WRITTEN QUESTION E-0287/01 by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission. The welfare of broiler chickens.
Date: 2001-02-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: animal welfare, intensive livestock farming, poultry, poultry farming

C 187 E/212

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

In an announcement made at the end of summer 2000, the Commission indicated that because of a lack
of budget appropriations the programme for 2000 would be brought to a close sooner than had been
planned. Additionally, it seems that a more selective and discouraging procedure is be introduced, to
reduce the number of applications the Commission has to handle.

In view of the success of the vast town-twinning movement in Europe, does the Commission not, on the
contrary, consider it vital to propose a significant increase in the appropriations granted for European
town-twinning as part of the next preliminary draft budget for 2002?

Will the Commission also confirm its intention to take pains to ensure that the procedure for submitting
applications remains accessible to the largest possible number of local authorities, and in particular to the
smallest ones, and to this end to ensure it has adequate means to make the procedure better, more flexible
and faster?

Finally, will the Commission say what criteria it considered relevant in taking the decision to propose
measures which will clearly have an adverse impact on European town-twinning?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(28 March 2001)

The Commission is aware of the importance of the initiative to promote town twinning and believes that
efficient and transparent management of this procedure is crucial to its success.

Due to the significant increase in the number of applications in recent years, the time required to process
applications had increased considerably; in addition, the volume of subsidies applied for had eventually
exceeded the available budget resources.

In order to improve the management of this initiative at all levels (cid:129) selection, distribution of aid over the
year, rapid processing of applications (cid:129) the Commission has decided, following consultation with the
organisations which play an active part in the promotion of town twinning, to introduce for 2001 the call
for proposals procedure normally used for managing Commission subsidies. This procedure takes account
towns,
of
irrespective of their size, and an equitable distribution of available funds throughout the year. A meeting
with the representative organisations is planned in the course of 2001 to evaluate the new procedure.

twinning and was designed to ensure broad access for all

the specific characteristics of

The Commission recognises the importance of town-twinning measures in developing participative and
active European citizenship. The estimate of the allocation to be provided for twinning in the 2002
preliminary draft budget (PDB) will take account of the current evaluation of the general constraints the
Commission will experience in drawing up the preliminary draft budget.

(2001/C 187 E/234)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0287/01

by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission

(9 February 2001)

Subject: The welfare of broiler chickens

On 21 March 2000, the Commission(cid:146)s Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare
adopted a report (cid:145)The welfare of chickens kept for meat production (broilers)(cid:146), which concluded that the
broiler industry(cid:146)s determination to achieve fast growth rates leads to many broiler chickens suffering from
painful leg disorders and to broilers dying of heart failure. The Scientific Committee also indicated that the
stocking density must be 25 kg/m2 for major welfare problems to be largely avoided and that above
30 kg/m2, even with very good environmental control systems, there is a steep rise in the frequency of

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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serious problems. The committee also concluded that the severe feed restrictions to which broiler breeders
are subjected result in unacceptable welfare problems and that the welfare of breeding birds must be
improved.

Moreover, at the November 2000 meeting of the Agriculture Council, several delegations urged the
Commission to prepare as quickly as possible a proposal for a Directive on the protection of broiler
chickens.

In light of these developments, when does the Commission intend to prepare a proposal for a Council
Directive to address the broiler health and welfare problems highlighted by the Scientific Committee(cid:146)s
report?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(28 February 2001)

The Commission refers the Honourable Member to the joint reply it gave to Written Questions E-1809/00
and E-1848/00 by Mrs McAvan (1) on the same subject.

(1) OJ C 89 E, 20.3.2001, p. 89.

(2001/C 187 E/235)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0299/01

by Hanja Maij-Weggen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 February 2001)

Subject: Child labour

The Commission did not give a precise reply to my Question E-3639/00 (1). Can the Commission state
precisely which EU Member States and which ACP countries have not yet ratified ILO Convention No 182
concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour?

(1) OJ C 151 E, 22.5.2001.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(29 March 2001)

The Honourable Member is informed that, with regard to her question concerning the Member States
which have not yet ratified International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No 182 on the worst
forms of child labour, a matter on which the Commission adopted a Recommendation to Member States
on 15 September 2000 (1), the following Member States had not ratified the Convention in question as of
8 February 2001: Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria and
Sweden.

With regard to the Honourable Member(cid:146)s question regarding which African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)
countries have not ratified ILO Convention 182, a list of ratifying countries (including ACP countries) as of
8 February 2001, as provided on the ILO(cid:146)s public Ilolex information system, is being sent directly to the
Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

(1) OJ L 243, 28.9.2000.