WRITTEN QUESTION E-1395/02 by John McCartin (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Chicken meat imports into the EU.
Date: 2002-05-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU production, EU statistics, European Union, animal welfare, health control, health legislation, import, poultrymeat, slaughter of animals

14.11.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 277 E/199

Under Article 13 of the Directive, Member States are required to implement the Directive before 1 January
2002 and inform the Commission thereof.

the United Kingdom has not yet

Given that
implemented Council Directive 1999/74/EC, has the
Commission begun infringement proceedings against the UK to ensure that animal welfare is given a
higher priority by the government?

(1) OJ L 203, 3.8.1999, p. 53.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(10 June 2002)

In its task of monitoring the application of Community law, the Commission systematically opens
infringement proceedings against Member States which have failed to transpose directives within the
prescribed deadline following its review of the implementation status of directives coming into force every
two months.

In relation to the non-implementation of Council Directive 1999/74/EC of 19 July 1999 laying down
minimum standards for the protection of laying hens, by the United Kingdom, the Commission opened
infringement proceedings under Article 226 EC of the EC Treaty by a letter of formal notice dated 26 April
2002.

(2002/C 277 E/220)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1395/02

by John McCartin (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 May 2002)

Subject: Chicken meat imports into the EU

Can the Commission state what quantities of chicken meat are imported annually into the EU and from
what countries? What percentage do these imports represent compared with European production? Further
can the Commission state to what extent food safety standards and animal welfare standards are being
observed in the production of these imported products?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(28 June 2002)

The imports of poultry meat into the Community, although having increased in recent years, represent less
than ten per cent of Community production. The statistical data of the carcass weight equivalent for the
period 1997 to 2001 are sent direct to the Honourable Member and to the Parliament’s Secretariat. The
three principal exporting countries are Brazil, Thailand and Hungary.

Imports of poultry meat are subject to sanitary requirements as strict as those applied to Community
production. The authorisation to export is given only after an evaluation of the competent authorities and
of the system of inspection and certification of the third country. This evaluation includes visits on the
spot from the inspectors of the Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office to check that the competent
authorities of the third country are in a position to apply the Community sanitary requirements and that
these conditions are actually respected for the products exported to the Community.

In addition, controls are carried out in the Community border inspection posts to check systematically the
health certificates accompanying the products and to carry out, on a random basis, sampling and analyses
in order to detect possible failures in the inspection system of the third country.

C 277 E/200

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.11.2002

Recently, the Commission adopted decisions to reinforce the control of poultry meat imported from
Thailand and to ban the imports from China.

Concerning poultry meat imports from Brazil,
following a request for increased surveillance by the
Commission, problems have been identified recently by certain Member States, which relate to the
presence of residues of nitrofurans, a class of antimicrobials banned in the Community. During high level
contacts between the Commission and Brazil, guarantees were received that an amendment of the Brazilian
legal provisions bans the use of nitrofurans since the beginning of May 2002 and that all poultry meat
consignments will be tested for nitrofurans prior to dispatch towards the Community.

Concerning animal welfare standards, the inspections carried out by the Food and Veterinary Office cover
also the question whether legislation for the protection of animals at the time of slaughter is applied.
However, the scope for measures in relation to animal welfare is currently restricted, although the issue is
under discussion in the current Doha Development Round.

(2002/C 277 E/221)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1398/02

by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: The public health implications of prions

(15 May 2002)

An article in the ‘Journal of Biological Chemistry’ in August 2001 states that prions may be found in the
urine of hamsters, cattle and humans suffering from TSE. The French authorities have decided to add a
warning to products derived from urine in order to prevent transmission. That warning reads: ‘The risk of
transmitting infectious agents cannot be definitively ruled out where medicines prepared from human
urine are administered. The same applies to hitherto unknown pathogens.’ (unofficial translation).

In this connection:

1. Can the Commission say what the implications of this are for public health in Europe?

2. How does the Commission intend to monitor this situation?

3. What specific steps have been taken to safeguard public health at both national and Community level?

4. What further studies have been carried out by the Commission to corroborate the results of the

research as set out in the article referred to?

5. Can the Commission say what the implications are for the food chain or medicinal products derived

from urine?

6. Can the Commission say whether there is a link between the results of the research referred to and the

warning added by the French authorities to products derived from urine?

7.

If the Commission reports such a link, can it explain why the warning has not been added in other
Member States for the same products?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(3 July 2002)

The Commission is constantly monitoring all new scientific evidence related to transmissible spongiform
encephalopathy (TSE’s).