WRITTEN QUESTION E-1797/01 by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission. Fur farming in the European Union.
Date: 2001-06-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: agricultural by-product, animal nutrition, conservation of fish stocks, foodstuffs legislation, fur-bearing animal, investment aid, livestock farming

4.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/61

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 2001)

Regional and local authorities in candidate countries may have an important role to play in adopting and
implementing the Acquis, depending on the structure of the country concerned. While the main effort for
establishing and developing regional and local structures and for enhancing their capacities will need to
come from the candidate countries themselves, all PHARE national programmes include a wide range of
Institution Building measures, notably through (cid:145)twinning(cid:146), and support to Investment in Economic and
Social Cohesion, in line with the PHARE Guidelines of 13 October 1999 (1). In border regions, regional
and local authorities are actively involved in programming and implementing PHARE Cross Border
Cooperation projects.

As PHARE is moving towards the Structural Funds, including decentralised management, and twinning was
made more flexible and allows for shorter term assignments, reflecting regional and local authorities(cid:146)
needs, it is expected that these authorities(cid:146) involvement in PHARE programmes will continue to increase.

The two other pre-accession assistance instruments Sapard and ISPA will also contribute to enhancing
capacities at the local and regional
level. Under ISPA, technical assistance will be made available to
beneficiaries, including local institutions, to assist in enhancing their administrative capacity for managing
projects in the fields of transport and environment,
including supervision and financial control. This
technical assistance will also help preparing to manage Community assistance for regional development
becoming available upon accession. The Sapard programmes for agriculture and rural development, which
are subject to fully decentralised management and follow rules similar to those applied to Member States,
may also contribute to regional and local authorities(cid:146) better knowledge and understanding of certain
aspects of Community law, notably in relation with the Community Agricultural Policy, and help with
preparation of administrative structures for Union accession.

The Commission has thus made available a wide range of pre-accession tools which will support candidate
in the context of the
countries(cid:146) own efforts to raise capacities at the regional and local
Communication on Border Regions adopted by the Commission on 25 July 2001,
it is envisaged to
provide funding from Phare CBC for co-financing Interreg III C programmes, allowing regional and local
authorities from member States and candidate countries to engage into networking and exchange of best
practice in the course of 2002.

level. Lastly,

(1) SEC(1999) 1596 final.

(2002/C 81 E/071)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1797/01

by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission

(19 June 2001)

Subject: Fur farming in the European Union

Can the Commission indicate the quantity and type of fish that are fed to animals in fur farms in each
Member State and how that usage relates to the current fishing agreements?

Does the Commission monitor what happens to the skinned carcasses which are the by-product of fur
farms, whether these enter the human or animal food chain, and whether safety precautions are enforced?

Is the Commission aware that Greece receives subsidises for processing fur? Can the Commission explain
in brief how the fur farming industry operates within the context of EU policies for products derived from
animals?

C 81 E/62

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.4.2002

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 2001)

The data sought, on the quantity and type of fish used for feeding fur animals, is not at present available to
the Commission. But, the industry in the Nordic countries has indicated that, in the year 2000, the use of
fish from the Baltic Sea was around 60 000 tonnes, 10 000 tonnes and 30 000 tonnes in Finland, Sweden
and Denmark, respectively. These figures do not include industries using fish from the Baltic Sea for
fishmeal, fish oil or other purposes. Also, they do not include fur farmers who import fish for fur farming
purposes from regions other than the Baltic Sea.

fur animals,

these are generally considered as by-products of

Concerning, skinned carcases of
the
production of fur and, as such, must comply with the provisions of Council Directive 90/667/EEC of
27 November 1990 (1) on animal waste, requiring Member States to ensure that animal by-products are
disposed of or processed in safe and controlled conditions. As a rule,
this applies to fur animal
by-products. However, Member States may, in restricted circumstances and under veterinary supervision,
authorise the use of fur animal by-products for the production of feed for similar animals whose flesh does
not enter the food chain.

The use of fur animal by-products for the production of feed for similar animals is not prohibited by
current Community legislation providing for a total suspension on the feeding of processed animal protein
to farmed animals which are kept, fattened or bred for the production of food. But Council Decision
2000/766/EC of 4 December 2000 concerning certain protection measures with regard to transmissible
spongiform encephalopathies and the feeding of animal protein (2) imposes a basic requirement on the
competent authorities to ensure that, where such feed is produced,
it is manufactured in plants that
prepare exclusively feed for those animals, and does not present a risk to human or animal health.
Furthermore, such feed must not derive from, or contain specified risk material as foreseen by the
Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of 22 May 2001 laying down rules for the
prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (3).

Regarding subsidies for processing fur, in the context of diversification of activities in rural areas, the
European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) co-financing, which is limited to investment
aids for fur rearing, is not excluded under the condition that the relevant hygienic, environmental and
animal welfare prescriptions are respected. However, such an intervention is very exceptional. Since fur is
not a product of Annex I, EAGGF intervention for fur processing is excluded.

(1) OJ L 363, 27.12.1990.
(2) OJ L 306, 7.12.2000, as implemented by Commission Decision 2001/9/EC of 29 December 2000,

(OJ L 2,
5.1.2001), and as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1326/2001 of 29 June 2001, (OJ L 177,
30.6.2001).

(3) OJ L 147, 31.5.2001.

(2002/C 81 E/072)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1799/01

by Marielle De Sarnez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 June 2001)

Subject: Social situation in the European Union

On 14 March 2001, the Directorate-General for Employment and Social Affairs published the second
annual report on the social situation in Europe. What specific measures does the European Commission
intend to take in the light of that report?