WRITTEN QUESTION E-2352/03 by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Industrial reptile breeding.
Date: 2003-07-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, EU programme, illicit trade, livestock farming, marketing, protected species, protection of animal life, reptile

6.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 58 E/159

(2004/C 58 E/172)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2352/03

by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(16 July 2003)

Subject: Industrial reptile breeding

The EU is providing funding of EUR 1,2 million for the industrial reptile breeding project ‘Cría industrial
de reptiles’ on the Spanish-Portuguese border. The project is being run by one Spanish and one Portuguese
university and by two Spanish and two Portuguese firms. The aim is to supply the leather industry, zoos,
the food industry and other branches of industry on a large scale. The end products include shoes, watch
straps and lizard meat.

The reptiles involved are Nile crocodiles, turtles and jewelled lizards (Lacerta lepida), a species of lizard
common throughout the Iberian peninsula.

How can the Commission justify the provision of funding for this project?

What guarantees are there that consumers and supervisory bodies will be able to distinguish between
products (e.g. turtle soup) made from animals which are protected species, from animals caught in the wild
and from animals bred for a specific purpose? Is not European taxpayers’ money being used to support the
creation of an artificial market in products for which, as a result of information campaigns and import
bans, there is no longer any demand, with leather goods being the prime example? In particular in view of
the enlargement of the EU, is an incentive not being created to smuggle products made from animals
which are protected species?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(22 August 2003)

The project CRAFT-1999-70670 ‘Reptiles industrial culture of ocellated lizard (Lacerta lepida), European
is currently funded by the
pond terrapin (Emys orbicularis) and Nile crocodile (Cocodrilus niloticus)’
Community in the framework of the Quality of Life Programme of the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5)
for Research and Technological Development (RTD). This CRAFT project involves four small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) (two from Spain and two from Portugal) and two RTD performers, the University
of Extremadura in Spain and the University of Evora in Portugal. The total Community contribution
amounts to EUR 590 825 of which EUR 546 252 for the Universities and EUR 44 573 for the SMEs. The
proposal was submitted to the open call for CRAFT proposals and was evaluated by a panel of external
evaluators in accordance with the ‘Manual for evaluation procedures’. The proposal passed the thresholds
for all evaluation criteria. The panel of external evaluators judged the proposal innovative with potential
for creating new business activities and adding value in some rural areas. The proposal was therefore
selected for funding. This project has all necessary authorisations from the responsible authorities for
ethical and environmental issues and is being subject to respecting all international conventions to which
the Community is a party, including the Convention on Biological Diversity. As mentioned in the title, the
project aims at developing farming of three species, namely the ocellated lizard, the European pond
terrapin and the Nile crocodile.

The ocellated lizard is a protected species. The aim of commercial lizard farming as foreseen in the project
is multiple. On one hand, the release in their natural habitat in order to restore the population and hence
contribute to the trophic chain by providing food for also endangered bird species. Secondly, it would
allow to provide meat and skins. The consumption of lizard meat has a long tradition in some regions of
Spain and Portugal where it is highly appreciated. This species being protected, the consumption of lizard
meat is only possible through illegally caught animals. The availability of legally produced lizards will
contribute to reduce the illegal catches. Similar situation occurs with the skin for the leather industry.

The European pond terrapin is also a protected species. The populations are severely threatened due in
particular to the state of the rivers, ponds and lakes, illegal catches and the competition with another
terrapin species coming from the United States. The objective of commercial terrapin farming as foreseen
in the project is for environmental release and exhibition.

C 58 E/160

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2004

With regard to the Nile crocodile, farming is focused on the production of leather and meat as well as for
exhibition as is the case in other parts of the world.

For all three species it is also foreseen to cover demands for educational and research purposes. The project
increase current knowledge on the biology of these species, embryology, nutrition, reproduction,
will
pathology in particular parasitic diseases etc. …

Overall, farming of these species can contribute to restore and maintain threatened species and to reduce
the illegally caught animals either locally or in third countries.

In addition, if economical viable, it could be an alternative for rural development in particular in more
deprived areas of the Union and developing countries as it has been the case for other species (ostriches,
frogs, fish, crustaceans, molluscs, etc.).

The Commission understands the concerns of the Honourable Member with regard to trade. The trade of
these species and their products is subject to national, Community and international
in
particular the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is implemented
through Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 of 9 December 1997 on the protection of species of wild
fauna and flora by regulating trade therein (1) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1808/2001 of
30 August 2001 laying down detailed rules concerning the implementation of Council Regulation (EC)
No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein (2). This
legislation includes detailed provisions regarding captive-bred specimens in order to prevent fraudulent
trade in wild-collected animals.

legislation,

More information on the project could be found on the website: (http://www.unex.es/biomed/ric).

(1) OJ L 61, 3.3.1997.
(2) OJ L 250, 19.9.2001.

(2004/C 58 E/173)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2353/03

by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(16 July 2003)

Subject: Paks Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary

The accident at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant (Hungary) occurred on 10 April 2003 and has been rated
Level 3 (cid:1) a serious incident (cid:1) by the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). The event caused the
release of radioactivity into the environment. According to Hungarian sources, the situation is not better
now (cid:1) 7 weeks after the incident (cid:1) since the position of the damaged fuel assemblies and the uranium
pellets which have fallen to the bottom of the cleaning container is still not known. (There were 3,5 tonnes
of fuel being cleaned at the time of the incident.) It seems that the validity of the inspections undertaken
by the Paks NPP itself and followed by the Hungarian Atomic Energy Agency (HAEA) are doubtful.

On 22 May the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that an independent evaluation of
the event would be undertaken. According to the communications of the IAEA and the Hungarian
Government, the IAEA will only oversee the already existing (cid:1) above mentioned (cid:1) documents, and will
base their findings on those instead of starting a new investigation of the whole problem.

In the light of this:

(cid:1) Will representatives of the European Commission be part of the delegation reviewing the accident and

its consequences?

(cid:1) Will the Commission report back to the Parliament on the outcome of the IAEA’s mission?