WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2977/98 by John McCARTIN to the Commission. Incineration of pigmeat
C 182/34 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 28. 6. 1999 Following the inspection mission organised 11-15 May 1998, the Commission on 2 September 1998 asked Portugal to submit comments on its draft report, which were received on 25 September 1998. Furthermore, in the mean time and in connection with this mission, a meeting was arranged on 11 September 1998 between the Portuguese authorities and the Commission to assess the situation and to express the concern of the Commission. Since July 1998, the Commission’s President and the Commission members responsible for agriculture and for consumer health protection have on several occasions had direct contacts with members of the Portuguese government and alerted them to the seriousness of the BSE situation and the need to take appropriate measures. The Commission confirms that an urgent veterinary inspection mission to Portugal was carried out 28 September - 2 October 1998. This mission, prompted by a marked increase in the number of BSE cases, followed up on the findings of the previous mission in May 1998. It covered epidemio-surveillance and the effectiveness of the applied risk management strategy, in particular the implementation of the ban on feeding mammalian protein to ruminants, the processing of mammalian waste, the specified risk material measures and the national eradication plan. As far as possible it also gathered information on the dispatch from Portugal of live bovine animals and beef. The report of this mission will be prepared under the special procedures for urgent reports as foreseen in Commission Decision 98/139/EC of 4 February 1998 laying down certain detailed rules concerning on-the-spot checks carried out in the veterinary field by Commission experts in the Member States (1). In accordance with this Decision the reports on the missions in May 1998 and September 1998 will be submitted to the Parliament and be published on the internet. (1) OJ L 38, 12. 2. 1998. (1999/C 182/043) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2977/98 by John McCartin (PPE) to the Commission (8 October 1998) Subject: Incineration of pigmeat Is the Commission aware that pigmeat, which is a rich and valuable food, is being incinerated because of lack of markets in Member States and can the Commission state whether they have considered using this surplus food for the relief of famine in poor countries or even in the Soviet Union where temporary shortages may occur in the coming winter. Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (18 November 1998) The Commission is not aware of the use of incineration in the Community as a measure to reduce the supply of pigs. In the framework of a temporary national and exceptional scheme in Northern Ireland, however, pigs were rendered and then buried in a landfill site. This scheme was applied for a short period in summer 1998 after a fire in an important pig slaughterhouse, in order to overcome animal welfare problems for heavy pigs which could not be slaughtered because of the lack of slaughter capacity. There are clear signs that normal trade of pigmeat with Russia is recovering and also new outlets have been found by traders. The recently increased exports refunds and the introduction of aid for private storage should help. The Commission is monitoring developments in Russia very carefully and will continue to respond in an appropriate manner