WRITTEN QUESTION P-0750/01 by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Intervention buying of beef and the BSE crisis.
Date: 2001-03-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: animal feedingstuffs, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, cereal substitute, consumer protection, food industry, infringement of EU law

C 187 E/232

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(19 April 2001)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to his Written Question E-3876/00 (1).

That answer is still valid.

(1) See p. 75.

(2001/C 187 E/262)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0675/01

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 March 2001)

Subject: Fishing-licence fees in the EU(cid:146)s international fisheries agreements

1.
Could the Commission provide information regarding the amount of funding allocated to develop-
ment cooperation under each of the fisheries agreements concluded between the EU and third countries
and currently in force?

2.
Could the Commission provide information regarding the finanical contribution made by Commu-
nity shipowners in the form of payments for fishing-licence fees under each of the fisheries agreements
concluded between the EU and third countries and currently in force?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(27 April 2001)

The Commission is sending direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat a table
containing the information requested.

(2001/C 187 E/263)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0750/01

by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Intervention buying of beef and the BSE crisis

(7 March 2001)

What view does the Commission take of the fact that the taxpayer has had to foot the entire bill for the
BSE crisis, even though it is well documented that producers of meat meal and animal feedingstuffs are
guilty of serious negligence?

Has it examined whether the industry may be held liable and be open to claims for compensation? If not,
why not?

Does the it intend, at least in cases in which there have been clear breaches of the law, for example in
Bavaria, where the temperature was not high enough in the production process, to recommend to the
Member States to make claims for liability?

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/233

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 2001)

These issues have been previously addressed in a number of contexts including the report of
the
Committee of Enquiry about BSE and its follow-up. The Commission is once more reviewing this
information and will communicate its findings as soon as possible.

(2001/C 187 E/264)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0944/01

by John McCartin (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(28 March 2001)

Subject: Poultry imports to the EU

Can the Commission indicate the quantities of poultrymeat imported annually into the EU and the
countries from which those imports come?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(27 April 2001)

Because of the length of the answer, which includes a number of tables, the Commission is sending it
direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

(2001/C 187 E/265)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1157/01

by Francesco Speroni (TDI) to the Commission

(3 April 2001)

Subject: Protected designation of origin (PDO) products: use of additives and preservatives in cheese-

making

Bearing in mind that:

(cid:129) the rules and specifications laid down for the production of Grana Padano DOC (controlled origin
denomination) cheese do not provide for the use of preservatives and, more particularly, the additive
E1105 (lysozyme),

(cid:129) paragraph 2D of Ministerial Decree 209/1996, which implements Community Directives 94/34/EC (1),
94/35/EC (2), 94/36/CE (3), 95/2/EC (4) and 95/31/EC (5) by laying down rules on additives, specifies
that an additive may be used provided it is not used to conceal the use of inferior raw materials or
undesirable practices or techniques (including unhygienic practices),

(cid:129) the preservative E1105 (lysozyme) is used in the production of Grana Padano DOC cheese because it
makes it possible to use milk that does not comply with the hygiene standards laid down in Directive
92/46/EEC (Annex A, Chapter IV) (6),

(cid:129) the Italian Minister of Health has confirmed, in a note of 18 June 1999 sent to the Commission
(DG XXIV), that almost all the Italian milk that does not comply with those standards is used for the
production of Grana Padano DOP or Parmigiano Reggiano DOP,

(cid:129) the CSQA (body for the Certification of Quality Systems in the Agri-Food sector), the only certifying
body recognised by the Italian government for the certification of Grana Padano, allows the addition
of lysozyme as a preservative in its inspection plan even though it is not allowed by the production
specifications for Grana Padano DOP.