WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2642/97 by Jean-Antoine GIANSILY to the Commission. Infringement of the embargo on British beef
17. 3. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 82/111 The Commission also revealed that at the centre of this trade was probably Belgium, where there are said to be enterprises that have been specializing in the fraudulent import and export of British beef for some time. Can the Commission, at the end of its investigation, add to this information, which is very disturbing, and does it not suspect the existence of other illegal trade that has not yet been identified? Does it not feel, moreover, that this situation is mainly due to the inadequacy, shortcomings and ineffectiveness of the customs and sanitary checks in certain Member States, and especially the United Kingdom, that were introduced after the decision to impose an embargo was taken? Is the Commission able to evaluate the checks made in the United Kingdom and in the Member States incriminated in the recent events and to judge whether they comply with the commitments entered into as part of the fight against BSE? Is the Commission not convinced of the need for sanctions against the persons responsible who have been identified and for the checks on the origin of beef to be tightened up as a matter of urgency so as to prevent fraudulent trade on such a scale and to ensure, as far as possible, the protection of the consumerís health and confidence in the beef production chain, since it is once again the European Unionís breeders as a whole who are in danger of being heavily penalized by the consequences of an unacceptable situation? (98/C 82/184) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2643/97 by Inger Scho¤rling (V) to the Commission (25 July 1997) Subject: Contravention of meat export ban The Commission has reported that the UK has contravened the beef export ban introduced to prevent the spread of BSE (mad cow disease). More than 1000 tonnes of beef are believed to have been sold illegally to a number of countries. Consumer confidence in the EUís meat industry is, quite rightly, already very low, and reports of large-scale illegal exports are driving it even lower. Are there no effective export controls? How can such a large quantity of meat escape official controls? What steps has the Commission taken, or will it take, both to take legal action in respect of such a serious breach of the export ban and to ensure that it does not happen again? Joint answer to Written Questions E-2579/97, P-2642/97 and P-2643/97 given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (2 October 1997) The matter to which the Honourable Member refers relates to a recently uncovered fraud, involving the redescription and recertification of frozen beef of British origin as coming from other Member States. Investigations by the Commission, working very closely with the relevant Member State authorities, into the extent and implications of this fraud are currently in hand and have been reported to the Parliament on an interim basis. However, care is needed at this stage not to jeopardize the success of these investigations through the premature release of information on their findings. Primary responsibility for controlling the health marking, certification and movement of such beef rests with the Member States concerned. Although frauds are extremely difficult to prevent completely, it has become clear from the Commission’s investigations that there is a need to improve health controls at a national level so as to increase the level of detection and prevention of such illegal activity. In response to the shortfalls already identified by the Commission’s inquiries, a formal letter requesting information has already been sent to the United Kingdom. Investigations into the possible existence of other fraudulent meat movements are continuing, with a view to ensuring that a full picture is obtained and that all possible avenues are explored