WRITTEN QUESTION E-0122/02 by Eluned Morgan (PSE) to the Commission. Foot and mouth disease.
Date: 2002-01-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, EU control, United Kingdom, aid system, financial aid, foot-and-mouth disease, health control, management audit, slaughter of animals

18.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 172 E/145

The Commission has not received during the last five years any information on accident or safety related
incident during transport by train of radioactive material, from which a significant release of radioactive
material has occurred.

Council Directive 96/29/Euratom of 13 May 1996, laying down basic safety standards for the protection
of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation (3) sets
the EU guidelines to follow when an accident involving the transportation of radioactive material occur.

According to this Directive, each Member State shall also make provision for the immediate notification to
its competent authority by the undertaking responsible for the practices involved of any radiological
emergency occurring in its territory. The Member State shall establish relations to obtain co-operation with
any other Member State or third country, which may be involved. Each Member State shall ensure that the
provision is made for intervention related to reduce or stop the radiation and emission of radionuclides, to
reduce the exposure and transfer of radioactive substances to individuals and to organise the treatment of
victims.

(1) OJ L 371, 30.12.1987.
(2) OJ L 357, 7.12.1989.
(3) OJ L 159, 29.6.1996.

(2002/C 172 E/151)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0122/02

by Eluned Morgan (PSE) to the Commission

(29 January 2002)

Subject: Foot and mouth disease

Can the Commission give an indication of how much money will be paid to the British government in
compensation for foot and mouth disease? What is the percentage of the compensation that the EU will be
expected to pay, and what control mechanisms are in place to ensure fraud will not occur?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(26 March 2002)

Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990, on expenditure in the veterinary field (1) states in its
Article 11 that under certain conditions, the Member State concerned shall obtain a financial contribution
from the Community equal to 60 % of the costs incurred by the Member State in:

(a)

compensating owners for the slaughter and destruction of animals, the destruction of milk, the
cleaning and disinfecting of holdings, the destruction of contaminated feeding stuffs and, where it
cannot be disinfected, the destruction of contaminated equipment;

(b)

the transport of carcasses to processing plants;

(c) any other measures which are essential for the eradication of the outbreak of the disease (if defined by

the Commission).

Under Commission Decision 2001/654 of 16 August 2001 concerning a financial contribution towards
the eradication of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the United Kingdom in 2001 (2), the United Kingdom
may obtain financial assistance for the adequate compensation of owners for the compulsory slaughter of
their animals relating to the outbreak which occurred until 30 June 2001. In that Decision,
‘adequate
compensation’ is defined as the value the animals had immediately before they became affected. This
decision also mentions that, pending completion of checks by the Commission, a first advance of € 355
million could be paid.

The total amount of the Community financial contribution will depend inter alia on the supporting
documentation submitted by the United Kingdom, and the results of the controls and inspections carried
out by the Commission.

C 172 E/146

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2002

The verification of the eligibility of the declared expenditure by the United Kingdom is currently ongoing.
In this context, three control missions have already taken place, the last one in the week of 28 January
2002. Additional missions will be scheduled in the next months. The final eligible amount for Community
compensation will be fixed in the light of the results of the control missions.

in addition to the Commission controls, Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 of
Furthermore,
17 May 1999 on the financing of the common agriculture policy (3) states that the Member States shall
take the measures necessary to:

(a)

satisfy themselves that transactions financed by the Fund are actually carried out and executed
correctly;

(b) prevent and deal with irregularities;

(c)

recover sums lost as a result of irregularities or negligence (Article 8).

Finally, the Court of Auditors is also conducting a formal enquiry into the management and financing of
the FMD crisis and the European Parliament has also established a Temporary Committee on FMD.

(1) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990.
(2) OJ L 230, 28.8.2001.
(3) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.

(2002/C 172 E/152)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0124/02

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(29 January 2002)

Subject: Licence to drive a bus or coach

In Italy, when bus or coach drivers reach the age of sixty-five their licence to drive a bus or coach is
automatically revoked. This does not seem to happen in other countries of the European Union, where no
such restriction exists and drivers keep their licence to drive a bus or coach even after the age of sixty-five
as long as they are judged to be mentally and physically fit.

This means that a German citizen of over sixty-five is for example perfectly free to drive a bus or coach in
Italy although an Italian of the same age is precluded from doing so.

This leads to a disparity to the disadvantage of small and very small Italian family undertakings in that
sector.

In view of the above facts, can the Commission answer the following questions:

1. Do any European Union directives exist on this subject?

2. What is the situation in the other Member States?

3. What are its views on this matter?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(12 March 2002)

Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29 July 1991 on driving licences (1), which was adopted on 29 July
1.
1991, entered into force on 1 July 1996. It provides for the mutual recognition of all driving licences
issued in the Member States. However, each Member State retains full responsibility for determining the
period of validity of its national licences (Article 1(3) of the Directive).

2.
The situation is complex and differs considerably from one Member State to another. Moreover, the
period of validity of a licence is not always linked to the regular medical examinations which the Member
States have to make drivers of heavy goods vehicles and buses or coaches undergo in order to assess their
physical fitness to drive (2).