Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-07-22-Speech-4-033"
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"en.19990722.2.4-033"2
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"(NL) Mr President, the dioxin crisis has demonstrated that consumers want safe food. Farmers produce it, but things sometimes go wrong through no fault of their own. At such times, it falls to the authorities to do something. As far as that is concerned, we should note that although this crisis originated in Belgium, it affects countries throughout the EU. I should like to propose, therefore, that we quickly get to work on setting up a food safety bureau, and that more money is devoted to this. I should like in particular to lend my support to the proposals put forward by MEP Böge on this point. Let the Commission advise the Council of Ministers on what is necessary in terms of money and manpower, with a view to dealing with this more quickly. For citizens and farmers are entitled to expect the authorities to respond effectively to a crisis of this kind and although it may not be appropriate to term a natural disaster, it comes very close to one when you see what the effects are. I would thus advocate quickly getting down to work and setting up a food safety bureau under the direction of Commissioner Fischler.
My second point is that there should be improved harmonisation of national legislation as regards criminal law, with a view to dealing rapidly with those who infringe the laws on this point, which is, in fact, a criminal matter.
I should like to draw attention to two matters: firstly, the side effects. It is Belgian farmers and Belgian consumers who have been the ones to suffer. In fact, it is a natural disaster of sorts and we actually ought to be able to say: this is a matter for the European institutions. I should like to support MEP Thyssen"s call for the Commission to be more generous in that respect and to enter into discussion with the Parliament on how matters of this kind should be dealt with in future.
Secondly, what is the Commission doing about the fact that the minute such a crisis arises, the next thing to happen is that Belgian pigs are transported to other countries, are slaughtered and labelled there, and are therefore using a different label? This has repercussions for the market. What does the Commissioner hope to do at this juncture and in terms of creating effective policy? As a representative of the European People"s Party, I should particularly like to point out that whilst we cannot prevent disasters, as administrators, as parliamentarians, we must take the opportunity to deal with matters in a completely effective way. That is why I wish to make you fully aware of these two points in particular."@en1
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"Maat (PPE)"1
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