WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3259/98 by Francisco SANZ FERNÁNDEZ to the Commission. Culture and external cooperation
8. 4. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 96/167 Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (5 November 1998) Since the mission in May 1998, the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) situation in Portugal has deteriorated. In 1997, 30 confirmed cases of BSE were notified to the Commission. In 1998, 17 confirmed BSE cases were notified in the months January to April, and a further 49 confirmed BSE cases were notified until 16 October 1998. On 2 October 1998, the last day of the follow-up mission to Portugal, 28 brains were awaiting laboratory examination. For 10 of these brains the examination was finalised, hence, at least 18 brains are still awaiting laboratory examination. Three BSE related missions to Spain have been carried out so far. One was at the end of 1996, concerning general protective measures for BSE, one in autumn 1997 as a follow up of the previous mission, in particular concerning BSE surveillance and the implementation of Commission Decision 96/449/EC of 18 July 1996 on the approval of alternative heat treatment systems for processing animal waste with a view to the inactivation of spongiform encephalopathy agents (1) and finally, one mission in September 1998, covering Commission Decisions 96/449/ EC, 97/735/EC of 21 October 1997 concerning certain protection measures with regard to trade in certain types of mammalian animal waste (2) and the BSE surveillance results. A new mission is planned in the first part of 1999 on the implementation of Commission Decision 98/272/EC of 23 April 1998 on epidemio-surveillance for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and amending Decision 94/474/EC (3) concerning epidemio-surveil- lance of transmissible spongiform encaphalopathies (TSEs). Following the first two missions, in general it was concluded that some of the decisions have been implemented with some delay. The report of the last mission in September 1998 is being drafted and once finalised it will be sent to the Parliament and will be published on the Commission web-site (http://europa. eu. int/comm/dg24/). (1) OJ L 184, 24. 7. 1996. (2) OJ L 294, 28. 10. 1997. (3) OJ L 122, 24. 4. 1998. (1999/C 96/244) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3259/98 by Francisco Sanz FernÆndez (PSE) to the Commission (28 October 1998) Subject: Culture and external cooperation Can the Commission supply details of the number, type and value of the aid operations it conducted in the cultural, educational and training fields under the cooperation agreements with the countries of the Mediterranean area and the countries of Latin America during the period 1994-1998? Answer given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission (24 November 1998) The Commission is sending the information requested direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliamentís Secretariat