WRITTEN QUESTION E-0508/03 by Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Protection of animals during transport in Spain.
Date: 2003-02-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Spain, animal welfare, application of EU law, transport of animals, veterinary inspection

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Official Journal of the European Union

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14.8.2003

Has research been carried out in other EU countries as well in order to ascertain the extent and the

1.
significance of this disturbing phenomenon?

2.
Have appropriate studies been launched with a view to establishing that such cases cannot be
attributed to the consumption of baby foods or meat derived from animals which have been treated with
anabolic drugs?

3.

If they have, could the results of those studies be made known?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(28 March 2003)

The Commission is aware of cases of premature development of sexual organs in infants observed in the
Italian Piedmont region. The Italian authorities have confirmed that the judicial authorities are carrying out
thorough investigations, but so far no concrete conclusion on the source of the problem can be drawn.

In 1998, the Commission initiated 17 specific studies to address certain gaps in research on the potential
risks to human health from hormone residues in bovine meat and meat products. One of these was a
retrospective study on long term effects on children of exposure to estrogen-contaminated meat. It was
published under the title ‘Accidental gynecomastia in children’ in the Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et
Immunologica Scandinavica (1).

The Scientific Committee on Veterinary Measures relating to Public Health (SCVPH) has recently reviewed
all 17 studies. A list of the studies and the latest opinion of the SCVPH are available on the Internet (2).
Unfortunately, the above-mentioned study does not provide conclusive results.

For this reason, topic No 45 entitled ‘Environmental factors influencing puberty onset’ has been included
in the Commission’s research Work programme (Priority 5: Food Quality and Safety) for 2004 as an
indicative topic (3).

(1) APMIS 109- Suppl 103: S203-9 2001.
(2) http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/him/him_index_en.html.
(3) http://fp6.cordis.lu/fp6/call_details.cfm?CALL_ID=16.

(2003/C 192 E/234)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0508/03

by Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Protection of animals during transport in Spain

(24 February 2003)

In 2000 and most recently in April last year the Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) went to
Spain to inspect a number of meat markets and slaughterhouses. The inspections revealed general animal
welfare problems and imperfections as regards the transport of animals.

Can the Commission confirm whether it has yet taken any measures to remedy the situation? Is Spain still
failing to comply with Directive 91/628/EEC (1)?

(1) OJ L 340, 11.12.1991, p. 17.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(25 March 2003)

Following the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) mission in April 2002,
the Spanish Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food provided written guarantees to the effect that it was addressing the lack of
legal basis to sanction transport-related infringements and was taking certain other measures to improve
the situation, notably concerning the authorisation of transporters, the checking of vehicles and the fitness

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Official Journal of the European Union

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of animals for transport. No commitments were however received to indicate that the deficiencies detected
at slaughterhouses were being addressed.

The Commission remains very concerned about
implementation and enforcement of
Community Law in this domain in Spain and will not fail to take such other measures as are necessary
including further resort to infringement proceedings under Article 226 of the EC Treaty.

the level of

(2003/C 192 E/235)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0525/03

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(24 February 2003)

Subject: Closure of the BAWO factory in Portugal

Another German multinational, BAWO Confecções, Lda, is preparing for the possible closure of its factory
in Estarreja, Portugal.

The workers, numbering about eighty, have had to cut short their (cid:1) enforced (cid:1) leave in order to prevent
the closure of the factory and the resulting removal of the machines, these being the company’s only
assets, given that the premises are rented.

Has BAWO received any form of Community aid in Portugal or other Member States? If so, what

1.
amounts were granted and under what conditions?

In the light of corporate social responsibility, what steps can the Commission take to defend the

2.
rights of the workers concerned?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(4 April 2003)

1.
The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that, in line with the information
provided by the Portuguese authorities, the company in question has not received any Community funding
from either the European Social Fund (ESF) or the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

2.
The Commission would like to point out that several Directives provide for information and
consultation with the workers’ representatives (1). In particular, Directive 98/59/EC (2) concerning collective
redundancies provides for information and consultation with the workers’ representatives in cases where
the employer is contemplating such redundancies. These consultations should be carried out in good time
with a view to reaching agreement and cover, at least, ways and means of avoiding collective redundancies
or reducing the number of workers affected as well as of mitigating the consequences by recourse to
accompanying social measures. These measures aim, inter alia, at aid for redeploying or retraining workers
made redundant.

Furthermore, the Commission has called on the European social partners to engage in a dialogue on
anticipating and managing change with a view to applying a dynamic approach to the social aspects of
corporate restructuring. The social partners have agreed to incorporate this issue in their recently adopted
pluriannual work programme.

(1) Council Directive 94/45/EC of 22 September 1994 on the establishment of a European Works Council or a
procedure in Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings for the purposes of
informing and consulting employees (cid:1) OJ L 254, 30.9.1994; Directive 2002/14/EC of 11 March 2002 establishing
a general framework for informing and consulting employees in the European Community (cid:1) OJ L 80, 23.3.2002.
The latter Directive has to be transposed by 23 March 2003.

(2) Directive 98/59/EC of 20 July 1998 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to collective

redundancies (cid:1) OJ L 225, 12.8.1998.