WRITTEN QUESTION E-1366/01 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Protecting stray dogs in Romania.
Date: 2001-05-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Romania, competence of the Member States, domestic animal, protection of animals

C 364 E/92

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.12.2001

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(12 July 2001)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to his Written Questions E-0362/01,
E-0363/01 and E-0366/01 (1). It has no further information on the failure by Xerox in Venrey (Holland),
Dundalk (Ireland) and Mitcheldean (United Kingdom) to consult with the workers regarding their current
restructuring plans.

As far as the Honourable Member(cid:146)s question concerning sanctions in case of serious infringements of the
right of employees to be informed and consulted is concerned, the Commission wishes to highlight, that in
its proposal for a Council Directive establishing a general
framework for informing and consulting
employees in the Community (2), the Commission proposed a provision which does not have a precedent
in the Community directives on employee information and consultation. It states that in the case of
a serious breach of the Directive, e.g. total absence of information and/or consultation before a decision
being taken or publicly announced, or the withholding of important information or provision of false
information affecting the effectiveness of the procedure, such decisions should not have legal effects on the
employment contracts of the employees concerned until the moment when the employer has fulfilled its
obligations or, if this is no longer possible, appropriate compensation has been fixed.

On 11 June 2001 the Council reached agreement on a compromise text for a common position. In this
compromise the Council did not accept the Commission proposal for more stringent sanctions. The
Commission will press for final adoption of this important Directive including the proposed sanctions

(1) OJ C 340 E, 4.12.2001, p. 19.
(2) OJ C 2, 5.1.1999.

(2001/C 364 E/100)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1366/01

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(7 May 2001)

Subject: Protecting stray dogs in Romania

According to television reports, moves are under way to get rid of the approximately 200 000 stray dogs
roaming the streets of Bucharest; the reports included footage of the mass burial sites used to dispose of
the animals once they have been killed. Since they are strays, the dogs have become wild and the
authorities consider them to be a danger. Special teams of non-professional dog-catchers are being used to
round up the dogs and take them to a camp, ostensibly for sterilisation, although in actual fact they are
shot as soon as they are outside the city boundaries. Animal-lovers, journalists, veterinarians (cid:129) and even
Brigitte Bardot (cid:129) have been making trips to Bucharest to save as many of these dogs as they can from
a certain death. However, the problem is on such a large scale that the goodwill of just a few individuals is
not enough.

1.

Can the Commission state whether it is aware of this problem?

2. Whether it is willing to negotiate with the Romanian Government with a view to finding a way out
of this terrible situation?

3. Whether it has raised the issue of animal welfare during the enlargement negotiations?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(29 June 2001)

The Commission is aware of the policy on stray dogs which is practised by the Municipality of Bucharest.
While recognising that stray dogs constitute a problem that needs to be addressed, the Commission finds
that this policy may lead to a treatment of stray dogs which is unnecessarily cruel and disproportionate.

20.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 364 E/93

However, European legislation on protection of wild animals, protection of animals used for experimental
or scientific purposes, animal welfare on the farm, during transport and at slaughter does not apply to
stray dogs.

Therefore, the Commission has no legal basis to formally address this issue with the Romanian authorities.

(2001/C 364 E/101)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1368/01

by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(7 May 2001)

Subject: Foot-and-mouth crisis

In light of the continuing foot-and-mouth crisis and the regulations requiring that all animals moving into
the island of Ireland are certified with animal health certificates, can the Commission account for animal
movements to the Republic of Ireland from the UK, in the context that animals moving from Northern
Ireland to the Republic do not require such certificates, and that there has been confusion and delay with
regard to the tracing of these animals because of this?

According to reports in the media a truck belonging to a dealer in Banbridge, Ireland, carrying infected
animals from Britain, travelled to several marts in Northern Ireland. Can the Commission confirm that all
these animals have been traced? Can the Commission confirm that the Irish and UK authorities have traced
all potentially diseased animals that originated in the UK?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(6 July 2001)

Community legislation on intra-Community trade of bovine, porcine, ovine and caprine animals, as laid
down in Council Directives 64/432/EEC of 26 June 1964 on animal health problems affecting intra-
Community trade in bovine animals and swine (1) and Council Directive 91/68/EEC of 28 January 1991 on
animal health conditions governing intra-Community trade in ovine and caprine animals (2), requires that
any consignment of
these animals moving from one Member State to another Member State is
accompanied by a health certificate issued by the competent veterinary authority of the Member State of
dispatch.

The above provisions therefore apply to movements from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland. In
addition, safeguard measures due to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) ban any movement of live
cattle from the United Kingdom.

Due to the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in the United Kingdom, the Commission adopted a ban
on 21 February 2001, the day after the reporting of the disease in England, on any movement of animals
of FMD-susceptible species from the United Kingdom to any other destination. In the following days
further decisions were also taken concerning the tracing of the consignments of those animals, and
particularly sheep, which had been moved from the United Kingdom after the likely date of FMD
introduction in England, which was estimated to be not before 1 February 2001.

During the FMD crisis, the Irish authorities have constantly informed the Commission about their progress
in tracing animals legally or illegally moved into Ireland. Most of these animals had been routinely
slaughtered before 21 February. The animals concerned, sheep and pigs, mainly introduced for fattening or
immediate slaughter, were traced. Tests carried out on these animals gave negative results for FMD.