WRITTEN QUESTION E-0281/01 by Reimer Böge (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Implementation of Directive 96/23/EC.
Date: 2001-02-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EC Directive, animal product, infringement procedure (EU), live animal, national implementing measure, traceability, veterinary legislation, veterinary medicine

C 235 E/170

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.8.2001

(2001/C 235 E/197)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0281/01

by Reimer B(cid:246)ge (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 February 2001)

Subject: Implementation of Directive 96/23/EC

Under Directive 96/23/EC (1) all agricultural holdings are required to keep a stable book in which the
owner of the animal and the veterinary surgeon have to note down which medicaments have been given
to which animal in what quantity.

Can the Commission state in which Member States this directive has been implemented and in which it
has not?

In cases where the directive has not been implemented, has the Commission taken any measures against
the Member States in question?

(1) OJ L 125, 23.5.1996, p. 10.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 2001)

Under Article 37 (1) (first paragraph) of Council Directive 96/23/EC on measures to monitor certain
substances and residues thereof in live animals and animal products and repealing Directives 85/358/EEC
and 86/469/EEC and Decisions 89/187/EEC (Council Decision of 6 March 1989 determining the powers
and conditions of operation of the Community reference laboratories provided for by Directive 86/469/
EEC concerning the examination of animals and fresh meat for the presence of residues (1)) and 91/664/
EEC (Council Decision of 11 December 1991 designating the Community reference laboratories for testing
certain substances for residues (2)), Member States must bring into force the laws, regulations and
administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive before 1 July 1997.

On 9 September 1997 the Commission instituted infringement proceedings under Article 226 (ex Article
169) of the EC Treaty against all Member States which had not communicated implementing measures by
the prescribed date.

The only infringement proceedings still ongoing are those against France; they have reached the reasoned
opinion stage.

(1) OJ L 66, 10.3.1989.
(2) OJ L 368, 31.12.1991.

(2001/C 235 E/198)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0284/01

by Klaus-Heiner Lehne (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Purchase of agricultural land by farmers in Germany

(9 February 2001)

The German Federal Government considers that land purchases by Swiss farmers are not compatible with
German measures to improve the structure of German agriculture. On the contrary, owing to significant
differences in the underlying conditions of agricultural policy on the two sides of the border in the Upper
Rhine area, Swiss farmers are said to have been treated so much more favourably, even taking into account
the effects of the Swiss Agriculture Act which entered into force on 1 January 1999, that their purchases
of German agricultural land led to an (cid:145)unhealthy distribution(cid:146) of land within the meaning of Section 9(2) of
the Land Transactions Act.