WRITTEN QUESTION P-0306/01 by Giorgio Celli (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Transmission of BSE.
Date: 2001-02-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: bovine spongiform encephalopathy, disease prevention, epidemiology, health risk, infectious disease

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/215

Joint answer
to Written Questions P-0303/01 and P-0355/01
given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(26 March 2001)

In accordance with the sixth recital of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2082/93 of 20 July 1993 amending
Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 laying down provisions for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 as
regards coordination of the activities of the different Structural Funds between themselves and with the
operations of the European Investment Bank and the other existing financial instruments (1) and Article 8(3)
of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the
Structural Funds (2) for the 2000-2006 programming period, the implementation of assistance is the
responsibility of the Member States.

For this reason the Commission, which does not manage the Fund directly, wrote to the Spanish authority
responsible for implementing the European Social Fund on 1 February 2001, asking it to carry out the
necessary investigations concerning information published in the Spanish daily newspaper El Pa(cid:237)s on 29,
30 and 31 January.

By fax dated 1 February 2001, the Spanish Ministry of Employment informed the Commission that on
31 January 2001 its services had asked the Instituto Municipal de Empleo de Madrid for information
concerning any cofinancing by the European Social Fund of training courses related to the information
published in the press.

Once the Ministry of Employment has officially submitted its conclusions to the Commission, and in the
event of any apparent irregularity in the use of the European Social Fund, the Member State and the
Commission will make the appropriate financial corrections in accordance with the procedures provided
for by Community and national standards.

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has indicated that it is aware of the articles published in the press
and that it is in contact with the national authorities responsible for communications under Commission
Regulation (EC) No 1681/94 of 11 July 1994 concerning irregularities and the recovery of sums wrongly
paid in connection with the financing of the structural policies and the organisation of an information
system in this field (3).

(1) OJ L 193, 31.7.1993.
(2) OJ L 161, 21.6.1999.
(3) OJ L 178, 12.7.1994.

(2001/C 187 E/238)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0306/01

by Giorgio Celli (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(2 February 2001)

Subject: Transmission of BSE

It appears that one of the ways in which BSE can be transmitted is from a cow infected with the disease to
its own calf, which is then born with the disease.

Will the Commission therefore say:

1. what security is provided by conducting tests on calves more than 20 or 30 months old?

2. what percentage of animals tested, although infected, may have been able to slip through the net?

3.

finally, whether there is any truth in the report which appeared in The Times last summer concerning
a baby born with BSE that had been transmitted during the mother(cid:146)s pregnancy?

C 187 E/216

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(22 March 2001)

According to the scientific advice available to the Community, epidemiological studies point at an
enhanced risk of approximately 10 % of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in offspring born to
BSE affected dams within 12 months of onset of clinical signs of BSE. However the mechanism for the
transmission is not known and it is still unclear if maternal transmission of BSE in cattle in the traditional
sense occurs. Even if maternal transmission does occur it appears to be of minor importance compared to
feed-borne transmission.

The current tests for BSE are used to detect clinical BSE cases or BSE infected animals close to the clinical
phase. As the tests cannot detect the infection early in the incubation period, a negative test result is not
a guarantee that the animal was not infected. The most important direct public health protection measure
is therefore the removal of specified BSE risk material at slaughter. At present it is not possible to establish
what percentage of the animals tested negative have actually been infected.

The Commission does not have the information requested in the Honourable Member(cid:146)s third question.
However, up to now, no case of transmission of human transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)
from mother to child has been substantiated.

(2001/C 187 E/239)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0318/01

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(13 February 2001)

Subject: Termination of the europartenariat scheme

Will the Commission explain why a decision was taken to terminate the europartenariat programme
before the results of the evaluation of the scheme were known?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(21 March 2001)

The Commission has been reviewing its priorities and the means it has to carry out its work. In this
context, and following the work of the Peer Group as set out in the Communication from the Commission
(cid:145)Matching the Commission(cid:146)s activities with its human resources(cid:146) of 26 July 2000 (1), it has decided that it
will no longer be directly involved in the management of Europartenariat events.

The Europartenariat evaluation study that is being carried out has as its objective to examine the impact
that the programme Europartenariat has had over the 10-12 year period of its existence, and to suggest
improvements to the formula. The decision of the Commission not to continue investing its own resources
in managing this programme does not preclude that the formula developed over the years may be used by
other interested parties, particularly those who have recognised the benefits of past programmes. In this
context the evaluation will be a useful tool for such interests. The Commission is ready to make available
the management tools it has developed such as the organisers guide and the software package to new
organisers.

(1) SEC(2000) 2000.