Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-05-16-Speech-2-348"
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"en.20060516.38.2-348"2
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"Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, even ten years after the outbreak of BSE, prevention, control and eradication of certain spongiform encephalopathies are still necessary and still under discussion.
The regulation on this, which we are also discussing today, is intended to bring EU law into line with international requirements and the standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health, particularly important among which are all the precautions. Food safety and consumer protection are both priorities, but it is equally important to take a measured approach. Wherever possible, action should be based exclusively on scientific evidence.
As shadow rapporteur for the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats in the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, I endorse the results and compromises achieved so far. I should like to express my particular thanks to all members of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety who have been working on this issue for their constructive cooperation and their practical handling of this important issue. It has proved possible to push through pragmatic simplifications that reduce bureaucracy. Three aspects are important in this regard. The first is that we really want to see three instead of five risk categories. This will make it possible to take nationally coordinated action against BSE, and will bring greater safety overall. The list of specified risk materials also forms part of this.
Secondly, a point on which we are undoubtedly in agreement is that animal proteins should not be fed to ruminants now or in the future. However, it is right to allow young calves – and by this I mean very young calves – to be fed fishmeal in some cases, subject to appropriate controls. Young calves do not yet have fully developed ruminant stomachs, and they need animal protein.
The third point is that there should really be a tolerance of up to 0.5% for animal protein accidentally present in feed; be it a mouse, bird, small animal or bone in the field. Zero per cent tolerance is rarely achievable in this world.
One of the most important points as far as the Committee on Agriculture is concerned is that the EC regulation significantly restricts comitology powers. Together with the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, Parliament decisively influenced risk management in the legislation in the first version of the regulation. Since then, Parliament has been bypassed and numerous amendments made through comitology. This does not seem very democratic and often impedes cooperation and acceptance. Let us take an approach to the beginning of the end that is characterised by moderation and responsibility.
I should like to express my particular thanks to Mrs Roth-Behrendt for her good work. I send her my sincere good wishes and hope, for her sake and ours, that she is soon back among us."@en1
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