WRITTEN QUESTION P-1504/01 by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Transport of animals.
Date: 2001-05-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: animal welfare, application of EU law, foot-and-mouth disease, transport of animals, transport regulations, veterinary legislation

20.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 364 E/131

No specific diseases are mentioned in the future programme to ensure flexibility over the next six years.
Projects on rare diseases will certainly continue. The setting up of a European information network on rare
diseases, as defined in the rare diseases programme, could be taken up as part of the health information
system. The surveillance of certain rare diseases, including work on clusters, may be continued under the
(cid:145)rapid reaction(cid:146). The proposed programme puts an emphasis on informing and consulting stakeholders in
the health field, including representative organisations of patients.

During the forthcoming months a specific call for proposals will be published to ensure the execution of
the public health budgetary appropriations in 2002.

(1) OJ L 18, 22.1.2000.
(2) OJ C 337 E, 28.11.2000.

(2001/C 364 E/145)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1504/01

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 May 2001)

Subject: Transport of animals

In December 2000 the Commission published a report on the implementation and enforcement of the
Transport Directive 91/628/EEC (1) as amended by 95/29/EC (2). It clearly states that most Member States
are not properly enforcing the rules which are designed to protect the welfare of transported animals. The
Commission is also going to propose certain changes to the directive and the annexes, although Parliament
will only be asked to give an opinion on proposals to change the articles of the directive at some time in
the future. The uncontrolled and sometimes illegal transporting of animals (particularly sheep) to slaughter
has been responsible for the rapid spread of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK, France, Netherlands and
Germany. Those sheep would have suffered even if they had not been infected by this dreadful disease.

Does not the Commission agree that changes to the transport rules, more radical than those mentioned in
the report, are necessary and the Parliament should be asked to give its opinion on all proposals to
amended the directive including the annexes?

(1) OJ L 340, 11.12.1991, p. 17.
(2) OJ L 148, 30.6.1995, p. 52.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(18 June 2001)

The necessity to limit the long distance transport of animals to absolutely essential journeys and to keep
any suffering to a minimum are especially important objectives for the Commission.

The Commission agrees that stricter rules are essential to improve the current situation even if it is not
possible to prevent unacceptable treatment of animals simply through legislation or controls. In this
respect, the Commission stresses that it is imperative that Member States ensure strict implementation of
the Community legislation in place.

In relation to new legislation the Commission has very recently taken initiatives:

(cid:129) to prevent the transport of injured or sick animals, the Commission adopted Decision 2001/298/EC of
30 March 2001 amending the Annexes to Council Directives 64/432/EEC, 90/426/EEC, 91/68/EEC
and 92/65/EEC and to Commission Decision 94/273/EC as regards the protection of animals during
transport (1) to amend veterinary certificates for intra-Community trade of livestock in order to refer to
the fitness of the animals to be transported;

C 364 E/132

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.12.2001

(cid:129) to improve the standards of the vehicles, the Commission adopted on 9 April 2001 a proposal for
a Council Regulation concerning ventilation systems of road vehicles used for journeys exceeding eight
hours (2).

An additional proposal amending Directive 91/628/EEC will also be presented aiming at further improving
the situation. Furthermore on receipt of a new opinion of the Scientific Committee on Animal Welfare
expected for the end of 2001, a redefinition of travelling times and loading densities will be considered.

When drafting the proposal amending Directive 91/628/EEC, the Commission will also consider the latest
developments that have affected animal transport in Europe and in particular in the light of the recent
foot-and-mouth disease epidemic.

The procedure to amend Directive 91/628/EEC, including its annex, is based on Article 37 (ex Article 43)
of the EC Treaty. This article provides for the Parliament to be consulted.

(1) OJ L 102, 12.4.2001.
(2) COM(2001) 197 final.

(2001/C 364 E/146)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1510/01

by Gunilla Carlsson (PPE-DE) to the Council

(21 May 2001)

Subject: Council President(cid:146)s statements in North Korea

During his visit to North Korea, the President of the Council, G(cid:246)ran Persson, described that country(cid:146)s
dictator, Kim Jong Il, as a (cid:145)lively, well-informed and open man(cid:146), according to the Swedish (pro-government)
newspaper Aftonbladet.

Does the Council consider this to be an apt description of a tyrant with the lives of thousands, if not
millions, of people on his conscience?

Reply

(27 September 2001)

The Council has made no secret of its concerns regarding the human rights situation in North Korea.
Those concerns form an integral part of the Union(cid:146)s policy towards North Korea. This was clear, for
example, in the lines of action which the Council adopted in November 2000. The Council therefore
welcomes the agreement reached with the DPRK during the recent high-level EU visit to Pyongyang to
begin discussions on human rights issues. An exploratory meeting to this end was held between the EU
and DPRK in Brussels on 13 June. The Council hopes that the DPRK will be ready to enter into
a substantive dialogue, which will bring early, concrete and significant improvements to the dismal human
rights and humanitarian situation in the country.

(2001/C 364 E/147)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1512/01

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(21 May 2001)

Subject: Age limit applicable in Open Competition COM/A/6/01 (OJ C 110, 11.4.2001, p. 15) for the

recruitment of administrators

In April 2001, the Commission published in the daily newspaper (cid:145)Die Presse(cid:146) the eligibility requirements
relating to Open Competition COM/A/6/01 for the recruitment of some 150 administrators. Under Section
B of the notice (Special conditions), the Commission stipulated that candidates must not be older than 45.
Accordingly, only persons born after 25 May 1955 were eligible to take part in the competition.