WRITTEN QUESTION P-2726/02 by Albert Maat (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Export refunds for breeding cattle for Morocco.
Date: 2002-09-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: animal welfare, application of EU law, breeding animal, cattle, export refund, live animal, transport of animals

8.5.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 110 E/95

(2003/C 110 E/096)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2726/02

by Albert Maat (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 September 2002)

Subject: Export refunds for breeding cattle for Morocco

Is the Commission aware of the often widely diverging administrative and veterinary procedures applying
to exporters of breeding cattle when the cattle arrive in the country of destination? The exporter cannot
influence them at all, but they may well mean the exporter does not receive the refund, for instance if an
animal dies (beyond the exporter’s responsibility) or is slaughtered during the quarantine period.

What measures does the Commission propose to take to counteract the unjust withholding of export
refunds?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 2002)

The question of entitlement to the export refund on pure-bred breeding animals requires consideration of
several specific provisions.

Article 5(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 615/98 of 18 March 1998 laying down specific detailed
rules of application for the export refund arrangements as regards the welfare of live bovine animals
during transport (1) requires the exporter to declare the number of live animals released for free circulation
in the non-EU country. Paragraph 3 of that Article states that the export refund will not be paid on
animals that die during transport or on animals for which the designated authority considers (cid:1) in the light
of the documents mentioned in the above-mentioned paragraph 2, the reports on the checks indicated in
Article 4 of the Regulation or any other information at its disposal relating to respect for the provisions of
Article 1 of the Regulation (cid:1) that Council Directive 91/628/EEC of 19 November 1991 on the protection
of animals during transport and amending Directives 91/425/EEC and 91/496/EEC (2) was not complied
with.

It follows that if for reasons outside the exporter’s responsibility not stemming from non-observation of
the requirements of Council Directive 91/628/EEC animals are slaughtered or die during quarantine
granting of the refund should be unaffected.

It should also be stated, without prejudice to the foregoing, that the export refunds in question are non-
differentiated. Hence under Article 3 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 800/1999 of 15 April 1999
laying down common detailed rules for application of the system of export refunds on agricultural
products (3) generally speaking (and subject to the terms of that Article) entitlement to the refund is
acquired on exit from the Community’s customs territory.

(1) OJ L 82, 19.3.1998.
(2) OJ L 340, 11.12.1991.
(3) OJ L 102, 17.4.1999.

(2003/C 110 E/097)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2730/02

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(30 September 2002)

Subject: Marína II and southern Europe

The Marína II project seeks to analyse radioactivity in the waters of northern Europe up to the mid-1980s.