WRITTEN QUESTION E-2659/03 by Elisabeth Jeggle (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Regular issuing of veterinary certificates.
Date: 2003-09-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Austria, Germany, animal disease, application of EU law, direct cost, health certificate, intra-EU trade, live animal, swine, traceability

C 58 E/190

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2004

also be made in this context to Council Directive 91/383/EEC of 25 June 1991 supplementing the
measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of workers with a fixed duration
employment relationship or a temporary employment relationship (2), which aims to ensure that such
workers benefit from the same degree of health and safety protection at work as those of the user
undertaking and/or establishment.

These directives have to be transposed into the national
legislation of the Member States, and the
individual countries are responsible for ensuring adequate monitoring and supervision of the national
provisions transposing them (cf. Article 4 of Directive 89/391/EEC).

It is therefore the responsibility of the Spanish authorities in charge of supervising the national provisions
transposing the Community health and safety directives to see that they are effectively and correctly
applied.

Cutting down the number of occupational accidents in general, and those occurring in the circumstances
referred to by the Honourable Member, in which several companies and subcontractors are present on the
same premises, in particular, is one of the objectives of the Community health and safety strategy 2002-
2006, to be pursued jointly by all parties concerned.

To this end, the Council Resolution of 3 June 2002 on a new Community strategy on health and safety at
work 2002-2006 (3) calls on the Member States to develop and implement coordinated, coherent
prevention policies, geared to national conditions, with measurable targets for reducing accidents at work
and occupational illnesses, especially in those sectors of activity in which rates are above average.

Finally, the Commission draws the Honourable Member’s attention to Council Decision 2003/578/EC of
22 July 2003 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (4), and in particular to
specific guideline 3 which provides, inter alia, that Member States shall implement appropriate measures to
promote better working conditions, including health and safety. A major objective of these policies will be
to reduce substantially the rate of occupational accidents and diseases.

(1) OJ L 183, 29.6.1989.
(2) OJ L 206, 29.7.1991.
(3) OJ C 161, 5.7.2002.
(4) OJ L 297, 5.8.2003.

(2004/C 58 E/205)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2659/03

by Elisabeth Jeggle (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 September 2003)

Subject: Regular issuing of veterinary certificates

Every week a farmer in a border area in Germany sells pigs to a butcher in Austria (distance from the
German farm: roughly 25 km). In order to do that, the farmer requires a health certificate issued by the
competent veterinary authority no more than 24 hours prior to the export of the animals. The examination
costs roughly EUR 50 per animal.

In connection with the transport of animals within the EU, is there a cheaper and less bureaucratic export-
authorisation procedure than the regular issuing of health certificates, with the related costs this generates
for farmers?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(6 October 2003)

With reference to the question raised by the Honourable Member, the Commission wishes to point out
that the animal health conditions for intra-Community trade in live pigs are laid down in Council

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Directive 64/432/EEC of 26 June 1964 (1) and the welfare conditions for animals during transport are laid
down in Council Directive 91/628/EEC of 19 November 1991 (2). Both Directives have been amended by
the Council and the Parliament in order to take into account the evolution of the single market.

Compliance with the animal health and welfare requirements set down in these Directives must be
ascertained and certified by an official veterinarian at the place of origin. The intended movement is
subsequently recorded in the computerised network ANIMO to ensure traceability of the animals and to
allow the official veterinarian at destination to carry out non-discriminatory checks, if considered necessary
and/or required by legislation.

In its resolution of 12 December 2002 the Parliament emphasised the need to reinforce controls on the
movement of and trade in live animals as essential prerequisites to prevent the transmission of major
epidemic diseases, such as foot-and-mouth disease or classical swine fever, and to guarantee compliance
with animal welfare requirements during transport.

In the aftermath of the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease crisis, the Commission has adopted provisions to
reinforce the controls on trade in animals and has submitted proposals to the Council to further strengthen
the controls on movements of animals in the Member States. It is therefore not foreseen to propose any
fundamental change to the current system of veterinary certification for trade in live animals, although the
Commission is continuously working on improvements
to take into account evolving technical
developments.

(1) OJ P 121, 29.7.1964.
(2) OJ L 340, 11.12.1991.

(2004/C 58 E/206)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2668/03

by Brice Hortefeux (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 September 2003)

Subject: Prices of reimbursable medicines

As present, prices of reimbursable medicines vary greatly from one Member State to another.

Given the current budgetary austerity and massive sickness insurance deficits, new methods of regulating
spending on pharmaceutical products are clearly required to reduce the growing impact of these price
differences.

Since health is not a communitarised policy area, total harmonisation is clearly impossible, but the
Commission could usefully launch a review of the main points at issue and thus help increase the
transparency of the price situation in the different Member States.

Has the Commission already taken any steps in this direction? If so, what are they, and what is the planned
timetable?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(15 October 2003)

The prices and reimbursements of medicines are matters which generally remain the responsibility of the
Member States. However, in view of the consequences arising from differences in the prices charged in the
Member States, especially with regard to access to medicines, they are matters which are of concern to the
Commission. The fact is that differences in the way of regulating prices in each Member State can result in
significant variations in the time it takes for medicines actually to become available to patients. In addition,
the parallel trade in medicines, linked to the price differential between Member States, together with the
quota measures taken by the industry to combat this feature, could possibly interrupt supplies in countries
with the lowest prices.