WRITTEN QUESTION E-0887/04 by Bob van den Bos (ELDR) to the Commission. Health implications of pet bird imports.
Date: 2004-03-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: animal disease, bird, disease prevention, domestic animal, health control, health risk, impact study, import restriction, third country

C 84 E/694

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

(2004/C 84 E/0779)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0885/04

byPaulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission

(22 March 2004)

Subject: List of deep-sea, pelagic and demersal fish species

Will the Commission provide an exhaustive list, indicating scientific names and common designations, of
all species classified as:

(cid:1) deep-water species (designation used in Regulation (EC) No 2027/95 (1)), deep-sea species (designation
used in Regulation (EC) No 2347/2002 (2)) and deepwater fish (designation used in Regulation
(EC) No 1639/2001 (3));

(cid:1) demersal species (designation used in Regulation (EC) No 2027/95) and non-deep-sea demersal species

(designation used in Regulation (EC) No 1954/2003 (4));

(cid:1) pelagic species (designation used in Regulation (EC) No 1639/2001)?

(1) OJ L 199, 24.8.1995, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 351, 28.12.2002, p. 6.
(3) OJ L 222, 17.8.2001, p. 53.
(4) OJ L 289, 7.11.2003, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(26 April 2004)

In view of the length of its answer, the Commission is sending it direct to the Honourable Member and to
Parliament’s Secretariat.

(2004/C 84 E/0780)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0887/04

by Bob van den Bos (ELDR) to the Commission

(22 March 2004)

Subject: Health implications of pet bird imports

As a result of recent avian influenza outbreaks in several south-east Asian countries, the Commission has
suspended all imports of pet birds from Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Pakistan, China, South Korea,
Thailand and Vietnam. The suspension has immediate effect and is scheduled to be maintained for six
months until 15 August 2004.

During the period of suspension, will the Commission carry out a risk assessment of the possible impact
that the pet bird trade may have on the spread of avian influenza? Will the Commission also carry out a
cost-benefit analysis of the suspension measures in relation to the trade in pet birds?

How does the Commission ensure that the quarantine and health checks carried out in pet-bird exporting
countries, on the one hand, and those applied upon entry to the EU, on the other, are sufficient to
guarantee that diseases such as avian influenza do not enter the European Union?

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/695

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2004)

An unprecedented epidemic of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been ongoing in certain Asian
countries, which has already resulted in the loss of more than 100 million poultry and caused several
human deaths. Even more worryingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that, due to the
particular subtype of virus in question, the current situation in Asia might eventually lead to an epidemic
in the human population, with major health and socio-economic consequences world-wide.

Taking into account
the extremely serious consequences that such a disease agent could cause if
introduced into the Community, the Commission has adopted a number of precautionary measures,
including the suspension of importation of ornamental (pet) birds from the countries concerned. All
measures adopted by the Commission have been fully supported by the Member States in the Standing
Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (Scofcah).

The Commission is in the process of assessing the most recent outbreaks of Avian Influenza world-wide.
The lessons learned from these events and the opinions delivered by scientists will be the basis for a
proposal for a revised legislation on the control of this disease, which the Commission intends to submit
to the Council and the Parliament in 2004.

In accordance with the Commission’s Communication on impact assessment (1), this proposal will be
acompanied by an extended impact assessment. In this context, the Commission will assess the risks as
well as the costs and benefits of the measures adopted in the past and of those proposed for the future in
relation to this disease. However, it can already be predicted that a precise assessment will often be very
difficult or even impossible, due to the rapidly changing and unpredictable nature of the disease agent,
scientific uncertainties and shortage of information on many relevant issues, including the risks posed by
pet birds and pet birds trade. In this regard, the most appropriate means of protection in the European
context will need to be considered.

The measures implemented to prevent the introduction of Avian Influenza via the import of pet birds in
accordance with Commission Decision 2000/666/EC of 16 October 2000 laying down the animal health
requirements and the veterinary certification for the import of birds, other than poultry and the conditions
for quarantine (2) are kept under continuous review by the Commission at the Scofcah.

So far, highly pathogenic Avian Influenza viruses have not been detected in birds kept under quarantine.
However, thanks to these measures other exotic viruses of birds have been detected and their spread in the
Community thus prevented.

In accordance with current knowledge and experience,
the Commission therefore considers that the
current precautions (cid:1) supplemented as necessary by exceptional safeguard clauses like those recently
adopted in relation to the situation in Asia (cid:1) are the most appropriate to protect the Community from
undesired disease agents, including Avian Influenza. Unfortunately, we do not live in a zero risk world so
that one cannot exclude either the intentional or unintentional introduction of such a virus, although all
necessary precautions are being taken against such an eventuality.

(1) COM(2002) 276 final.
(2) OJ L 278, 31.10.2000.

(2004/C 84 E/0781)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0892/04

by Véronique De Keyser (PSE) to the Commission

(15 March 2004)

Subject: European Super-Commissioner

Mr Prodi has just expressed himself in favour of creating a European Super-Commissioner responsible for
economic affairs. Does the Commission intend to encourage the creation of an analogous post in the field
of social affairs or would the Super-Commissioner for economic affairs also be responsible, in a clear and
precise manner, for social affairs?