WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4037/97 by Joaquín SISÓ CRUELLAS to the Commission. Scrapie in sheep
C 196/64 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22. 6. 98 (98/C 196/87) WRITTEN QUESTION E-4027/97 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Council (15 January 1998) Subject: Landmines and EU aid Does the Council welcome the UK decision to review the levels of its development funding to recipient countries which do not ásign upí to the Ottawa agreement on landmines? Would it, therefore, not be appropriate for the Council to recommend that the EU should adopt similar discrimination against recipients of EU development assistance which continue to produce and export landmines? Answer (30 March 1997) The Council has not to date been apprised of the content of the decision mentioned by the Honourable Member in her question, and has not therefore discussed the issue. Nevertheless, the Honourable Member will be aware that, in the Joint Action on anti-personnel landmines, adopted on 28 November 1997, the Council recalled its resolution on the fight against anti-personnel landmines of 22 November 1996, which identified certain measures which could be adopted and the criteria which should govern the allocation of funds in support of mine clearance interventions. At the same time, the European Union welcomed efforts to promote universal accession to the Convention on the prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines and on their destruction and indicated that it would focus attention on those third countries which continue the irresponsible supply and indiscriminate use of anti-personnel landmines. (98/C 196/88) WRITTEN QUESTION E-4037/97 by Joaqu ·n Siso· Cruellas (PPE) to the Commission (14 January 1998) Subject: Scrapie in sheep The possible connection between bovine encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, and the sheep infection known as scrapie or the staggers makes it necessary to take certain precautionary measures. The English name refers to the animalsí compulsive rubbing that is symptomatic of this disease. Scrapie causes acute itching, progressive loss of motor coordination, paralysis and death. The disease has become topical because of the appearance of bovine encephalopathy and its spread to humans, since both diseases are caused by an unconventional infectious substance, the prion, which affects humans and animals. The main source of infection in sheep derives from adding to the flock animals reared on infected farms, either by direct contagion or by transmission from the parent sheep. Scrapie develops very slowly over a period of two to ten months, is progressive and fatal, and infected animals are usually more than a year old, tending to be between two and four, with a clear loss of wool. Tissue damage is limited to the normal pattern of encephalopathy, with the same appearance as in mad cow disease, and there is still no treatment or special vaccine, making it necessary to destroy all the infected animals and their progeny. In view of the major impact throughout European society of the issue of mad cow disease, has the Commission carried out any research to ascertain the actual extent of the impact of scrapie on the European flock? › If so, what results have been obtained? If not, does it intend to do so? › What precautionary measures are being taken to prevent this disease becoming ámad sheep diseaseí?