WRITTEN QUESTION E-0163/01 by Stefano Zappalà (PPE-DE), Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE), Guido Viceconte (PPE-DE), Mario Mauro (PPE-DE), Amalia Sartori (PPE-DE), Carlo Fatuzzo (PPE-DE), Umberto Scapagnini (PPE-DE), Renato Brunetta (PPE-DE) and Guido Podestà (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Mad cow disease.
Date: 2001-01-31
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, EU research policy, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, consumer protection, medical research, scientific exchange

C 261 E/52

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

(2001/C 261 E/055)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0163/01

by Stefano Zappal(cid:224) (PPE-DE), Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE),
Guido Viceconte (PPE-DE), Mario Mauro (PPE-DE), Amalia Sartori (PPE-DE),
Carlo Fatuzzo (PPE-DE), Umberto Scapagnini (PPE-DE), Renato Brunetta (PPE-DE)
and Guido Podest(cid:224) (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Mad cow disease

(31 January 2001)

The press is providing information on mad cow disease which is fairly comprehensive from a technical
point of view, but which is incomplete from an institutional point of view.

This serious disease is not a new one, but it is only now that it is beginning to receive the attention it
deserves, riding on the wave of emotion that has been aroused.

There is no scientific certainty as regards the long incubation period, the age of the cattle at risk, the inter-
country movement of cattle and the effects on beef and dairy products.

Can the Commission therefore state:

1. what research investments have been made since the phenomenon first came to light (1985);

2. what degree of certainty there is with regard to the monitoring of meat movements both within the

EU and in third countries;

3. what degree of certainty there is with regard to possible BSE-related human mortality over the past 15

years;

4. whether the precautions implemented by the Member States are deemed adequate on the basis of the

information currently available;

5. whether it does not consider it would be appropriate to promptly step up scientific research, even if

this means using unlimited resources.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(17 April 2001)

Research on human and animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) has been supported
within the Community research programmes since 1990 with a total Community contribution of € 53 880
million (€ 2 120 million during the 2nd and 3rd Framework Programme, € 50 700 million within the
European Action Plan on TSE adopted by the Parliament and the Council in November 1996, € 1 060
million within the 5th Framework Programme). 54 research projects are running as part of the TSE Action
Plan and three projects under the 5th framework programme. 15 new proposals have recently been
submitted and are being evaluated.

The Joint Research Centre of the Commission has engaged in an extensive programme for the evaluation
of post-mortem tests on BSE infection and the establishment of appropriate measures for quality assurance
in the ongoing monitoring programme. It is also engaged in programmes for the evaluation of methods
for the detection of meat and bone meal in animal feed and for the assessment of heat treatment of animal
meat and bone meal.

The rules on the production, marking, storage and transport of fresh meat in the Community are laid
down in Council Directive 64/433/EEC of 26 June 1964 on health problems affecting intra Community
trade in fresh meat (1). The rules on checks applied to movement of meat and other animal products within
the Community and on entry from third countries are laid down in Council Directive 89/662/EC of
11 December 1989 concerning veterinary checks in intra-Community trade with a view to the completion
the internal market (2) and Council Directive 97/78/EC of 18 December 1997 laying down the
of
principles governing the organisation of veterinary checks on products entering the Community from

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 261 E/53

third countries (3) respectively. In addition, further conditions apply to the labelling of beef and minced
beef as to the Member State/third country and the approval number of the establishments of slaughter or
cutting as appropriate. These requirements are laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No. 1760/2000 of the
Parliament and of the Council of 17 July 2000 establishing a system for the identification and registration
of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products.

Up to early November 2000, a cumulative number of 83 deaths related to von Kreuzveldt-Jacob disease
(vCJD)
(81 in the United Kingdom, one in Ireland and one in France) have been reported in the
Community. Microbiological/molecular biological evidence collected over recent years indicates that BSE
and vCJD are most likely caused by the same (BSE) agent. This supports the hypothesis that humans
probably became infected as a result of the consumption of BSE contaminated material, most likely orally
(via food).

However, a number of uncertainties and unknowns, over such aspects as the transmission mechanism
from animals to man, the exact nature of the infective agent and the length of the incubation period of
vCJD (which could possibly vary from a few years to more than 25 years), indicate the need for further
research, which is under way.

Member States are already implementing a wide range of BSE control measures introduced in recent years
in the areas of SRM removal, rendering, feedstuff controls and epidemio-surveillance. On the basis of
recommendations from the Scientific Steering Committee, these controls are now being strengthened with
new measures on mechanically recovered meat, ruminant tallow and vertebral column.

In line with the conclusions of the Research Council of 16 November 2000, an expert group with
representatives from Member States and the Joint Research Centre has been set up in order to:

(cid:129) examine the state of TSE research across Member States,

(cid:129) encourage exchange of information between research teams; and

(cid:129) identify on-going research topics, which need strengthening as well as new research areas.

The work of the expert group should provide the basis for strengthening the co-ordination between
national research activities.

(1) OJ B 121, 29.7.1964.
(2) OJ L 395, 30.12.1989.
(3) OJ L 24, 30.1.1998.

(2001/C 261 E/056)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0164/01

by Jules Maaten (ELDR) to the Commission

(31 January 2001)

Subject: Progress reached in introducing the euro in the different Member States in the euro zone

1.
The Netherlands Ministry of Finance has recently published figures (eighth progress report on the
euro and public authorities) on the lack of progress in introducing the euro by public authorities. For
example, it appears that 64 % of Dutch local authorities have not yet started implementation of the euro
process. Some local authorities (4 %),
in fact, have not even started with their preparations. Local
authorities are lagging well behind in the fields of communications and information in particular. Only
16 % have drawn up an external communications plan and only 31 % have an internal communications
plan. Only 45 % have a management plan for adjusting their administrative systems. The preparations