WRITTEN QUESTION E-1154/01 by Struan Stevenson (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Health and consumer protection.
Date: 2001-04-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, animal disease, aquaculture, sea fish, veterinary legislation

20.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 364 E/51

(2001/C 364 E/056)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1154/01

by Struan Stevenson (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 April 2001)

Subject: Health and consumer protection

Council Decision 90/424/EEC (1). I would be grateful

if you could confirm that under the above
1.
Decision, Member States would be entitled to receive a financial contribution from Community Institutions
towards compensation costs in the event of them being required to implement eradication measures under
Directive 93/53/EEC (2).

2.
Is the Commissioner aware that under the ISA withdrawal scheme, approved under Commission
Decision 2001/186/EC (3), confirmation of disease has been redefined as the isolation of ISA virus? On
what grounds is this justified?

3. What measures does the Commission propose to take to ensure wild fish stocks swimming from
Norwegian or Canadian waters, carrying the ISA virus, will not enter EU waters or interact and pass the
virus infection to EU bred fish swimming home to EU waters from wild migratory paths?

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 19.
(2) OJ L 175, 19.7.1993, p. 23.
(3) OJ L 67, 9.3.2001, p. 80.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(4 July 2001)

Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990, on expenditure in the veterinary field provides for the
possibility of a financial contribution from the Community for the eradication and monitoring of a number
of diseases which may occur in pigs, cattle, sheep, poultry and fish. With regard to disease in fish, the
Community financial measures relate at present to eradication and monitoring of infectious haematopoietic
necrosis (IHN). A proposal to amend Decision 90/424/EEC (1) has been sent to the Council. The proposed
amendment, in combination with Commission Regulation (EC) No 2722/2000 of 13 December 2000,
establishes the conditions under which the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) may make
a contribution towards the eradication of pathological risks in aquaculture (2) and could provide for
financial contributions for control measures taken in the case of outbreaks of
Infectious salmon
anaemia (ISA). Prior to granting a financial contribution, the Member State must present a disease control
or eradication programme, which must be approved by the Commission.

The confirmation of ISA shall, according to Council Directive 93/53/EEC of 24 June 1993, introducing
minimum Community measures for the control of certain fish diseases, be based on the result of
laboratory examination or the result of clinical examination and a post-mortem examination. Sampling
and laboratory testing for the presence of ISA shall be carried out using the methods established in
accordance with Article 15 of Council Directive 91/67/EEC of 28 January 1991 concerning the animal
health conditions governing the placing on the market of aquaculture animals and products (3). Specific
methods are under preparation with the assistance of fish disease experts in the Member States and from
Norway, the latter having several years of experience in diagnosing and combating ISA. The National
Veterinary Institute in Norway is the reference laboratory of the World Organisation for Animal Health
(OIE) with regard to ISA. Preliminary discussions with the experts resulted in agreement that the officially
confirmed detection of the ISA virus, without clinical signs, is enough to fulfil the criteria for infection.

In relation to the evaluation and adoption of the scheme submitted by the United Kingdom for the
withdrawal of fish to be applied in Scotland in case of ISA, disease confirmation was discussed. The
Standing Veterinary Committee followed the advice given by the fish disease experts and furthermore took
into account the fact that the OIE had recently (in 2000) published an updated diagnostic manual for
aquatic animal diseases. In this manual the detection of ISA virus by means of virus cultivation is included
as a current diagnostic procedure for confirmation of ISA.

C 364 E/52

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.12.2001

In 1991 the Council adopted Directive 91/67/EEC concerning the animal health conditions governing the
placing on the market of aquaculture animals and products with the objective of having harmonised health
rules for ensuring the development of the aquaculture sector and to increase productivity. In 1993,
Council Directive 93/53/EEC was adopted with the main objective to establish at Community level the
control measures to be taken in the event of outbreaks of disease. The aim of the legislation was not
necessarily to eradicate ISA from Community waters but rather to prevent the spread of the disease if
present and to eradicate the agent from infected farms.

In relation to measures preventing farmed fish from being infected with ISA virus present in the wild, in
addition to the obligatory measures laid down in the present legislation, a review of the animal health/
zootechnics aquaculture legislation has recently been initiated. In the review process, the criteria for
diseases to be controlled by obligatory measures will be examined, taking into account the present
knowledge about the presence of the agent in the wild and the interchange of infection between farmed
and wild susceptible fish. In addition, consideration will be given to further developing Community
legislation with regard to preventative management measures at farm and regional level.

(1) COM(2001) 37 final.
(2) OJ L 314, 14.12.2000.
(3) OJ L 46, 19.2.1991.

(2001/C 364 E/057)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1155/01

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

(10 April 2001)

Subject: Tuna steaks

On the basis of a study of the demand for tuna steak supplies which assessed the supply of tuna steaks to
the Community market in the short and medium term, the Commission decided to open an annual
quota of 4000 tonnes at a 6 % preferential rate of duty for the period 2001 to 2003, within the COM in
fisheries and aquaculture products.

How has this quota been used by the various Member States, both in 2000 and 2001?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(26 June 2001)

The Commission considers that the information requested by the Honourable Member is covered by the
confidentiality provision in Article 308a(12) of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 of 2 July 1993
laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the
Community Customs Code (1), as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1427/97 of 23 July
1997 (2). Consequently that information cannot be provided.

(1) OJ L 253, 11.10.1993.
(2) OJ L 196, 24.7.1997.

(2001/C 364 E/058)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1175/01

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Council

(24 April 2001)

Subject: Birth deficit

At the plenary sitting on Wednesday, 14 March 2001, the Council representative, Mrs Lindh, emphasised
that the phenomenon of the ageing population, which is expected to become an explosive issue by 2010,