Commission is prepared to take all necessary action within its power ensure that
Community law is respected. In appropriate cases this action would include the opening of infringement
proceedings under Article 226 (ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty.

(2001/C 187 E/194)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0096/01

by Rosa MiguØlez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(29 January 2001)

Subject: BSE: blood donations

In response to the BSE crisis, the governments of the 15 Member States have adopted a series of
supplementary measures of their own to be applied in addition to the measures approved at Community
level by the Council of Ministers. One measure adopted by the French Government merits particular
attention, in that it places a ban on blood donations from people resident in the United Kingdom during
the BSE crisis there.

In view of this situation, does the Commission believe that any technical or scientific grounds exist for
banning blood donated by people resident in the United Kingdom during the BSE crisis there?

C 187 E/182

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(14 March 2001)

The Scientific Steering Committee has recently advised the Commission (1) that there is no conclusive
scientific evidence for the transmission of variant Cruntzfeld-Jacob disease (vCJD) by blood. However, the
Commission is well aware that a theoretical potential for such transmission does exist, and the relevant
Scientific Committees continuously monitor scientific evidence on the subject as it arises.

Based on the Committee(cid:146)s findings, the Commission will propose preventive measures as necessary, taking
into account also that the Scientific Committee on Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (SCMPMD) (2)
recommends a careful consideration of whether the exclusion of donors who stayed for a defined period of
time in areas with increased risk of exposure to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent would
provide an increase in safety balanced against its negative impact on supply and donor population.

According to the SCMPMD, the adverse effects of any exclusion criterion on the donor population is not
only the possibility of a shortage in supply. Excluded donors have to be replaced by new donors, most
probably by first time donors. This replacement creates an additional risk as the prevalence of blood borne
infectious diseases in first time donors is significantly higher than in repetitive donors. Any new exclusion
measure, therefore, has to be balanced against the calculable risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),
hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmissions in donations from first time donors.

(1) Opinion of the Scientific Steering Committee of 26/27 October 2000 on the Houston et al paper in the Lancet of

16 September 2000 on the transmission of BSE by blood transfusion in sheep.

(2) Update of the Opinion given by the Scientific Committee on Medicinal Products and Medical Devices on The Risk

Quantification For CJD Transmission Via Substances of Human Origin of 16 February 2000.

(2001/C 187 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0098/01

by Rosa MiguØlez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(29 January 2001)

Subject: BSE: incinerators

As a result of the measures adopted by the European Union in response to the emergence of further (cid:129) and
in some instances the first (cid:129) cases of BSE in various European countries, the authorities find themselves
faced with the need to take drastic measures to tackle this serious problem, with a view to protecting
consumer health and containing the spread of the epidemic.

Of the measures adopted, the one which is apparently proving most problematic (cid:129) especially in those
Member States where the first cases of BSE have surfaced (cid:129) concerns the transportation and subsequent
destruction of risk material.

Incinerators have been unable to cope with the large number of cattle earmarked for slaughter in keeping
with recent decisions by the Council of Ministers. Moreover, there would appear to be no easy means of
transporting animals for slaughter.

In view of the justifiable public alarm that this issue has generated amongst consumers and cattle farmers
(cid:129) who in many instances are not only losing their cattle but are also having to bear the cost of the
transportation and subsequent slaughter thereof (cid:129) what procedures does the Commission intend to
introduce to enable compliance with European rules on the mandatory requirement that SRM which is
to be disposed of is properly incinerated and transported?