Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-12-17-Speech-2-288"
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"en.20021217.9.2-288"2
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"Madam President, it seems like only yesterday that the Commissioner and I were talking about other issues regarding the safety of some of these foodstuffs.
Does the Commissioner still believe that his statement of 28 June was a necessary and sufficient answer to the concerns that have been raised? He has just told us that the FVO missions to Brazil and Thailand, and probably elsewhere, were cancelled because 100% testing is now in place within the Member States. If the Commissioner did not say that, then I misheard him. It is certainly true that in some of those Member States – notably Germany and the Netherlands – considerable concern has been expressed about the degree of nitrofuran residues in poultry and the extent to which even a very sophisticated Member State cannot guarantee by itself the degree of testing.
The issue is not only what happens within the Member State – as the Commissioner knows, there have been a whole series of rapid alerts during 2002. I would like to know how many rapid alerts throughout the European Union have been proclaimed in this calendar year as a result of this continuing anxiety about carcinogens like nitrofuran when residues are discovered in imports. I would like to know whether or not he feels that poultry imports from countries like Brazil give cause for serious concern. I would like the Commissioner to put on record the opinion of the Commission and its own residues experts on the number of tonnes of poultry from the states in question that have passed into the European Union without proper inspection. My information is that something like 2000 tonnes of Brazilian poultry have entered the EU in this way.
How close does the Commissioner believe we are to achieving 100% safety testing in the Member States? Why are these missions being postponed? Is the SANCO DG under pressure from other directorates? Are there questions here about endangering trade talks, meaning that one should not throw suspicion on any other states? If that is the case, it is not a sufficient answer to give to those whose primary concern is – as is the Commission's – food safety.
Finally, how soon will these proposed missions take place? The Commissioner said earlier today in the debate on foot and mouth disease that he did not like disguised forms of protectionism – nor do I. However, I do not like disguised forms of concealment either, where there is a risk. If the money is not available and that is why these FVO missions have been postponed – tell us so. There are members of the Committee on Budgets here now. Parliament is very keen to support you, but we need candour in order to do it."@en1
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