WRITTEN QUESTION E-2128/01 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Health risks linked to consumption of horsemeat.
Date: 2001-07-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, enlargement of the Union, health certificate, health risk, horsemeat, import, originating product, veterinary legislation

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/65

(2002/C 93 E/081)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2126/01

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(17 July 2001)

Subject: Exploitation of children in Romania

Thousands of children in Romania are in the hands of criminal organisations, which use them for
prostitution, subjecting them to all kinds of violence. This situation was recently the subject of protests on
the part of Mrs Emma Nicholson of the European Commission, who pointed out that recently, at least, this
issue has become a matter of priority for the European institutions.

In this context can the Commission say whether:

1.

2.

3.

it is aware of such criminal practices in other countries which are candidates for accession;

it has alerted Europol, so that an investigation involving all the Union countries can try to discover
whether there is any complicity between criminal organisations and the authorities in those countries;

it does not consider that information should be obtained about existing legislation for the protection
of children and the family in general in those countries?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(8 October 2001)

1. and 3.
The Commission would remind the Honourable Member of the content of the regular reports
which it sends every year to Parliament and the Council on the progress made by the candidate countries
with a view to accession. The reports for 2000, in particular, noted the existence in a number of candidate
countries of problems similar to those raised by the Honourable Member and measures taken or to be
taken to deal with them, and legislation on the protection of children. This applied particularly to the
reports concerning Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia. The next regular
reports will be presented in November 2001.

The Commission also recalls that in the field of protection of children, the future Framework Decision on
combating sexual exploitation of children and child pornography is a legal instrument that will form part
of the acquis and consequently be implemented in the candidate countries too and that, in the accession
process, information is obtained regularly to assess how the acquis is being or can be implemented in the
candidate countries.

2.
The Commission recalls that Europol is competent for the fight against trafficking in human beings,
including child pornography, where there are factual indications that an organised structure is involved
and two or more Member States are affected. Europol’s work-programmes for 2001 and 2002 mention
this area of crime as one of its main priorities. Europol is currently actively involved in two recent major
investigations on the subject. In order to enhance co-operation with the candidate countries in this area,
the Council has authorised Europol to negotiate cooperation agreements with all of them.

(2002/C 93 E/082)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2128/01

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Health risks linked to consumption of horsemeat

(17 July 2001)

The problem of ‘mad cow disease’ has led to a considerable increase in the consumption of horsemeat in
Italy and other European countries. However, almost all this meat is imported from Eastern Europe, in
particular from Romania. In addition to the terrible conditions in which the horses are transported, there is

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Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2002

also the fact that many of these countries have suffered an environmental disaster. The soil, and hence also
animal fodder, has been contaminated with heavy metals, such as cadmium, mercury and lead, in addition
to radioactive nuclides resulting from the fallout from Chernobyl. According to EU estimates, Italy imports
more than 200 000 horses per year, 70 % of them from Eastern Europe.

Can the Commission say whether:

1.

2.

3.

it is aware of the risks outlined above;

it does not consider the situation presents a grave danger for consumer health;

it does not consider, in view of the enlargement of the Union, that the countries involved in this trade
must
transpose the existing European directives on preventive health in connection with meat
consumption and that by analogy with the Member States’ ban on the consumption of the liver and
kidneys of animals from outside the Community, there should be an equally strict ban, especially for
those countries which have launched the accession procedure, on exporting animals which do not
have the health characteristics allowing them to be marketed without risks to the consumer;

4.

it does not consider it desirable, for this purpose, to contact the health ministers of those countries to
find out about and assess the existing legislation on the subject and their opposite numbers in the
Member States, with a view to devising joint measures to tackle this problem?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(27 September 2001)

1. and 2.
The Community has laid down conditions governing imports of live animals and animal
products from non-member countries. Those conditions seek to protect the Community consumer and are
at least equivalent to those laid down for Community products. They may comprise a list of authorised
non-member countries and monitoring requirements, in particular covering the detection of residues, and
lists of establishments approved for meat imports. The guarantees required call for the presentation of
health certificates, models for which are laid down at Community level. Imports are inspected at approved
border inspection posts on entry into the Union. In addition, the Food and Veterinary Office conducts
regular inspection visits to non-member countries to ensure that the authorities comply with the rules.

This system of guarantees applies to meat, including horsemeat, and live animals imported from countries
in eastern Europe. The Commission accordingly considers that EU consumers do have the requisite
guarantees, assuming the rules are applied strictly.

3. and 4.
Under the enlargement negotiations, the candidate countries are required to adopt national
legislation implementing the body of EU law. Naturally this principle covers health and veterinary matters.
Regular meetings are held with the candidate countries to assess progress made. The aim is to ensure that,
by the date of accession at the latest, not only will the Community regulations have been incorporated into
the national
law of the candidate countries but they will also actually be applied by the national
authorities. To that end the candidate countries have presented a general document outlining their strategy
for ensuring food safety.

(2002/C 93 E/083)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2129/01

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(17 July 2001)

Subject: Legislation against domestic and sexual violence for the protection of women and minors in the

candidate countries

It is an undeniable fact that violence against women and minors in the family is on the increase.