WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4166/97 by Irene SOLTWEDEL-SCHÄFER to the Commission. British beef
C 196/90 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22. 6. 98 Conversely, the milk yield of Finnish cows is higher than the Community average, implying a greater reliance on concentrate feed. As a consequence, Finnish farmers could be expected to benefit to a greater extent from a feed price fall. A high reliance on grassland but on the other hand comparatively intensive production systems shows the issue is not straightforward. Since publication of the CAP 2000 policy orientations, the Commission has visited each Member State and listened to the points of view of governments, industry and other non government organisations. The Commission is also working to understand these issues better and is sure this process will continue after the formal proposals are published. These formal proposals will shortly be proposed by the Commission and are not yet finalised. However, they will reflect the Commissionís desire that livestock farming support should be more flexible, allowing Member States better to take into account the type of problems raised by the Honourable Member. (1) COM(97) 2000 final. (2) OJ L 215, 30. 7. 1992. (98/C 196/125) WRITTEN QUESTION E-4166/97 by Irene Soltwedel-Scha¤fer (V) to the Commission (21 January 1998) Subject: British beef When was the EU ban on the export of British beef transposed into national (British) law in the form of implementing provisions? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (9 February 1998) Commission Decision 96/239/EC of 27 March 1996 (1) as amended by Commission Decision 96/362/EC of 11 June 1996 on emergency measures to protect against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (2) imposed export prohibitions on United Kingdom bovine animals and bovine meat and products derived from bovine animals slaughtered in the United Kingdom. These Decisions were initially applied by the United Kingdom authorities by a mixture of legislation, regulation and administrative measures. Following inspections by veterinary inspectors it appeared that in some respects the national measures applying the ban were incomplete. The Commission consequently put pressure on the United Kingdom government resulting in the adoption by the latter during August 1997 of more comprehensive national rules followed up during the following month by detailed circulars governing in particular the implementation of the new legislation at ports. Commission inspections have also discovered certain inadequacies in the levels of official controls at United Kingdom meat plants and cold stores which could have implications for enforcement of the export ban. An infringement procedure has been opened against the United Kingdom in respect of this aspect. (1) OJ L 78, 28. 3. 1996. (2) OJ L 139, 12. 6. 1996