WRITTEN QUESTION E-2131/01 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Conservation of endangered animal breeds in the European Union.
Date: 2001-07-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EAGGF, agri-environmental plan, biodiversity, eligibility criteria, protected species, protection of animals, rural development

14.2.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 40 E/193

(2002/C 40 E/209)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2131/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(17 July 2001)

Subject: Conservation of endangered animal breeds in the European Union

The September 2000 rural development programme in Flanders incorporates a financial aid measure to
protect endangered animal breeds. This programme provides for the implementation of Regulation (EC)
No 1257/1999 (1). Conservation measures may be adopted only in respect of endangered breeds which
appear on the FAO list ((cid:145)pending the adoption of a European list, the measures shall be confined to these
breeds(cid:146) (p. 211)). Thus Flanders is required to confine itself to the West Flanders Red Breed. However, extra
measures are required because the survival of other Flemish cattle breeds, such as the East Flanders White
and Red, the White and Blue Beef and Dairy Cow and the Kempen Dapple Red, is becoming increasingly
precarious.

Will the Commission amend Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 so that Flanders can also adopt conservation
measures to help Flemish cattle breeds other than the West Flanders Red to survive? If not, why does the
Commission refuse to amend Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 with a view to conserving Flemish cattle
breeds other than the West Flanders Red, as their survival is increasingly endangered?

(1) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(6 September 2001)

Articles 22 to 24 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/99 (on support for rural development from the
European Agricultural and Guidance and Guarantee Fund) offer subsidies to farmers who commit to
agricultural practices favouring, inter alia, (cid:145)genetic diversity(cid:146). Article 13 of the implementing Commission
Regulation ((EC) No 1750/1999 of 23 July 1999 (1)) states that such practices may include (cid:145)rearing farm
animals of local breeds (cid:133) in danger of extinction(cid:146). The annex to the same Regulation (§9, VI) requires the
Member States, in their rural development plans, to supply (cid:145)evidence of the endangered status of the breed
consistent with scientific data accepted by international organisations regarded as authorities in this field.(cid:146)

Many Member State fail to supply such evidence in their rural development plans, in which case the
Commission bases its assessment of the (cid:145)endangered status(cid:146) of the breeds applied for on the FAO(cid:146)s World
Watch List for Domestic Animal Diversity (editions 2 and 3), currently the only generally available
international reference in this area. The criteria followed by the FAO since 1996 being, however, extremely
stringent (cid:129) especially compared to those applied by the Community for Regulation (EC) No 2078/92 (cid:129)
many breeds already receiving agri-environmental aid under Regulation (EC) No 2078/92 end up being
excluded.

A majority of the Member States having expressed concern at the Agriculture Council, the Commission
has concluded that the FAO criteria appear to be too restrictive for the purposes of Regulation (EC)
No 1257/1999. A scientific committee is to look into the definition of more appropriate criteria.

Pending these, an interim solution has been put in place: by an amendment to Regulation (EC) No 1750/
1999 (Regulation 672/2001 (2)), Member States may, until 31 December 2001 (the transitional period
allowed for), make new 5-year commitments for breeds supported under previous schemes.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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14.2.2002

Once the aforesaid scientific committee has come up with new criteria for Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999,
these will be incorporated in the legislation and will apply for the remainder of the current programming
phase.

(1) OJ L 214, 13.8.1998.
(2) OJ L 93, 3.4.2001.

(2002/C 40 E/210)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2132/01

by Renate Sommer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 July 2001)

Subject: Conservation of ancient European trees

The EU has for several years been providing substantial funds to protect woodlands from destruction by
fire or atmospheric pollution.

According to reports from a number of Member States, however, large stands (cid:129) some hundreds of years
old (cid:129) are being legally and illegally cleared to make room for new industry or housing estates. This
situation cannot be reconciled with the desire to halt the further depletion of wooded areas.

How might the Commission bring its influence to bear on the countries concerned to prevent other

1.
valuable growing trees being grubbed up?

2. What medium- and long-term plans does it have in place to promote reafforestation in the EU?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(6 September 2001)

The United Nations report on forestry resources in the temperate and boreal countries [sic] (Global Forest
Resources Assessment 2000, ECE/FAO TBFRA 2000) shows that, in contrast to the situation in the United
States and Canada, woodland has increased in all the Community(cid:146)s Member States over the past fifty years.

In the Community, regional planning and forestry policy fall within the competence of the Member States.
The Commission is not able to object to the use of woodland for infrastructure or development activities
unless the land is specifically protected under Community rules such as Directive 92/43/EEC on the
conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (1).

The Community not only encourages forest protection measures,
it also supports Member States(cid:146)
investment measures under rural development policy aimed at preserving or improving the economic,
ecological and social functions of forests and the afforestation of agricultural land.

The budget of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, Guidance Section, for 2002
earmarks € 288 million of rural development money for supporting Member States(cid:146) programmes to
develop such forestry measures.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.