Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-29-Speech-5-023"
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"en.19991029.3.5-023"2
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"Madam President, the reason I believe France should immediately lift the ban on British beef is because Britain has met the requirements of the Florence agreement.
Three months after the lifting of the ban by the Commission, the Veterinary Committee is still considering evidence as to whether British beef is safe. This is unacceptable. The Commission accepted British beef was safe on 1 August when it lifted the ban. It must now act decisively and make France lift the illegal ban on British beef immediately.
Compensation must be paid to the British beef industry by the French government for the damage it has caused the industry. The longer this illegal action by France continues, the more it damages the reputation of the whole of the European Union.
The Florence agreement reached between the EU heads of state and government on 21 June 1996 sets out five preconditions which the UK must meet before the beef export ban can be lifted. They are: implementation of a selective slaughter scheme. Introduction of an effective animal identification and movement record system, one that is fully in place. Legislation for the removal of meat and bonemeal from feedmills and farms. This is complete in the UK and not in the rest of Europe. Effective implementation of the Over Thirty Month rule, meaning that nothing over 30 months old can get into the food chain. Improved methods for removing specified risk material from bovine carcasses. These conditions have been met through the implementation of the control measures outlined above. The European Commission inspection visits verify that they have been fully and effectively implemented in the UK. This is the reason for my argument. I believe that the Commission has passed UK beef safe for export.
The Commission lifted the ban on British beef on 1 August this year. The key issue is no beef animal over 30 months old is allowed into the food chain in Britain. There has not been a case – and I repeat: there has not been a case of BSE – in an animal born after 1 August 1996 in the UK. That is very important. Nothing over 30 months old and no case of BSE in anything born after 1 August 1996.
There has been a selective slaughter of cattle born and reared alongside confirmed cases of BSE. There is a compulsory cull of offspring born to cattle with confirmed BSE.
The cost to British farmers is enormous. UK exports to the EU alone in 1995 amounted to almost GBP 500 million, of which nearly half was to France. Nearly half a million calves were exported from Britain to the rest of Europe in 1995 and that must deliver a message in itself.
The cost to farmers from the reduction of the value of the UK beef herd and by-products, along with the extra regulation, is estimated to be GBP 1000 million.
While the bureaucrats and the politicians argue, farmers and their families in Britain suffer. On 1 August this year when the Commission lifted its ban, 12 out of 14 Member States to which Britain could export lifted their bans. If France had new evidence as to the safety of British beef why did the French Government not bring this information to the Commission before the ban was lifted in August 1999 – why wait until now and delay and delay and delay?
People in Britain expect France to comply with European law and they also expect the European Commission to act decisively to end the illegal ban on British beef. The single market is fundamental to the very existence of the European Union and the illegal action by France throws the whole single market into disrepute.
Having a war of words on whose food is safest in Europe will only result in one thing: the destruction of consumer confidence in food from Europe wherever it is produced. We learned that lesson when BSE originally came in. The longer this dispute continues, the more likely there will be a boycott of French food by British consumers. Feelings are running high in Britain and the crisis must be resolved quickly, otherwise there will be tit-for-tat retaliation on both sides of the channel."@en1
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"Parish (PPE )."1
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