WRITTEN QUESTION E-0318/01 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. Termination of the europartenariat scheme.
Date: 2001-02-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, management, project evaluation

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.