Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-29-Speech-5-022"
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"en.19991029.3.5-022"2
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". – At the Florence Summit in June 1996, the heads of government agreed to take any decision on lifting the UK embargo “only and exclusively on the basis of public health and objective scientific criteria and of the judgement of the Commission, in accordance with the existing procedures, that these criteria have been satisfied.”
The conditions for the scheme are very demanding. First the UK had to slaughter offspring, which could otherwise be eligible, of known BSE cases before the scheme could be operational. This cull continues for new BSE cases. Then, the only eligible products are: deboned meat and a limited range of derived products, from animals between 6 and 30 months of age and born after the effective feed ban, that is born after 1 August 1996. In addition to that, there are not only stringent conditions concerning the identification and traceability of both the animal and its dam, but also the absence of any suspicion of BSE in the dam. Finally, stringent specific controls and full compliance are required from the entire production chain.
These controls are under the competence of the UK authorities. But, prior to setting the date at which exports under the scheme were to commence, a mission of the Food and Veterinary Office to inspect the operation of the scheme was carried out. This led to a satisfactory conclusion and allowed that date to be set at 1 August 1999.
Just this year two inspections in the UK have already been dedicated to auditing the DBES controls, namely in April and again in October.
The opinion issued by AFSSA on 30 September 1999, concerning the lifting of the ban for bovine meat and meat products of UK origin, comes to an unfavourable conclusion on the basis of arguments related to scientific and control matters.
The scientific matters have been presented for opinion to the Scientific Steering Committee. Preparatory meetings took place on 14 October and on 25 October in the framework of the ad hoc BSE group. During these meetings, the scientific documentation provided by AFSSA was examined and supplementary hearings of epidemiologists from MAFF also took place.
A report of those meetings, in which a detailed analysis of the situation is provided, has been presented to the Scientific Steering Committee. This committee met in Brussels yesterday and is meeting today in order to discuss and draft an opinion on this matter. This meeting is still going on.
Consequently, at this moment, I do not have any information on the outcome of the meeting. I understand that my colleague, Commissioner Byrne, together with the chairman of the Scientific Steering Committee, will give a press conference in Brussels at 6 p.m. this evening on the outcome of the meeting of the scientists.
I can assure you that the European Parliament will be kept fully informed about the conclusions of the Scientific Steering Committee."@en1
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