WRITTEN QUESTION P-0962/01 by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Presence of SRM in meat from Dutch slaughterhouses.
Date: 2001-03-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Netherlands, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, consumer protection, health risk, meat, slaughter of animals, veterinary inspection

C 261 E/220

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

(2001/C 261 E/250)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0962/01

by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 March 2001)

Subject: Presence of SRM in meat from Dutch slaughterhouses

Following the recent inquiry in the Netherlands prompted by the discovery in Great Britain of SRM in
meat from a number of Dutch slaughterhouses, I should like to ask:

Can the Commission indicate whether SRM has been found in other Member States in meat processed by
slaughterhouses?

What ideas does the Commission have for encouraging inspections of compliance with existing rules by
the slaughterhouses referred to above?

Why is it that only inspections in Great Britain have revealed the presence of SRM?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2001)

The Commission has been gathering information about the implementation of Commission Decision
2000/418/EEC of 29 June 2000 regulating the use of material presenting risks as regards transmissible
spongiform encephalopathies (1), by Member States since the entry into force of the main provisions in
October 2000.

Since December 2000, the Commission(cid:146)s Food and Veterinary Office has carried out missions to eleven
Member States, to assess the implementation of the main bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)
Community measures. Decision 2000/418/EC was included in the scope of these missions. Further
missions are currently taking place. Once the corresponding final reports have been completed,
in
accordance with the official procedures, they will be transmitted to the Parliament and published on the
internet site of the Directorate General
for Health and Consumer Protection. From the information
contained in the draft reports, it appears that in most of the Member States visited the controls carried
out by the relevant authorities regarding the removal of specified risk material (SRM) at slaughterhouses
were considered to be inefficient and in need of improvement, if the presence of SRM, particularly spinal
cord, is to be totally excluded.

Protection of consumer health is one of the prime objectives of the Commission. Any potential health risk
relating to BSE is taken extremely seriously. To this end, a comprehensive series of Community measures
has been put in place. The removal of SRM is considered by the Commission as being the most important
measure to protect public health. Member States are responsible for its implementation and enforcement,
as it is generally the case for other Community rules. As mentioned above, this is then audited by the Food
and Veterinary Office.

From the information available to the Commission, the British Food Standards Agency has issued
instructions to local authorities and to the Meat Hygiene Service to step up checks on imported meat
arriving at licensed meat cutting plants in the United Kingdom. This action has been decided first to ensure
continued consumer protection from potential health risks, particularly those associated with BSE, but also
in anticipation of a possible increase in imported beef because of the current foot and mouth outbreak.

(1) OJ L 158, 30.6.2000.