Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-11-15-Speech-3-189"
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"en.20001115.9.3-189"2
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"Madam President, I believe that the BSE crisis that broke out in 1996 has revealed the extent to which ultraliberalism can lead to the health of consumers and the interests of livestock producers being sacrificed.
The work of this Parliament’s committee of enquiry contributed to the application of measures to protect consumer health: in particular by banning animal meal for cattle and through the compulsory labelling of beef. But fraud, negligence and the lack of adequate measures mean that the BSE crisis is still not under control, since new cases are being discovered all the time. Without becoming paranoid, we must recognise that the consumers’ concern is perfectly legitimate. My group believes that the health of consumers is an imperative which should have overriding priority over all other considerations. It is therefore urgent that measures are taken to reassure consumers and to restore their confidence in food safety.
I do not know if this is a panacea, Commissioner but, in line with the precautionary principle, it seems to me that experience behoves us to ban, as of today, the use of animal meal in feed for livestock, including pigs, poultry and fish.
Detection tests must also be extended to all cattle entering the human food chain. The current crisis has led to a significant slump in sales and to a fall in prices, which are hurting livestock producers and all those involved in the beef sector. It is necessary both to restore consumer confidence and to help the livestock producers affected by the crisis. Selective aid, such as market support and a grass subsidy, are essential.
But, beyond the immediate future, should we not be reflecting on the mechanisms of the CAP? Are these not the very mechanisms which are at the root of the problem?
They have contributed to overly intensive production, which has harmed the environment and the quality of farm products. They therefore need to be reviewed. Perhaps it would be no bad thing if animals returned to traditional fodder. I feel like saying, “Yes, let them have a bit more grass.”
But the European Union must also encourage the production of oil seeds so that animal meal can be replaced by vegetable meal. To achieve this, there would have to be a re-examination of the 1993 GATT agreement, which prohibits the European Union producing more than 25% of its vegetable protein requirements so as to satisfy US exports."@en1
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