Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-29-Speech-5-028"
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"en.19991029.3.5-028"2
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"Mr President, I would nevertheless like to point out that by deciding not to lift the ban on British beef, France, in the case in point, is merely applying the Treaty which gives each State the opportunity to ban or restrict imports in order to protect the health and life of humans and animals. Personally, I am delighted that the precautionary principle has taken precedence over free trade.
The reasons put forward by France to justify its decision are not false pretexts masking some kind of protectionism. They are based on serious scientific arguments made by AFSSA, a totally independent scientific body. Its studies show that the BSE epidemic is far from being under control. I am not, of course, going to become embroiled in a war of figures, as there are quite a few other people who are ready to do so. Moreover, the British committee of experts does not contest these figures, which have been taken up by the director of Public Health in Scotland, who has stated, “I am aware of the fact that there is a risk to human health in this country.”
Too many cases of BSE are occurring in cattle born after the ban on animal meal. How can this be explained unless we recognise the fact that the eradication programme implemented in Great Britain has still to be fine tuned? Furthermore, animal traceability has not been guaranteed. There is nothing to ensure that only animals born after 1 August 1996, aged between 6 and 30 months, are put on the market
France, moreover is not the only country to adopt this position. Although Germany has not formally decided to lift the ban, it is dragging its feet over applying it. Indeed, has the Health Minister herself not just announced that the ban would only be lifted at some point before Christmas? I think that the European Commission’s decision to lift the ban is more political than scientific, as the differences in interpretation and points of view within the European Scientific Committee demonstrate.
Past experience of the European Commission’s poor handling of, and shortcomings in, the BSE affair do not inspire me with any blind faith in its decisions, to put it mildly.
Of course, in the light of the campaign which has been conducted in the British press, I do not think we should stir things up as some here are doing. I think that we should keep our heads and help to bring calm in order to guarantee the best protection of our fellow citizens’ health by keeping the risks to a minimum. Food safety has become something that society places great value on, something that I would say our fellow citizens are even demanding. This is why I feel that we should now ask the Scientific Committee to conduct more detailed scientific studies, taking the most recent data into account, whilst at the same time waiting for the screening tests which could be applied to live animals, and stepping up monitoring at all levels.
Only if these conditions are met will France be able to lift the ban with complete safety."@en1
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