WRITTEN QUESTION E-1541/01 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Prevention of animal diseases by allowing agricultural markets to take better account of natural biological laws.
Date: 2001-05-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: animal disease, disease prevention, food safety, veterinary legislation

C 364 E/138

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.12.2001

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(13 July 2001)

Nuclear power contributes significantly (about 35 %) to electricity production within the Community and,
accordingly, mitigates the Community(cid:146)s dependency on imported fossil fuels and the Community(cid:146)s green
house gas emissions. On the other hand,
its public acceptability is hampered due to public concern
regarding waste disposal and safety.

These aspects are discussed in the Commission(cid:146)s Green Paper (cid:145)Towards a European Strategy for the
Security of Energy Supply(cid:146) (1). The purpose of the Green Paper is to provide the necessary transparency to
political decision makers and the public regarding today(cid:146)s supply security issues and to launch a debate
with a view to developing the necessary strategy for the three to four decades to come. The Green Paper
has been adopted by the Commission and therefore reflects the views of the College on this question.

The various moratoria on nuclear power adopted by some of
the Member States have also been
considered. Member States have a sovereign right to decide for themselves whether to rely on nuclear
energy for electricity production or to phase it out. The Commission respects this right, while at the same
time considering that security of supply and environmental protection concerns make it necessary to
examine the present situation of nuclear energy and its potential for the future with an open mind and on
the basis of objective facts. The Green Paper shows that the absence of nuclear energy would make it even
more difficult to tackle climate change in the long term.

In the meantime, it is necessary to progress towards the development and implementation of a sustainable
approach to the disposal of nuclear wastes and to ensure adequate research in this sector.

(1) COM(2000) 769 final.

(2001/C 364 E/154)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1541/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(28 May 2001)

Subject: Prevention of animal diseases by allowing agricultural markets to take better account of natural

biological laws

1.
In the Commission(cid:146)s view what are the possibilities of preventing the rapid dissemination of plant
and animal diseases and the transfer of pests and infectious animals over long distances, given that natural
geographical barriers which may limit or prevent this are to an increasing extent disappearing as a result
of trade and transport operations?

In the Commission(cid:146)s view, what measures could be taken to prevent the transport of seed and
2.
breeding animals over long distances which results from the concentration of agricultural production in
areas where the lowest production costs are anticipated and to prevent the final product being traded over
long distances, thereby increasing the risk of the spread of diseases?

Does the Commission regard as acceptable the continued failure within the territory of the Member
3.
States of the European Union to exploit the possibilities offered by the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
to make the import of plants, animals and foodstuffs subject to strict health rules?

4. What new and more comprehensive arrangements are being envisaged by the Commission to
prevent a further spread of BSE, swine fever, foot-and-mouth infection and other diseases?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(20 July 2001)

1. and 2.
Increased movements of people, animals and goods throughout the world and globalisation of
agricultural markets imply additional risks of spreading human, animal and plant diseases. Given the

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 364 E/139

complexity of these issues, to which only a formal answer can be given in this reply, the Commission
would like to draw the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to its White Paper on Food Safety (1), where
detailed information is provided on the Commission(cid:146)s views in this regard.

A very comprehensive set of legislation is already in place on health rules on import of plants,
3.
animal and foodstuffs into the Community, which is in line with the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures. Therefore the Commission does
not agree with the assumption of the Honourable Member that the possibilities offered by the WTO are
not exploited.

At the request of the Commission, food safety will be on the agenda of a special session of the WTO on
agriculture, due to meet in July 2001.

The Parliament, the Council and the Commission are already engaged in a review of the Community

4.
policy on some major animal diseases.

In particular:

(cid:129) the Council adopted a Directive 2000/75/EC of 20 November 2000 laying down specific provisions

for the control and eradication of blue tongue (2);

(cid:129) the Parliament and the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of 22 May 2001 laying down
rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalo-
pathies (3) including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE);

(cid:129) following the opinion of the Parliament, a new Directive on the control of classical swine fever is at

present in the process of adoption by the Council;

(cid:129) the Council reached a political agreement on a common position on the proposed regulation on

animal by-products at its meeting on 19 June 2001;

(cid:129) the Council has also reached a political agreement on the proposed Food Authority;

(cid:129) the Commission has already committed itself to a review of the current legislation on foot-and-mouth

disease once the current outbreak is eradicated;

(cid:129) the Commission will submit in the next months to the legislator two proposals on the monitoring and

control of zoonoses (Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli, and others).

Through the activities of its Food and Veterinary Office, the Commission is closely involved in evaluating
the manner in which animal health legislation is implemented in the Member States. The reports of the
Office(cid:146)s evaluation missions are available on the Directorate general (DG) Health and Consumer Protection
website. Future missions to be undertaken by the Office will pay particular attention to the issues raised by
the recent disease problems identified in the animal health sector.

(1) COM(1999) 719 final.
(2) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000.
(3) OJ L 147, 31.5.2001.

(2001/C 364 E/155)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1542/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(28 May 2001)

Subject: Implementation of alternative and supplementary measures to bring to a rapid end the foot-and-

mouth epidemic

1.
Is the Commission able to demonstrate the inaccuracy of rumours to the effect that vaccines against
foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) which are regarded as illegal have been distributed in other Member States,
including France, and are being used to prevent any further spread of the disease?