European Parliament resolution on the draft Commission regulation amending Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and animal nutrition
Date: 2004-10-28
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: animal nutrition, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, fish product, foodstuffs legislation, manufactured feedingstuffs, veterinary legislation

C 174 E/178

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

14.7.2005

Thursday 28 October 2004

— having regard to Rule 101 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A6-0015/2004),

Delivers a favourable opinion on the appointment of Kikis Kazamias as a Member of the Court of

1.
Auditors;

2.
Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Council and, for information, to the Court of
Auditors, the other institutions of the European Communities and the Audit Offices of the Member States.

P6_TA(2004)0043

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and animal nutrition

European Parliament resolution on the draft Commission regulation amending Annex IV to Regu-
lation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards transmissible
spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and animal nutrition

The European Parliament,

— having regard to Article 152(1) of the EC Treaty,

— having regard to Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of
22 May 2001 laying down rules fot the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible
spongiform encephalopathies (1), as amended,

— having regard to the Draft Commission Regulation amending Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 999/
2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards animal nutrition (SANCO/3027/2004),

— having regard to Rule 81 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas Article 2 of Council Decision 2000/766/EC of 4 December 2000 concerning certain protection
measures with regard to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and the feeding of animal pro-
tein (2) provided that Member States were to prohibit the feeding of processed animal proteins to
farmed animals which were kept, fattened or bred for the production of food,

B. whereas Article 7(2) and Annex IV of Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 as amended prohibits the feeding
of ruminants with animal protein and feedingstuffs containing such proteins, subject to certain excep-
tions,

C. whereas the Commission asserts in recital 3 of its abovementioned Draft Regulation that ring trials
have demonstrated that the performance of laboratories as regards the detection of small amounts of
mammalian proteins in feedingstuffs containing fishmeal has improved considerably with the entry into
force of Commission Directive 2003/126/EC of 23 December 2003 on the analytical method for the
determination of constituents of animal origin for the official control of feedingstuffs (3),

D. whereas the Commission therefore supposes that the basis for prohibiting the feeding of fishmeal to
ruminants is no longer valid and that its prohibition should consequently be lifted; nevertheless, the
Commission admits that continuous evaluation of the competence and training of laboratory staff
would be necessary to maintain or improve the quality of controls,

(1) OJ L 147, 31.5.2001, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 306, 7.12.2000, p. 32.
(3) OJ L 339, 24.12.2003, p. 78.

14.7.2005

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 174 E/179

Thursday 28 October 2004

E. whereas not enough experienced laboratory staff are available at EU level to maintain the controls

pursuant to Directive 2003/126/EC,

F. whereas the European Court of Justice concluded in Case C-286/02 that it was the ban on the feeding

of animal meal to ruminants which has produced most results in combating TSEs,

G. whereas animal proteins do not form part of the natural nutrition of ruminants,

Considers that the feeding of fishmeal to ruminants is not consistent with the duty imposed on the

1.
Community by Article 152(1) of the EC Treaty;

Considers that the power conferred on the Commission by Article 23 of Regulation (EC) No 999/2001

2.
does not permit a lowering of the level of public health protection;

3.
Calls, therefore, on the Commission to withdraw its Draft Regulation amending Annex IV to Regu-
lation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards animal nutrition
(SANCO/3027/2004);

Believes that for any other farmed animals which are kept, fattened or bred for the production of food,

4.
any feedingstuff has to fall under strong scrutiny;

Calls for scientific analysis to determine acceptable limit values for dioxin in fishmeal for feeding pigs

5.
and poultry;

Voices strong doubts that sufficient experienced laboratory staff are available within the Member States

6.
of the European Union to maintain the controls regarding fishmeal pursuant to Directive 2003/126/EC;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments

7.
of the Member States.

P6_TA(2004)0044

EU-India relations

European Parliament recommendation to the Council on EU-India relations (2004/2195(INI))

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the proposal for a recommendation to the Council by Glyn Ford on behalf of the PSE

Group on EU-India Relations (B6-0005/2004),

— having regard to the Communication from the Commission on an EU-India Strategic Partnership of

16 June 2004(COM(2004)0430),

— having regard to the 5th EU-India Summit, which was due to take place in The Hague on 14 October

2004, and will now take place on 8 November 2004,

— having regard to the most recent European Parliament-India Interparliamentary meeting, held in New

Delhi from 17-20 April 2002,

— having regard to Rules 114(3) and 90 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A6-0024/2004),

A. having regard to the geostrategic importance of India and its potential role in a multilateral world order,

and in particular its status as the world's largest multicultural democracy,

B.

having regard to the significance of India, with its diversity of religions, cultures, ethnicities and lan-
guages and its importance to the dialogue among civilisations,