Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-12-16-Speech-4-012"
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"en.20041216.5.4-012"2
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".
Mr President, I should like to thank Commissioner Kyprianou most warmly for the openness with which he has raised this issue once more. You have only just assumed your duties, and I think that your position at all events opens up the possibility of a very good future working relationship between Parliament and the Commission on this, too. I am saying this with good reason: you hit the nail on the head when you said just now that the main problem regarding animal transport in Europe is the lack of priority given to it by national authorities. This is our sticking point, and remedying it would represent tremendous progress.
I should like to give an example by way of illustration. I note that, at the present time, the Austrian government, in particular, is doing a good job and is exercising good supervision. This is resulting in a large proportion of the international transport of stock for slaughter travelling to Italy by routes other than Austria all of a sudden. This is the kind of situation that arises when a number of other Member States neglect their duties. In that regard, the Austrian model should become the European model: with effective legislation and effective enforcement. This is the way to put an end to all the unpleasant debate.
However, the Council has come to an agreement, and has made a corresponding amendment without giving prior notice to Parliament, which I find very disconcerting and also blameworthy on the part of the Council. On the other hand, I must add that we should have been even worse off without this initiative, because we cannot deny that the agreement does constitute an improvement on the existing legislation. You know Parliament’s line of thinking. I myself was rapporteur on the subject of a maximum journey time for stock for slaughter. This has now proved unattainable in the Council. Nevertheless, I note that the introduction of the satellite tracking system has become a reality, at all events, and that enforcement of the existing rules is to be improved. In that regard, I should like to hear how the Commission intends to enforce this at Member State level. Are other instruments necessary in this regard, including on the part of Parliament? I should also like to know how the Commission intends to support this in the context of improving training. Finally, I note that farm-to-farm transport has been liberalised. We should have liked to see 100 kilometres, but this was evidently unattainable in the Council. Nevertheless, we have taken a small step forward.
I should like to mention two other points. First of all, there is still a great deal of criticism of the means of regulation of the transport of breeding stock and the rest periods stated for this. Animals must be transported as quickly as possible, and introducing the minimum possible number of rest periods for the transit of breeding stock, too – which is undertaken in the main in very favourable conditions – would be a step forward. This means that animals can also be transported over medium distances. The same goes for the roll-on/roll-off system on ferries. Telling Member States in plain language that this is normal rest time would also be a great help. All this would represent another few steps forward in improving the quality of animal transport.
As a former rapporteur, I am a little disappointed that no maximum journey times for stock for slaughter have been agreed. Nevertheless, I see that this package as a whole does represent a genuine step forward. I am extremely curious to hear what proposals the Commissioner intends to make before 2009 for the establishment of a good working relationship with Parliament, and also, in particular, for making Member States comply with the European rules."@en1
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