WRITTEN QUESTION E-3326/02 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Illicit trafficking in and marketing of cattle.
Date: 2002-11-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: cattle, food safety, foodstuffs legislation, health control, illicit trade, intra-EU trade, marketing, traceability, veterinary inspection

C 222 E/58

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

18.9.2003

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-3282/02, E-3403/02 and E-3438/02

(13 May 2003)

The Council would remind the Honourable Members that it has already taken the opportunity of the
plenary part-session in Strasbourg in December 2002 and Question Time in January 2003 to give a full
account of its position and intentions regarding the transport of dangerous products by sea.

The Council would therefore refer them to the conclusions adopted at its meetings on 6 and 9 December
2002 and to the conclusions of the Copenhagen European Council on 12/13 December 2002.

Since then the Council has begun examining a Commission proposal for a Regulation which would bring
forward the dates for phasing out single-hull oil tankers and prohibit the transport of heavy grades of oil
in single-hull tankers bound for or leaving European Union ports.

The Council would mention, in addition, that the European Council welcomed the action undertaken by
the Commission to confront the economic, social and environmental consequences of the wreck of the
Prestige, in the framework of the present financial perspectives, and its intention to examine the need for
further specific measures. Amongst these measures it stated that questions relating to liability and the
corresponding sanctions would also be examined. On the basis of a report by the Commission, the
European Council undertook to address these issues at its forthcoming March meeting.

(2003/C 222 E/064)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3306/02

by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission

(21 November 2002)

Subject: Improvement of the uptake of folic acid to prevent spina bifida

In light of research carried out by the Medical Research Council that showed that a daily intake of 400 mg
of folic acid during pregnancy could reduce the number of babies with spina bifida by 75 percent, what
action does the Commission intend to take to raise awareness of this issue, and increase uptake of folic
acid in the population?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(17 December 2002)

The Commission is not aware of the research referred to. However, initiatives on nutrition and diet are
supported through the Community Health Promotion Programme. In addition, a Commission report on
nutrition and health in Community policies will be published in December 2002.

(2003/C 222 E/065)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3326/02

by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(25 November 2002)

Subject: Illicit trafficking in and marketing of cattle

Evidence has emerged in Italy of criminal activities involving illicit trafficking in cattle, especially from
Germany, some of them infected with diseases posing a danger to human health.

18.9.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 222 E/59

This was made possible, irrespective of individual responsibilities yet to be ascertained, by the use of fake
identity tags worn by each animal. The animals were raised using banned substances such as anabolic
drugs and cortisone preparations and then slaughtered in secret. Ongoing investigations have led to the
arrest of 30 people, including veterinarians accused of collusion. More than 700 people are involved,
including farmers, butchers, middlemen, traders and civil servants. Clandestine slaughter has apparently
deprived the Community budget of around EUR 50 million.

In order to safeguard public health, does the Commission not consider that in addition to monitoring the
main cattle diseases, and BSE in particular, it should tighten up security measures in the present system of
meat traceability, which has serious deficiencies?

Does it not consider that it should assess the work of the Food and Veterinary Office responsible for
verifying respect for Community legislation in the sphere of food safety?

Does it not consider that, in order to protect the honest majority of stock farmers, it should step up
controls on the cross-border cattle trade?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(4 February 2003)

The Commission has not been informed by the Italian authorities on the events reported by the
Honourable Member. However, information from the press was available to the Commission, from which
it was clear that investigations were ongoing by the relevant authorities.

The Commission intends to seek clarification from the Italian authorities and is in particular concerned by
the reported involvement of animals from Germany because in such an event the dissemination by the
involved Member States of the information via the rapid alert system for food should have been also
considered.

Concerning the availability of suitable Community measures aiming at preventing illegal activities,
it
should be stressed that the full range of legal acts already proposed by the Commission, and adopted by
the Council and the Parliament, or future proposals already planned, will not be sufficient to prevent all
possible occurrences of illegal and criminal acts.

The current Community legislation includes several provisions on the traceability of bovine animals.

Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 of the Parliament and of the Council of 17 July 2000, establishing a
system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef
products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 820/97 (1), includes the obligation of Member States to
establish a computerised database. This database must include information on the identity of all bovine
animals, all holdings with bovine animals and all movements of bovine animals. Possible deficiencies in the
operation of the databases of the Member States involved, will be investigated in the framework of the
working programme of the inspection services of the Commission.

The Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) of the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General gives
high priority to checks on compliance with Community legislation in the food safety sector. It has carried
out a series of evaluations in relation to the traceability of beef and beef products in Member States during
2002. The reports of these missions are made available to the Parliament and placed on the Directorate
General’s website as they are finalised. It appears that the shortcomings noted by the inspectors as regards
traceability do not stem from inadequate Community legislation, but from deficient organisation and/or
lack of enforcement of the legislation in force. All deficiencies are reported to the national authorities,
which are responsible for the correct implementation of food safety legislation at national level as well as
for pursuing and penalising criminal activities, where appropriate, such as in the cases of illicit trafficking
in cattle referred to.

C 222 E/60

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

18.9.2003

the Council of 28 January 2002,

The traceability of food, feed, food-producing animals, and any other substance to be incorporated into
food or feed is comprehensively regulated, at the Community level, by Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of
the Parliament and of
laying down the general principles and
requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures
in matters of food safety (2). As from 1 January 2005 Article 18 of this Regulation will be fully applicable.
It stipulates that food and feed business operators must be able to identify both their suppliers and the
companies that they supply with products. The operators are required to organise their businesses so that
suitable traceability systems and procedures are in place and that information may be made available to
the competent authorities on demand. Food and feed can be placed on the market subject to appropriate
labelling and/or identification meant to facilitate its traceability.

With regard to the cross-border cattle trade it should be noted that Council Directive 90/425/EEC of
26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in
certain live animals and animal products with a view to the completion of the internal market (3) obliges
Member States to ensure that bovine animals must satisfy the requirements of Council Directive 64/432/
EEC of 26 June 1964 on animal health problems affecting intra-Community trade in bovine animals and
swine (4). This Directive obliges Member States to ensure that only animals that
the relevant
conditions laid down are sent from their territories.

fulfil

Finall,
the information concerning possible deprivations of EUR 50 million to the detriment of
Community budget due to clandestine slaughter will be transmitted to the European Anti-fraud Office.

the

(1) OJ L 204, 11.8.2000.
(2) OJ L 31, 1.2.2002.
(3) OJ L 224, 18.8.1990.
(4) OJ P 121, 29.7.1964.

(2003/C 222 E/066)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3341/02

by Carlos Bautista Ojeda (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(19 November 2002)

Subject: Delay in compensation payments to Andalusian fishermen

In the wake of the non-renewal of the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement in 1999, the EU decided,
in
Council Regulation (EC) No 2561/2001 of 17 December 2001 (1) aiming to promote the conversion of
fishing vessels and of fishermen that were, up to 1999, dependent on the fishing agreement with Morocco,
to grant aids to the fishermen affected.

By now, hundreds of fishermen and vessel owners have destroyed their craft or have received authorisation
to do so (cid:1) yet they have still not received the agreed EUR 12 000. These people’s sole source of household
income has been unemployment benefit, which only runs for six months and which most of them will
therefore cease to receive in December 2002. In view of the problems attaching to conversion in the
fisheries sector and the high levels of unemployment in Andalusia, there is now a climate of uncertainty
and deep concern in the coastal areas affected.

Is the Commission aware of the delay in paying these aids to fishermen in Andalusia? Can it provide
information on the procedure applying to these aids, and name the authority competent to pay them in
the Autonomous Community of Andalusia?

the institution responsible for

implementing the Community budget, what controls can the
As
Commission operate to examine the actions of the competent national or regional authorities? Should
such controls be carried out and should they demonstrate the irregular nature of the situation, what
penalties will the Commission impose?

(1) OJ L 344, 28.12.2001, p. 17.