WRITTEN QUESTION E-2075/03 by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR)and Catherine Stihler (PSE) to the Commission. Lifting the current ban on feeding fishmeal to ruminants.
Date: 2003-06-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: animal nutrition, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, cereal substitute, fish product, food inspection, veterinary legislation

C 33 E/208

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2004

(2004/C 33 E/211)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2075/03

by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR)
and Catherine Stihler (PSE) to the Commission

(24 June 2003)

Subject: Lifting the current ban on feeding fishmeal to ruminants

The current ban on feeding fishmeal to ruminants was implemented in December 2000 as a precautionary
measure as a consequence of the BSE situation. There is, however, no evidence of links between fishmeal
intake and TSE or BSE.

Since December 2000 TSE regulations and revised animal by-product legislation have been implemented.
A satisfactory analysis method to distinguish between meat and bone meal and fishmeal has also been
developed and ring-tested. The fishmeal industry has implemented quality systems that ensure that pure,
safe and traceable fishmeal enters the trade and industry risk assessments indicate that the worse scenario
from a cross-contaminated fishmeal is one incident in 100 years.

In the light of these developments and with reference to the employment impact of the ban will the
Commission now lift the ban on its expiry on 30 June 2003?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(5 August 2003)

The Parliament and the Council recently adopted a proposal for a Regulation (1) which prolongs the
transitional measures to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the Parliament and of the Council of 22 May
2001 laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies (2), until 30 June 2005. The prolongation was necessary because of certain delays in
establishing the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) status of countries. The ban on feeding fishmeal
to ruminants was one of the transitional measures prolonged.

In parallel, a Commission proposal introducing the current provisions of the feed ban into Regulation (EC)
No 999/2001 without a fixed time schedule, thus ending the transitional nature of the feed ban is now in
the process of adoption. It will apply from 1 September 2003.

Fishmeal itself does not present a risk for BSE. The reason for banning fishmeal in feed is the control of
the feed. In particular, the presence of fishmeal may hamper the control of the presence of ruminant meat-
and-bone meal in feed. Results of a recent ring trial indicate that 50 % of the laboratories failed to detect a
contamination of 0,1 % mammalian proteins in feed containing 5 % of fishmeal with the official detection
method. Research to improve the method is ongoing.

It therefore seems appropriate to reconsider the use of fishmeal in ruminant feed only when improved
control measure are available in the light of new scientific developments and, where appropriate, in the
light of the outcome of a risk assessment.

A Commission working document outlining the state of play of the feed ban will be forwarded to the
Parliament and the Council in the coming weeks.

(1) COM(2003) 103 final.
(2) OJ L 147, 31.5.2001.