European Parliament resolution on foot-and-mouth disease
Date: 2001-09-06
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: EU publication, agricultural policy, animal disease, foot-and-mouth disease, veterinary inspection, veterinary legislation

C 72 E/342

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.3.2002

Thursday 6 September 2001

13.
Insists, in particular, that the European Council take the necessary measures to identify and freeze
the assets held in the Member States and countries closely associated, by President Mugabe, his family, and
named close associates;

Insists similarly that a travel ban be introduced to bar entry to the Member States and countries

14.
closely associated, by President Mugabe, his family, and named close associates;

15.
Considers it vital that the EU send observers to Zimbabwe(cid:146)s presidential elections, requests full
access for EU observers, and calls on the Commission to start preparing a comprehensive election-moni-
toring mission, including support for local monitors and training of observers;

Condemns any moves by President Mugabe to declare a State of Emergency since this would clearly

16.
be designed to cancel the Presidential elections;

17.
Calls on the Commonwealth Heads of Government, at their meeting in Brisbane 6-9 October 2001,
to take the necessary steps to suspend Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth until such time as the rule of
law is restored, with proper protection of the human rights of all citizens;

Calls on the European Investment Bank and the World Bank to review their lending to the Govern-

18.
ment of Zimbabwe and to consider suspension of loans;

19.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, Member States and
candidate countries, the Government and Parliament of Zimbabwe, the Secretary-General of the United
Nations, the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, the Secretary-General of SADC, the Secretary-General
of the OAU, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, the President of the World Bank and the Chair-
man of the European Investment Bank.

14. Foot-and-mouth disease

B5-0548, 0555, 0563, 0573 and 0580/2001

European Parliament resolution on foot-and-mouth disease

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to its resolution of 5 April 2001on foot-and-mouth disease in the European Union (1),

A. whereas measures by the UK government to control foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) have failed and

whereas new outbreaks of FMD are appearing in England,

B.

concerned about the lack of frontier controls on FMD by the UK and the lack of harmonisation of
controls at ports and airports in the EU, which means there is a high risk that FMD will again spread
across frontiers,

C. whereas weather conditions in autumn and winter increase the risks of contamination,

D. noting the increasing risk of a spread of infectious diseases from imports into the EU, which means

that all Member States must remain extremely vigilant,

E. whereas public opinion might not approve of a further massive destruction of contaminated and

suspect animals,

(1)

(cid:145)Texts Adopted(cid:146), Item 12.

21.3.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 72 E/343

Thursday 6 September 2001

Requests the Council and Commission to make a statement at the earliest opportunity, in which the

1.
following questions should be dealt with:

(cid:129) why the outbreak of FMD has lasted so long in the UK and has not yet been controlled and why the

option of ring vaccination has not been used;

(cid:129) what measures the Council and Commission intend to take to prevent and control the risks of FMD

contamination inside the EU and with regard to outside border controls;

(cid:129) what progress has been made in the development of new testing methods and marker vaccines and

whether the Commission intends to speed up the development of these products;

(cid:129) what are the directs costs to the Commission of the FMD outbreak to date and a cost-benefit analysis

of various disease control approaches from the point of view of all rural stakeholders;

(cid:129) what new budget lines the Commission foresees to combat and prevent possible future outbreaks;

(cid:129) what action programme the Council and Commission propose to prevent and control FMD in future;

2.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission.

15. Human rights: Mauritania

B5-0545, 0556, 0565, 0579, 0585 and 0594/2001

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Mauritania

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Mauritania,

A. whereas the leader of the Mauritanian Popular Front (MPF), Mr Melainine, a former minister and now
an opponent of President Ould Taya, as well as two other members of the MPF, have been sentenced
to five years(cid:146) imprisonment on charges of (cid:145)conspiracy against the state(cid:146),

B. whereas the three men were sentenced to five years in prison on charges of conspiracy to commit acts
of sabotage and terrorism, but serious doubts persist as to the fairness of the trial and the indepen-
dence of the court; whereas two observers from the Moroccan Bar Association and the International
Federation of Human Rights Leagues were prevented from attending the trial,

C. whereas these imprisonments occur in the context of widespread repression of political opponents of
the government, political activities of the opposition, the press and human rights organisations,

D. whereas the decision was taken to dissolve the main opposition party, the Union of Democratic

Forces/New Era, in October 2000,

E. whereas legislative and municipal elections are scheduled for 19 October 2001 in the absence of an

independent national electoral commission,

F. whereas a monopoly of the public media is held by the government party, and free radio and televi-

sion are prohibited,

G. whereas Mauritania(cid:146)s National Assembly is currently dominated by the President(cid:146)s ruling party, which

holds 78 of the parliament(cid:146)s 79 seats,

H. whereas recent reports point to the continued existence of slavery,