4.4.2002 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 81 E/71
primary surpluses which is essential in reducing rapidly the still very high government debt ratio. Such a strategy is indeed underlying the budgetary projections of the first Greek stability programme. The Greek government will present an update of the stability programme before the end of 2001.
Finally, with respect to debt management operations and debt financing, the Commission is not involved in the choices made by governments as regards the financial instruments used. Nonetheless, the Commission is monitoring on a regular basis, in the framework of the above mentioned procedures, the correct treatment of each operation in terms of national accounting and ensures that a sufficient degree of transparency is associated with Member States’ reporting. In cases where the treatment of a financial operation is not covered explicitly by the commonly established rules of national accounting, the Commission proceeds to an ad hoc methodological examination of the operation in close collaboration with all Member States; subsequently, a general recommendation is issued, thereafter followed by all the Member States. For instance, this has been the case a few years ago as regards the treatment of privatisation revenues, of debt assumption and of zero coupon bonds.
Nevertheless, as far as the Community Support Framework for the 2000-2006 programming period is concerned, the Commission has written to the Greek authorities, asking for some clarifications about the practicalities of these schemes.
(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 2223/96 of 25.6.1996 OJ L 310, 30.11.1996.
(2002/C 81 E/083) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1898/01 by Caroline Jackson (PPE-DE) to the Commission
(28 June 2001)
Subject: Fish meal and fish oil
Given the assurances in the White Paper that European consumers will be provided with essential and accurate information, as well as the need stressed by Commissioner Byrne for the European Union to re- establish public confidence in its food supply, science, law and controls,
1. Can the Commission state whether the temporary prohibition on the use of fish meal in ruminant diets has any basis in evidence that fish meal may contain the prion responsible for TSEs, and that it is thus capable of causing BSE in ruminants?
2. If not, what is the basis for the temporary prohibition?
3. Does the Food and Veterinary Office or EU vet services have proof that fish meal is more contaminated with MMBM than other feed ingredients?
4. Have the Food and Veterinary Office in Dublin and/or the EU Member States’ veterinary services determined that there is any proven reason indicating that fish meal is more cross-contaminated with mammalian meat and bone meal (MMBM) than other feed ingredients?
Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission
(18 September 2001)
1. Council Decision 200/766/EC of 4 December 2000 concerning certain protection measures with regard to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and the feeding of animal protein (1) suspends the use of fishmeal as an ingredient in feed destined for ruminants. This suspension of fishmeal was taken as a C 81 E/72 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 4.4.2002
precautionary management measure, pending re-evaluation of the implementation of Community rules in Member States. So far no scientific evidence links bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to fishmeal.
2. The suspension, strongly supported by the Member States, was partly based on Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) inspections that identified systematic failures in the implementation of rules on animal feed in several Member States. It also follows the advice of the Scientific Steering Committee recommending that where cross-contamination between mammalian meat and bone meal (MMBM) and other feed materials could not be avoided, measures should be taken to protect public and animal health … In this respect it should be recalled that at the time of the decision there was an insistance that the most stringent measures should be taken to avoid cross-contamination. The Commission has, however, undertaken to review the decision in the light of progress in strenghtening controls and especially of the development of more reliable tests for the presence of MMBM in fishmeal. The current measure is not a total prohibition, as a derogation exists, allowing the use of fishmeal in animal feed for species other than ruminants, provided that certain control measures are in place.
3. The FVO does not have any specific information on whether fishmeal is or not more contaminated with MMBM than other feed ingredients. This has not been the subject of any of the FVO missions in this area, these focusing on assessing the implementation by the competent authorities of the requirements and conditions established in Commission Decision 2001/9/EC of 29 December 2000 concerning control measures required for the implementation of Council Decision 2000/766/EC (2).
4. The FVO has no specific information on this matter.
5. Insofar as consumer information and confidence is concerned, there has been no adverse reaction to the decision from consumers or their representative groups. On the contrary consumers are increasingly favorable towards the non-use of any animal or fish derived protein in feedingsstuffs for ruminants as such protein does not form part of their natural diet.
(1) OJ L 306, 7.12.2000. (2) OJ L 2, 5.1.2001.
(2002/C 81 E/084) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1899/01 by Caroline Jackson (PPE-DE) to the Commission
(28 June 2001)
Could the Commission state whether hybrid bison (sometimes referred to as ‘cattalo’ or ‘beefalo’) are eligible for beef premium and/or suckler cow subsidies? If so, what is the official definition of a hybrid?
Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission
(18 September 2001)
Council Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in beef and veal (1) does not provide for the granting of beef premiums to bison.
Only bovine animals defined as live animals of the domestic bovine species falling within CN codes ex 0102 10 and 0102 90 05 to 0102 90 79 come within the scope of application of that Regulation.
These sub-headings include all animals of the bovine species, including buffalo, of the genera Bos and Bubalus of domestic species, regardless of their purpose, with the exception of pure-bred animals intended for breeding purposes. They also include the ‘beeffalo’, which is the result of a cross between a bison and a domestic animal of the bovine species.