WRITTEN QUESTION No. 197/99 by Anita POLLACK Production of foie gras
6. 11. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 320/125 In the light of these events, does the Commission consider that the Commission’s information office in Sweden is operating satisfactorily? Joint answer to Written Questions E-0075/99 and P-0076/99 given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission (25 February 1999) As the Honourable Member states, the President of the Commission wrote personally to Mr Göran Persson, Prime Minister of Sweden. The President had no intention of questioning the right of the Heads of State and or Government to comment on information relating to the operation of the Commission as published in the press. He simply wished to give his colleague his views on the statements reported to him. He was at pains to point out that his comments assumed that the statement attributed to the Prime Minister had been correctly interpreted. The Swedish Prime Minister subsequently clarified matters in a letter to the President. (1999/C 320/166) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0079/99 by Graham Mather (PPE) to the Commission (27 January 1999) Subject: Report of the Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare on the welfare aspects of the production of foie gras from ducks and geese This report, drafted by the Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare under the auspices of DG XXIV, was adopted on 16 December 1998. What action does the Commission propose to take on the basis of this report? (1999/C 320/167) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0197/99 by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission (11 February 1999) Subject: Production of foie gras What action is the Commission proposing to take with a view to stopping the cruel force-feeding of birds for the production of foie gras following the condemnatory report of the Committee of EU Animal Welfare Experts? Joint answer to Written Questions E-0079/99 and E-0197/99 given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (18 March 1999) The reason for the preparation of the scientific report on the production of foie-gras, was the discussion in the Council of Europe of recommendations on welfare of domestic ducks, and on muscovy ducks or hybrids of muscovy ducks, and on domestic geese in the context of the Convention for the protection of animals kept for farming purposes (to which the Community is a contracting party). During 1998, the parties to the Convention agreed to wait for the Commission’s scientific report before finalizing the recommendations on domestic ducks, muscovy ducks and geese (including ‘foie-gras’ produc- tion). The first discussion on this subject took place during the meeting of the bureau of the Council of Europe standing committee on 22 February 1999 to prepare all the documents for the plenary session planned for the last week of June 1999