Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-04-10-Speech-1-102"
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"en.20000410.6.1-102"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, in recent years the numerous problems and crises in the area of animal nutrition have sadly brought home to us the importance of official animal nutrition inspections. The rapporteur, Mr Staes, has mentioned some here.
We know that animal feedingstuffs are the first link in the food chain which ends with humans, and animal feedingstuffs must therefore be safe. BSE and dioxin are only the best known watchwords in this area, which repeatedly make many in the European Union flinch and ask questions to which we, as those with political responsibility, must provide answers. Such questions as: what advantage is there in the internal market if it can lead to unchecked dangers? Who is protecting us and who is providing the safeguards? Europe has a responsibility and a duty in this regard: we are obliged to manage the internal market, which we have created and which we all want, so that risks, not least to the life and well-being of our citizens and consumers, are kept to a minimum, with the aim of eventually eliminating them altogether.
The proposed amendment of Directive 95/53/EC fixing the principles governing the organisation of official inspections in the field of animal nutrition is intended to create a legal basis for a harmonised procedure for checking documents and inspecting goods from third countries. With the consent of these countries, it will also be possible to carry out on-the-spot inspections. This is justified because anyone who wants to trade with us must meet our conditions and supply safe goods.
In respect of the Commission proposal, which Parliament approved at first reading without amendments, the Council has now made amendments to its common position which we do not wish to support. The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy is now submitting four amendments in plenary to Mr Staes’s report. This report has been adopted unanimously in committee and will therefore be supported by all groups.
The original Commission proposal has thus been readopted by us. We consider that it is absolutely imperative that in urgent cases we can act rapidly. Unfortunately, experience shows that safety is not created by good rules alone, but that it also requires an inspection system with the necessary powers of access which can act rapidly and, if need be, impose effective sanctions.
The Commission must be given the necessary powers here as guardian of the treaties. This is why, in the Environment Committee, the European People’s Party supported the amendment of Article 9a of the directive for official animal nutrition inspections, which grants the European Commission the right of initiative in cases of acute danger, empowering them to independently initiate measures in line with the severity of the grievance and within the framework of proportionality. The Council is then obliged, within 30 days, to process these measures, to validate them and to legitimise or, if necessary, reject them.
I do not think we need a new committee; we already have the permanent animal nutrition committee. In Germany we have a saying which runs: "when I don’t know what to do next, I appoint a committee". Too many committees cause delays and, ultimately, confusion. We must use the existing facilities and use them efficiently.
Europe and the internal market can only exist if they are also accepted by the citizens and the consumers. For this they need confidence, and confidence only comes through openness and transparency. The scandals which we have all discussed show that transparency and openness are becoming more and more important. The Member States, the Council and the European Commission must look upon one another as natural partners which support one another and work together constructively to protect citizens and consumers in a manner which engenders confidence.
Finally, I must sincerely thank the rapporteur for his excellent work and balanced report."@en1
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