91997E2375

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2375/97 by Gianni Tamino (V) to the Commission (10 July 1997)

Subject: Community contribution to misleading information on cattle farming

A lavishly produced illustrated brochure has been distributed - under the aegis and presumably also with the financial assistance of the agriculture and education departments of the Milan provincial government and the office of the European Commission in Milan - entitled 'Everything you need to know about cattle - a journey into Milanese agriculture'. It contains idyllic descriptions of a non-intensive form of farming, expressed in brief phrases and statements such as 'calves grow happily and without stress', 'the slaughterhouse is not a sinister place (...) but resembles rather a Dutch factory', 'the future roasts arrive there after quite a comfortable journey in double decker lorries like London buses', 'stops are made which allow the animals to drink water and think' - all this accompanied by pictures of free, smiling animals.

How is it possible to assist initiatives based on such misleading information which does not correspond to the reality of industrial farming, in which false assertions are made, such as those concerning the conditions for the transport of live animals or how calves are raised, - situations which the Union has decided to remedy by means of new Directives?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (18 September 1997)

The publication in question may have in fact overshot a little bit in its - admittedly slightly romantic - wording. Nevertheless, the information about cattle farming provided in this publication should not be called misleading. Information publications in general aim at disseminating a certain message by using certain images and content. Whether in business, or in public communication, it is not uncommon to go positive by underlining existing assets.

As far as the common agricultural policy is concerned, the message reads: We care about human health, and the environment, but also about animal protection. The latest proposals within Agenda 2000 show this quite clearly. The Honourable Member will be aware that the Community has indeed improved environmental protection and animal protection in agriculture. It has recently adopted higher standards on the protection of calves, on the protection of animals during transport and at the time of slaughter. These regulations correspond to reality, because they are already existing. Therefore the Commission should be entitled to give information about these achievements in a proper way, in order to counter-balance the sometimes biased information on this issue.