Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-09-05-Speech-4-018"
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"en.20020905.1.4-018"2
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". – Mr President, a number of speakers have referred to the problem of waste and waste policy. We will have an opportunity to discuss this issue later this month in Parliament when we adopt the animal by-products regulation. This hugely important piece of legislation will ensure that one key sector in particular, animal by-products, is better regulated.
Mr Mulder mentioned a quality mark. This may be valuable but it has its limitations. Like legislation, quality marks are only effective if the qualifying conditions are respected. In the Netherlands, for instance, feed producers undertook to use only safe ingredients as part of their quality assurance scheme. Clearly, they failed to respect this requirement. So quality marks may be useful but they have their limitations.
Mr Whitehead referred to the rapid alert system at Community level and this has worked very effectively in relation to the recent food-safety crises. In a number of cases – not just this one but also the nitrofen case – the system worked very effectively. The problems have occurred at the national level. As Mr Whitehead suggests, in the recent nitrofen crisis in Germany there were clear failings in the notification of national authorities. Very often that occurs because of the federal structure that exists in a number of our Member States. Mr Staes also made the point that those Member States that have a federal structure really need to look at their systems of rapid alert to ensure that they match what we have at Community level. For instance, the Commission immediately notified Member States when it learned of this particular contamination.
Mrs Oomen-Ruijten then referred to a number of points that I would like to take up. Commissioner Wallström and I have written to the Irish authorities requesting a full and comprehensive reply to the question marks as to their compliance with the relevant Community legislation. This legislation requires formal notification of the movement of pharmaceutical waste, which does not appear to have happened in this instance. In the light of the reply I expect to have from the Irish authorities later this month we will then be in a position to return to this issue. When that reply comes in it will be examined closely and any further action that needs to be taken will be addressed at that time.
The positive list was referred to by a number of people. I shall say something about that. The Commission will shortly present the study which has been undertaken on the positive list. This will be presented to Parliament and our views on the feasibility of such a list will be made available for discussion here in Parliament at that time. But we should bear in mind that a positive list would not include MPA. It would not, therefore, have prevented the recent contamination. MPA should not be on the list; it will never be approved and therefore the positive list is not the full answer. However, I recognise that a number of people in this House are anxious for progress to be made on this issue and this will be discussed in Parliament before the end of the year.
A number of people also mentioned the Food Safety Authority. The work is ongoing there and, as we all know, the board has been established. Further steps have been taken on the appointment of the executive director. The board will hold its first meeting very soon on 18 September. In relation to further progress on the Food Safety Authority, if Parliament would make the appropriations requested by the Commission available to us, this would facilitate our work. I know that there are reasons why Parliament feels it wants to hold back this money as leverage for something else, but that may or may not be legitimate. It does nothing to facilitate the establishment of the Food Safety Authority and ensure that it is up and running and carrying out its work. I would appeal to Parliament to reconsider its position on these appropriations.
Some other points were raised by individual Members and I hope I can pick them all up but if I do not, please forgive me. Mr Bowis made reference to growth promoters. We can safely conclude that the contamination we are talking about this morning was not due to illegal use to increase the weight of pigs. Such use, that is the use of hormones as growth promoters, is illegal.
As I have already said, the Commission will be presenting a major proposal on controls shortly. This is aimed primarily at improving the implementation of our existing legislation. I intend in particular to increase the penalties and the cost of non-compliance.
I think we all agree that we must make it painful and costly for Member States and producers if they fail to implement Community legislation.
Mrs Roth-Behrendt made a number of relevant points. She is 100% right: feed must not serve as the dustbin for waste producers. Several of the recent major food-safety crises have originated from waste management: dioxin, the recent nitrofen crisis in Germany, sludge and now MPA and BSE. They are all associated with the feed issue.
As I have already said, we must improve contacts between the Member States on the treatment and disposal of waste – a controversial issue in a number of Member States but, nonetheless, one that has to be addressed with courage and effectiveness.
Mr Mulder referred to the Food and Veterinary Office. It is doing a very good job in ensuring compliance with Community law. Its reports continue to highlight the serious shortcomings in the implementation of legislation. It could do with more resources, but that is an issue for the budgetary authority. I am unhappy with the follow-up to the FAO's recommendations in a number of areas. This is why the Commission is coming forward with a new proposal to improve controls. As I have said repeatedly, we must make it painful and costly not to respect Community law."@en1
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