WRITTEN QUESTION E-1970/01 by David Bowe (PSE) to the Commission. Link between Crohn's disease and paratuberculosis.
Date: 2001-07-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, animal disease, foodstuffs legislation, health risk, infectious disease, medical research, occupational health, public health

4.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/85

(2002/C 81 E/099)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1970/01

by David Bowe (PSE) to the Commission

(5 July 2001)

Subject: Link between Crohn(cid:146)s disease and paratuberculosis

As Mycobacterium Avium Paratuberculosis (MAP) is classified as a pathogen as set out in the EC Directive
93/88/EEC (1) as amended by EC Directives 97/59/EC (2) and 97/65/EC (3), has the Commission made any
plans for its urgent removal from the food chain?

(1) OJ L 268, 29.10.1993, p. 71.
(2) OJ L 282, 15.10.1997, p. 33.
(3) OJ L 335, 6.12.1997, p. 17.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(5 September 2001)

Directive 2000/54/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2000 on the protection of
workers from risks related to exposure to biological agents at work (1) consolidates Council Directive 90/
679/EEC of 26 November 1990 (2), which was subtantially amended on several occasions, inter alia by the
directives mentioned by the Honourable Member (97/59/EC, 97/65/EC and 93/88/EC).

Article 2, paragraph 2 of Directive 2000/54/EC stipulates that biological agents (cid:145)shall be classified into four
risk groups, according to their level of risk of infection(cid:146). The agents (cid:145)Mycobacterium avium/intracellulare(cid:146)
and (cid:145)Mycobacterium paratuberculosis(cid:146) are classified as (cid:145)group 2 biological agents(cid:146) which (cid:145)can cause human
disease and might be a hazard to workers; it is unlikely to spread to the community; there is usually
effective prophylaxis or treatment available(cid:146) (see Article 18 and Annex III of Directive 2000/54/EC).

In the light of speculation that Crohn(cid:146)s disease in man and paratuberculosis in animals could be caused by
the same organism Mycobacterium avium subspecies. Paratuberculosis (Map), the Commission has asked
the commission scientific committees for an opinion on the subject. The Scientific committee on animal
health and welfare examined the question and published its findings on 21 March 2000 on the Internet (3).
Its conclusion was that (cid:145)The currently available evidence is insufficient to confirm or disprove that Map is a
causative agent of at least some cases of Crohn(cid:146)s disease in man. There are sufficient grounds for concern
to warrant increased research activity to resolve the issue.(cid:146)

Research activities both in Crohn(cid:146)s disease and paratuberculosis have been and are currently being
supported by the Community successive Framework Programmes (FP) for research and technological
development within the biomedical and agricultural programmes and also in the on going FP5 in the
Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources Programme, in particular in Key Action 2 (cid:145)Control of
infectious diseases(cid:146). With regard to paratuberculosis in livestock, presently on going is the (cid:145)Concerted
action for the setting up of an European veterinary network on diagnosis, epidemiology and research of
mycobacterial diseases(cid:146) which gathers 28 laboratories from 15 Member States and which includes the
public health implications of mycobacterial
In addition, two projects are currently under
contract negotiation (cid:145)Paratuberculosis epidemiology and risk assessment: novel approaches to identify
strain specific markers(cid:146) and (cid:145)The role of wildlife in the epidemiology of Mycobacterium avium subspecies
paratuberculosis in domestic ruminants in Europe(cid:146).

infections.

These projects will provide a better knowledge of paratuberculosis in livestock, necessary for the
implementation of control and eradication measures.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.4.2002

As the link between Crohn(cid:146)s disease and paratuberculosis in animals has not been established, there are no
specific rules concerning paratuberculosis in the current Community food hygiene legislation. However,
there are some general rules according to which meat and milk from clinically ill animals, suffering for
example from paratuberculosis, are rejected from human consumption. These provisions are included in
Council Directive 64/433/EEC on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat (4) and
Council Directive 92/46/EEC laying down health rules for the production and placing on the market of
raw milk, heat-treated milk and milk-based products (5).

The Commission will follow closely the situation and the research on paratuberculosis and Crohn(cid:146)s disease
and will immediately take appropriate measures to protect the safety of consumers if grounds for concern
emerge.

(1) OJ L 262, 17.10.2000.
(2) OJ L 374, 31.12.1990.
(3)

(cid:145)Possible links between Crohn(cid:146)s disease and Paratuberculosis(cid:146), Report of the Scientific Committee on Animal Health
and Animal Welfare adopted on 21 March 2000, http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/scah/out38_en.pdf.

(4) OJ B 121, 29.7.1964 modified, OJ L 257, 28.9.1985.
(5) OJ L 268, 14.9.1992 (cid:129) OJ L 41, 18.2.1993.

(2002/C 81 E/100)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1980/01

by Piia-Noora Kauppi (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Environmental impact of intensive olive cultivation

(5 July 2001)

According to a report published on 18 June 2001 by the WWF and Birdlife International, intensive olive
cultivation, which has increased as a result of EU agricultural support, is causing desertification, depleting
the soil, and destroying the environment in Mediterranean countries. The report states that in Spain, for
example, 80 million tonnes of topsoil a year are lost in Andalusian olive groves on account of intensive
cultivation. Soil deposits from olive groves cause problems elsewhere by clogging reservoirs and the like.
In addition, ancient deciduous woodlands in Spain, Greece, and Portugal are being cleared to make room
for intensive plantations.

In the EU agricultural budget EUR 2 250 million has been earmarked for olive growing, and that sum is
being used almost entirely to support production. Growers receive aid in proportion to the quantity of
olives that they produce and are consequently encouraged to resort to intensive cultivation and artificial
irrigation and expand their plantations.

the Commission aware that

Is
environmental problems?

intensive olive cultivation today poses one of Europe(cid:146)s biggest

What steps will it take to minimise the damage being caused?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(12 October 2001)

The Commission is aware of the WWF report to which the honourable Member refers and of the
environmental difficulties associated with the olive-oil sector and it drew attention to that concern in its
Report to the Council and Parliament on the quality strategy for olive oil (1).

The Commission also agrees with many of the Report(cid:146)s findings and indeed with the overall objective of a
sustainable agricultural policy that respects the environment. It is, however,
ill-advised to say that the
problems posed are among Europe(cid:146)s worst as there are no data to back up such a claim.