Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-05-16-Speech-2-335"
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"en.20060516.38.2-335"2
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".
Madam President, the rapporteur, Mrs Roth-Behrendt, has asked me to present her report here today because she is ill. We hope she will be back with us soon.
The directive on TSE basically has two parts; firstly, the question of transitional periods and secondly the operational or substantive part. To allow us to discuss the substantive part at greater length and more extensively, it was suggested that we divide the report, which we did with the Commission’s agreement. In the middle of 2005, we decided to extend the transitional provisions at first reading, giving us sufficient time for the second part, which we are debating today and which we have also discussed in a large number of working groups and roundtables, including with Europe’s veterinarians and colleagues in Parliament.
As Commissioner Verheugen has already indicated, we are determined not to weaken the directive but to put the emphasis on health policy. Under Mrs Roth-Behrendt’s leadership we managed that splendidly. She has called on the Commission to develop a kind of roadmap, which, while it has not been discussed in this house officially, will nevertheless guide us in tackling the difficult topic of BSE and TSE in the future. It is a very welcome initiative.
Let me say something about the contents. Up until now, we have had five risk categories. That was good, it was right and it was helpful. We found, however, and became convinced that in order to be compatible with what is being done in other parts of the world, including the World Organisation for Animal Health in Paris, it was better to scale this down to three factors, which came more easily after much discussion. We found that many non-Community countries know relatively little about this animal disease and that the European Union and the OIE in Paris, too, can get much better information that is easy to compare using this new classification. That was the compromise after the rapporteur – and I strongly support her – agreed to this proposal. It is in the end also a factor in consumer protection and for farmers, because these questions can now be better coordinated and also policed across the globe in the developing world.
It is again made clear that checks for BSE are an important part of it. Healthy, conspicuous and changed animals will continue to be tested. But if the surveillance shows a sustained positive development in particular areas, then things can be relaxed a little in line with scientific evidence.
One contentious issue I will be pleased to talk about is the question of fishmeal. As a farmer, I am convinced that fishmeal should not be fed to ruminants. Some countries in Europe evidently see it differently, however. I have to respect that. Parliament said a clear No back in 2004. With the backing of many experts, the rapporteur took this subject up again and made clear that this fact – namely that herbivores should not be given fishmeal – will be included in this report. As an exception – and that is part of the compromise – it will be permissible to add it to feed for animals up to a certain age. I think we can agree to this compromise.
One tricky and very sensitive area is the question of mechanically separated meat. How meat is stripped from bones is a very complicated issue. Anyone who has ever seen it will never eat it again. The Commission itself has said it will review it and make us an appropriate proposal for dealing with this problem. The minimum list of special risk materials is a matter of particular concern to the rapporteur, Mrs Roth-Behrendt. Brain and spinal cord, for example, will now appear in a genuine list and not in the Annexes as before. That is right and it is a good contribution.
An equally good contribution is the question of how cohort animals are treated at present. These are siblings of animals that are sick. Earlier, all these animals were most brutally slaughtered. Now a good way has been found and the animals are kept. They cannot of course be eaten themselves.
All in all, I would like to thank the rapporteur and everyone involved. They have done some very important work. And I am very glad that Mrs Roth-Behrendt was able to accompany us through this difficult terrain and I hope she will be here again soon."@en1
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