92001E2435

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2435/01

by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission

(3 September 2001)

Subject: Veterinary checks at external borders for foot and mouth disease

It is generally assumed that the illegal import of meat into the United Kingdom from a country outside the EU was the cause of the recent outbreaks of mouth disease, in the UK and in other EU Member States.

Can the Commission say what measures it has taken together with the Member States to strengthen checks at external frontiers and what the differences are compared with the situation before the wave of recent outbreaks?

If the answer to the above question is yes, can the Commission say how much the relevant measures have cost and who is meeting these costs?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(1 October 2001)

A very comprehensive set of Community legislation regulates the imports of live animals and animal products into the Community.

It is the responsibility of the Member States to ensure that this legislation is properly enforced and that only animals, products and food corresponding to Community standards are imported.

The Commission has the duty to verify the proper implementation of this legislation. In this regard, in recent years the Commission has been paying particular attention to the functioning of the Community Border Inspection Posts in the Member States.

Inspections have been carried out regularly by the Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) in recent times, and further missions will be carried out, within the framework of Commission Decision 97/778/EC of 22 July 1997 drawing up a list of border inspection posts (BIPs) agreed for veterinary checks on products and animals from third countries, laying down detailed rules concerning the checks to be carried out by the experts of the Commission and repealing Decision 96/742/EC(1).

The Parliament is systematically informed on the FVO mission reports and on the corrective actions, which are required to be carried out by the Member States whenever shortcomings in the implementation of Community legislation are detected.

The Commission is aware that the current foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak requires a review of the measures, which are necessary to prevent disease agents such as FMD virus entering the Community and to better control such diseases. In this framework, the Commission is already carrying out a review of the needs for a more detailed legislation on the controls at Community borders, together with Member States experts.

Member States have been reminded about their responsibilities to ensure that controls at Community borders are properly carried out.

However, at this stage the Commission is not in a position to draw any final conclusion on the strengthening of the controls at Community borders by the Member States and on their cost.

(1) OJ L 315, 19.11.1997.