91997E4166

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4166/97 by Irene Soltwedel-Schäfer (V) to the Commission (21 January 1998)

Subject: British beef

When was the EU ban on the export of British beef transposed into national (British) law in the form of implementing provisions?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (9 February 1998)

Commission Decision 96/239/EC of 27 March 1996 ((OJ L 78, 28.3.1996. )) as amended by Commission Decision 96/362/EC of 11 June 1996 on emergency measures to protect against bovine spongiform encephalopathy ((OJ L 139, 12.6.1996. )) imposed export prohibitions on United Kingdom bovine animals and bovine meat and products derived from bovine animals slaughtered in the United Kingdom. These Decisions were initially applied by the United Kingdom authorities by a mixture of legislation, regulation and administrative measures.

Following inspections by veterinary inspectors it appeared that in some respects the national measures applying the ban were incomplete.

The Commission consequently put pressure on the United Kingdom government resulting in the adoption by the latter during August 1997 of more comprehensive national rules followed up during the following month by detailed circulars governing in particular the implementation of the new legislation at ports.

Commission inspections have also discovered certain inadequacies in the levels of official controls at United Kingdom meat plants and cold stores which could have implications for enforcement of the export ban. An infringement procedure has been opened against the United Kingdom in respect of this aspect.