WRITTEN QUESTION E-0397/03 by Horst Schnellhardt (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Security of EU external borders, veterinary inspection services.
Date: 2003-02-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU customs procedure, accession to the European Union, customs, external border of the EU, food safety, import (EU), surveillance concerning imports, veterinary inspection

C 222 E/196

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

18.9.2003

(2003/C 222 E/223)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0394/03

by Salvador Jové Peres (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(13 February 2003)

Subject: Possible violation of Council regulations on processed tomatoes

On 15 January 2002, the Fruit and Vegetable Management Committee approved the tomato figures
reported by Member States, thus granting full subsidies to all the Member States since the Community
threshold had not been exceeded. However, the Commission did not make this agreement official by
issuing the appropriate regulation.

In the measures it put before the Fruit and Vegetable Management Committee meeting of 28 January
2002, the Commission admitted various requests for subsidy from Italy.

Does the Council believe that these requests for subsidy were subject to the controls demanded by
Regulations (EC) No 2201/96 (1) and (EC) No 449/2001 (2)?

Does the Council believe that Article 23(2) of Regulation (EC) No 449/2001 (laying down 10 December as
the deadline by which the Member States have to inform the Commission of the total quantity for which
aid is being requested) was not infringed?

Does the Council know the date on which the 28 January 2002 meeting of the Fruit and Vegetable
Management Committee was convened, and what the purpose of this meeting was?

If there has been a violation of the regulations cited, what action does the Council intend to take?

(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 29.
(2) OJ L 64, 6.3.2001, p. 16.

Reply

(13 May 2003)

Proceedings in the European Commission’s Management Committee on Fruit and Vegetables are not within
the Council’s competence and, therefore, the Council is not competent to comment upon them.

(2003/C 222 E/224)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0397/03

by Horst Schnellhardt (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 February 2003)

Subject: Security of EU external borders, veterinary inspection services

The Commission’s work plan for 2003 refers to the consistent preparation of security measures for the
new external borders after enlargement.

1. Who is coordinating the security measures for external borders after EU enlargement?

Commission legislation on food safety calls in particular for stricter controls on food imports from

2.
third countries. How is the veterinary inspection service set up?

3.

By what percentage will current staff numbers be increased after enlargement?

How many officials, and from which states, will be posted on external borders, and which external

4.
borders will they be (classified according to national borders)?

18.9.2003

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 222 E/197

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(9 April 2003)

The Commission assumes that the Honourable Member is concerned only by external controls in the field
of veterinary and food safety.

Security measures for control of animals and products of animal origin fall under the scope of the
veterinary checks regime, part of the veterinary acquis. The framework for the legislation is adopted and
updated as necessary by the Commission and Council working with the Parliament but under this acquis it
is the responsibility of each Member State to apply the appropriate controls at all entry points into the
Union from third countries (border inspection posts). All 10 of the Applicant Countries committed in their
common positions to transpose and implement the Union aquis in full in matters to do with import by
accession, and no derogations in this respect were negotiated.

The Commission (the Directorate General (DG) Health and Consumer Protection) have had a series of high
level missions to all Applicant Countries in autumn 2002 to emphasise the importance of key issues
including correct transposition and timely implementation of the veterinary acquis. Another series of
missions aimed at ensuring correct transposition of Union veterinary acquis is now being carried out by
Commission staff to discuss the preparation of tables of correspondence and problems encountered.

The Commission through the work of the Food and Veterinary Office has been carrying out monitoring
missions in all Applicant Countries looking at transposition and implementation of Union legislation.
Additionally specific missions to look at import controls have taken place. Further missions are planned
and will continue up to accession to ensure that the Union aquis is respected, and that a harmonised
position is ensured.

The Commission is closely monitoring the considerable work that still remains in some Candidate
Countries as regards transposition and implementation in the field of veterinary controls at the external
borders including the upgrading of staff and the provision of the necessary facilities at the proposed long
term border inspection posts.

At this stage it is not possible to say exactly what the numbers of staff working on veterinary import
controls will be in each Applicant Country. Many border crossing points between new Applicant Countries
will no longer be required as the borders will fall within the enlarged single market and staff from such
points may be redeployed to increase numbers at the remaining proposed long term border inspection
posts. Inspection reports by the Food and Veterinary Office regularly comment upon the adequacy or not
of staff numbers for import controls in all border inspection posts and will no doubt continue to do so in
new Member States after their accession.

The new external border of the Union with third countries will be identical with the current national
borders for each new Applicant Country where each meets a third country. The Applicant Countries will
use their own staff to apply the veterinary aquis on these external borders of the enlarged Community. The
new border will be with Russia, Belarussia, Ukraine, Moldova, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, and
temporarily with Romania after 1 May 2004.

(2003/C 222 E/225)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0402/03

by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 February 2003)

Subject: Oil tankers in the Gulf of Finland

The sinking of the ‘Prestige’ caused an enormous environmental disaster on the coast of Spain. In the Gulf
of Finland, which is set to become virtually an internal sea of the EU, the damage might be even greater if
a similar incident were to occur, because in cold conditions the sea recovers more slowly. In January and
February, when the sea was frozen, supertankers which were not suitably reinforced to resist ice pressure