WRITTEN QUESTION P-0029/04 by Heinz Kindermann (PSE) to the Commission. Closure of veterinary border control point at Pomellen, Germany.
Date: 2004-01-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU control, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, accession to the European Union, animal product, customs, customs inspection, customs regulations, veterinary inspection

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/917

(2004/C 78 E/0969)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0028/04

by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 January 2004)

Subject: Age discrimination

Could the Commission confirm whether it intended the Age Discrimination Directive (Council Directive
2000/78/EC (1) of 27 November 2000) to outlaw the giving of long-service awards or celebratory parties
for employees of say 25 years’ service?

Has the Commission had any queries from any Member State in this regard?

Given that some employers in the UK are concerned that younger workers might regard such rewards as
discriminatory and could sue, would the Commission agree that official clarification would be helpful to
avoid such an eventuality?

(1) OJ L 303, 2.12.2000, p. 16.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(13 February 2004)

Council’s Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 puts in place a framework for equal treatment in
employment and occupation, and prohibits discrimination on grounds of age, disability, religion or belief
or sexual orientation. The Directive covers access to employment, pay, working conditions, dismissal,
training, etc. and both direct and indirect discrimination are covered. The Member States had to transpose
the Directive by 2 December 2003, and once it is transposed people must take their case before the
national courts under national law.

The Commission considers that the giving of long-service medals or other methods of celebrating long
service would not be considered as discriminatory as they are awarded on the basis of seniority rather than
age as such.

(2004/C 78 E/0970)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0029/04

by Heinz Kindermann (PSE) to the Commission

(9 January 2004)

Subject: Closure of veterinary border control point at Pomellen, Germany

According to a Commission consultation document, the veterinary border control point at Pomellen in
Germany is one of those to be taken off the list of authorised EU veterinary border control points when
enlargement occurs (i.e.
in principle on 1 May 2004). Four months before enlargement, however, the
Commission has yet to provide any official information concerning the future of veterinary control points
at the borders with the accession countries. However, the operating authorities (cid:1) in this case the
administrative district of Uecker-Randow (cid:1) require definite information in order to put an end to the
uncertainty affecting their planning.

The EU has granted the 10 accession countries wide-ranging transitional arrangements in the veterinary
and food sector (slaughterhouses, milk producers, etc.) on condition that their non-EU-compliant products
are marketed only in the relevant accession country and do not therefore enter the internal market.

Can the Commission say definitely when the veterinary border control point at Pomellen will lose its

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EU authorisation and thereby its responsibility for veterinary checks at the border?

C 78 E/918

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

In the event of closure, must the EU funding provided to build the veterinary border control point be

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repaid, even if the closure is the result of an EU decision?

3.
How does the Commission intend to ensure that non-EU-compliant products do not enter the EU’s
internal market? Is it possible to maintain veterinary checks at the borders with the future Member States
for the duration of the transitional arrangements?

Does the Commission consider that there is a need to maintain the veterinary border control point at
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the internal customs office at Pomellen in the context of the draft regulation concerning the future official
checks on consignments of food and feed before they enter the territory of a Member State, i.e. Germany?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 2004)

The Commission signalled its intentions concerning border inspection posts in Applicant Countries in the
consultation document recently placed on the Directorate General Health and Consumer Protection web
site. Based upon the annex to the consultation document,
the Commission has drawn up a draft
Commission Decision ‘adapting Commission Decision 2001/881/EC (1) as regards additions and deletions
to the list of border inspection posts in view of the accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus,
Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia’. This draft Decision adds certain new
border inspection posts in Applicant Countries and deletes certain others in Germany, Italy and Austria.
Pommellen is amongst those that are to be deleted. The Decision, once adopted, will come into effect on
1 May 2004 for both additions and deletions.

Funding was provided to the veterinary border control point at Pomellen under Commission Decision 94/
83/EC (2), which itself is not affected by the closure of this border control point.

The Commission is working on two measures concerning controls in the enlarged single market. One
concerns the marketing of products that will be in stock at accession, and the other concerns products
coming from establishments in transition. This will ensure that products from these establishments in any
applicant country are clearly identified as being authorised to remain only on the market of the applicant
country in which the establishment of origin is situated.

The draft regulation on official food and feed controls does not aim at modifying the regime of veterinary
checks carried out on products of animal origin imported from third countries and examined pursuant to
Directive 97/78/EC (3).

Furthermore, the Commission does not see any need to maintain veterinary controls at internal EU borders
after accession as this would be contrary to the veterinary acquis as laid down in Directives 89/662/EEC (4)
for products, and 90/425/EEC (5) for live animals.

(1) Commission Decision 2001/881/EC of 7 December 2001 drawing up a list of border inspection posts agreed for
veterinary checks on animals and animal products from third countries and updating the detailed rules concerning
the checks to be carried out by the experts of the Commission, OJ L 326, 11.12.2001.

(2) Commission Decision 94/83/EC of 2 February 1994 on Community financial assistance to improve the system of

veterinary controls at the Community’s external frontier in Germany, OJ L 42, 15.2.1994.

(3) Council Directive 97/78/EC of 18 December 1997 laying down the principles governing the organisation of

veterinary checks on products entering the Community from third countries, OJ L 24, 30.1.1998.

(4) Council Directive 89/662/EEC of 11 December 1989 concerning veterinary checks in intra-Community trade with a

view to the completion of the internal market, OJ L 395, 30.12.1989.

(5) Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zoo-technical checks applicable in intra-
Community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market,
OJ L 224, 18.8.1990.