WRITTEN QUESTION E-1709/03 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Operation of meat markets in Greece.
Date: 2003-05-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Food and Veterinary Office, Greece, consumer protection, fish, fresh meat, health control, health legislation, public health, report, veterinary inspection

15.1.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 11 E/217

(2004/C 11 E/244)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1709/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 May 2003)

Subject: Operation of meat markets in Greece

Articles in the Greek press are expressing concerns regarding the hygiene rules applied in Greece’s meat
markets. What are the most recent reports from the technical experts at the Commission who have visited
Greece and what are their main conclusions? In which meat markets and fish markets have serious
problems been identified in connection with the application of hygiene rules? What is the timetable for
forthcoming visits by Commission monitors to Greece, and what is their main focus of interest?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(9 July 2003)

Inspectors from the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) have carried out the following missions to the Rendi
meat market in Athens:

(cid:1) DG(SANCO)/8513/200214 (cid:1) 17 January 2002;

(cid:1) DG(SANCO)/8644/200215 (cid:1) 19 July 2002.

Reports of
Directorate General website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/inspections/index_en.html

these missions may be found at

the outcome of

the Health and Consumer Protection

These missions found a number of serious deficiencies in the layout, structure and operation of the Market,
together with failings in the official control systems.

An FVO mission, DG(SANCO)/8660/2002, on the traceability of beef and beef products, was carried out
in Greece on 26 November (cid:1) 6 December 2002. During this mission the opportunity was taken by the
inspection team to visit the Market to review the actions taken in response to the earlier missions by the
Greek authorities.

During the above-mentioned mission,
the FVO inspection team noted that some structural and
maintenance deficiencies had been addressed. However, many of the outstanding issues remained, and
the team considered that a risk to consumer health from conditions in the Market could not be precluded.

The Commission services have been in very close contact with the Greek authorities with a view to
achieving the necessary improvements in the Market. This issue was raised at a high level meeting between
the Commission’s services and the Greek authorities in February 2003. In their response to the issues
raised during this meeting, which was received in May 2003, the Greek authorities deemed considerable
progress to have been made in respect of the infrastructure of, and controls over, the Market. They stated
that, as a consequence, the operation of the establishments within the Market had been upgraded. They
also provided details of the timetable for the construction of the new Market premises, which is expected
to be completed by the first quarter of 2005.

A further FVO mission to Greece is planned for 21-25 July 2003. This will review the situation in Rendi
Market and evaluate progress since the last mission. It will also examine the situation in other parts of the
red meat sector in some regions of Greece. The mission will also allow Commission services to assess the
actions described in the response from the Greek authorities. The Commission has made it clear that
delays in closing non-compliant establishments within the existing Market are unacceptable and that
urgent action is needed to achieve acceptable hygiene and operational standards. Protection of consumer
health must be given the highest priority. Subject to the outcome of this mission, the Commission will
decide on what further action is needed, which may include the institution of infringement proceedings.

C 11 E/218

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

15.1.2004

No other meat market has been visited by the FVO in Greece. However, two fish wholesale markets were
inspected during a FVO mission (DG(SANCO)/3164/2001, 29 January to 9 February 2001) on fishery and
live bivalve mollusc production. There were some deficiencies in the hygiene and maintenance of both
markets, and structural and equipment deficiencies in one (there was a plan for the reconstruction of the
latter premises). In addition, official controls were not performed as required by Community legislation.
However, these deficiencies were not considered to be sufficiently serious to jeopardise consumer health.
Following the FVO mission, the Greek authorities gave guarantees as to the corrective actions taken to
address the identified deficiencies which the Commission will continue to monitor.

(2004/C 11 E/245)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1710/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 May 2003)

Subject: The European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages (EBLUL)

Recently, on 2 May 2002, I received a reply from the Commission to my question No E-1140/03 (1). This
reply did not contain answers to all the queries raised in my original question with regard to anti-Greek
attacks contained in a book which was distributed by the EBLUL to MEPs (co-funded by the Commission,
as mentioned on page 2). This book contains clear anti-Greek attacks both in the shape of ‘advice’ and
‘hints’ to Greece (page 6 and elsewhere) and in the form of the ‘findings’ that in Greece there are
‘Macedonian’ speakers (page 5), while the EBLUL President, Mr Brezigar, recommends (page 12) that
‘Greeks should learn English as well as Macedonian’ (!).

Does the Commission agree with these attacks contained in the publication in question, which it funds
itself? What is its position with regard to the vilification of an EU Member State by a bureau funded with
EU resources? Why is funding being provided for a bureau circulating propaganda against a Member State?
How does it intend to act to put a stop to the Bureau’s vilification of Greece? Has it obtained the precise
identities of the members of the EBLUL committees in every Member State, including Greece?

(1) OJ C 268 E, 7.11.2003, p. 176.

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(9 July 2003)

the European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages

As the Commission has already pointed out in its answer to the Honourable Member’s Written Question
E-1140/03 (1),
is an independent non-
governmental organisation working in the field of
languages and linguistic diversity. EBLUL is an
international association established under Belgian law on 25 October 1919, (modified 6 December 1954).
Its Statutes were published in the ‘Moniteur belge’ of 7 November 1996 with the identification number
24581/96.

(EBLUL)

With respect to the admission of new Member State Committees, Articles 5 and 6 of the EBLUL Statutes
state that any person or association may submit a written application for membership to the Board of
Directors, which then refers to the General Assembly for consultation and a vote. A total of 13 Member
State Committees representing 13 Member States voted in favour of the accession of the Greek Member
State Committee to EBLUL in the General Assembly which took place on 15 June 2002 in Ljouwert (NL).

Member State Committees are autonomous bodies which seek to represent all the regional and minority
languages spoken within an individual state’s linguistic communities. Further information regarding the
Member State Committees, including the Greek Committee, can be found on the EBLUL web site at the
following addresses: http://www.eblul.org/pajenn.asp?ID=36&yezh=saozneg and http://www.eblul.org/
pajenn.asp?ID=65&yezh=galleg&rumm=