WRITTEN QUESTION E-2769/01 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Community School Milk Scheme.
Date: 2001-10-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, EU programme, educational institution, financial year, milk

C 93 E/188

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2002

The Food and Veterinary Office of the Commission has also started to carry out mission in Member States
in order to evaluate official control systems on GM food, including labelling.

(1) OJ L 43, 14.2.1997.
(2) OJ L 159, 3.6.1998.
(3) OJ L 6, 11.1.2000.
(4) OJ L 186, 30.6.1989.

(2002/C 93 E/223)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2761/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 October 2001)

Subject: Barley as barley

In July 1997 Sweden was allowed to continue to call barley barley for another year. Most barley grown in
our cold country is too small to meet EU requirements for barley.

What is the present situation regarding Swedish barley and the EU specifications for barley since 1997?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(15 November 2001)

The separate definition for measuring the smaller barley grains offered into intervention in Sweden and
Finland (they must pass through a wire mesh of 2 millimetres rather than 2.2 mm) has been incorporated
definitively into the rules defining impurities in the form of grains as set out in the annex to Commission
Regulation (EC) No 824/2000 of 19 April 2000 establishing procedures for the taking-over of cereals by
intervention agencies and laying down methods of analysis for determining the quality of cereals (1).

(1) OJ L 100, 20.4.2000.

(2002/C 93 E/224)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2769/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 October 2001)

Subject: Community School Milk Scheme

The School Milk Scheme has been at risk in the past from cost-cutting; for example in 1999 its continued
existence was called into question.

Which Member States are at present receiving funds under the School Milk Scheme and what amounts are
involved?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(9 November 2001)

The table below shows the payments to Member States in the framework of the Community school milk
scheme for the budget years 2000 and 2001 (figures in million €). The figures for the budget year 2001
are provisional.

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/189

The Community aid for school milk was reduced from 95 % to 75 % of the target price for milk, with
effect from 1 January 2001. Therefore, and in view of the payment delays, the expenditure for the budget
year 2001 does not fully reflect the impact of the aid reduction.

Member State

Payments 2000

Payments 2001

Belgium

Denmark

Germany

Greece

Spain

France

Ireland

Italy

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Austria

Portugal

Finland

Sweden

United Kingdom

European Union

2,3

2,8

19,1

0,01

4,8

31,0

1,3

4,9

0,1

2,4

1,6

1,2

3,7

10,6

15,0

100,8

2,1

2,8

16,3

0,0

4,8

21,4

1,5

3,5

0,0

2,0

1,4

2,5

4,3

10,1

12,0

84,7

(2002/C 93 E/225)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2771/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 October 2001)

Subject: Ostrich farming

On 6 June 1995 Commissioner Fischler told Parliament that a special EU committee had been asked to
consider whether raising ostriches and related species in the Nordic countries constituted cruelty to
animals. Mr Schweitzer had asked the Commission whether it could be right and proper to raise ostriches,
which surely belonged in a dry southern climate rather than the cold North; in his view ostrich farming in
the North was nothing other than cruelty to animals and should be stopped.

The problem was that ostriches did not have a special gland to oil their feathers and make them water-
repellent, and therefore froze as soon as it began to rain.

Mr Fischler replied that the welfare of ostriches and the like would be scrutinised by the Standing
Committee of the European Convention on the Protection of Animals. When the guidelines for the
treatment of ostriches were drawn up the Committee would take full account of
their biological
characteristics.

What has happened on this matter?