WRITTEN QUESTION E-2375/99 by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Sheep production in Ireland and the UK.
1. 8. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 219 E/151 The Commission has also published a Mission Report on a veterinary mission to France. This revealed serious breaches in France of Council Directive 91/628/EEC. The Report also pointed out that the Dutch and German authorities were allowing heifers to be sent on very long journeys, although in advanced pregnancy, and were accepting route plans which showed that transporters did not intend to respect the legal requirement that cattle must be unloaded and rested for 24 hours after 29 hours of transport. What steps is the Commission taking to require the Dutch, German, French and Greek authorities to ensure compliance with the requirements of Council Directive 91/628/EEC? (1) OJ L 340, 11. 12. 1991, p. 17. Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission (19 January 2000) The Commission has recently opened infringement proceedings under Article 226 (ex Article 169) EC Treaty in relation to the breaches of Community animal welfare law mentioned in the report of a veterinary inspection mission to Greece cited by the Honourable Member. In relation to France, failure to comply with the rules of Council Directive 91/628/EC as amended by Council Directive 95/29/EC of 29 June 1995 concerning the protection of animals during transport (1) appears to be at least partially due to the fact that full transposition of the latter text by that Member State has only recently been completed. Infringement proceedings in respect of such incomplete transposition were opened and the case was brought before the Court of justice. It is the Commissionís practice to withdraw such proceedings when the Commission is satisfied that the Member State has satisfied its obligations in relation to the transposition of the Directive. The Commission is also examining information concerning further apparent breaches of the relevant rules by France and will not hesitate to initiate additional Article 226 proceedings if necessary. The Commission is aware, both from information gathered during inspection missions and as a result of receipt of complaints from animal welfare organisations, that journeys which are in breach of the provisions of the above mentioned directives, notably in relation to time limits and resting, feeding and watering, are still frequently taking place. Consignments of livestock originating in some Member States are not always accompanied by a properly completed route plan. When such breaches come to the attention of the Commission it intervenes with the Member State concerned and is prepared to open infringement proceedings in appropriate cases. The Commission has recently convened a new working group on the protection of animals during long distance transport which aims to consider all the problems involved in the enforcement of the relevant directives and to find appropriate solutions. (1) OJ L 282, 15. 10. 1997. (2000/C 219 E/192) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2375/99 by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission (16 December 1999) Subject: Sheep production in Ireland and the UK Given the crisis in sheep production in Ireland and the UK, would the Commission indicate the EU ewe premium and the rural world premium on a regional basis to take account of Ireland and Britainís lamb prices which are 50 pence/60 pence lower respectively than French lamb prices? Would it remove sheep from extensification calculations, protect Irish sheep farmers from unfair competition from non-EU countries in the upcoming WTO negotiations and insist on the clear labelling of imported lamb? C 219 E/152 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 1. 8. 2000 Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (17 December 1999) The Council has established the method for the calculation of the ewe premium, which is based on the difference between the Community average price and the basic price, and has fixed the amount payable for the rural world supplement. An alternative method could not be used without a fundamental reform of the sheep regime. To exclude sheep from the calculation for the extensification premium would create a disparity between producers. A beef-only farm should clearly be considered as having a lower stocking density than a mixed farm with the same number of beef cattle where sheep are also kept. In the World trade organisation (WTO) negotiations the Community is committed to a balanced and fair liberalisation of trade but also to the promotion of a sustainable and competitive agricultural sector. An obligation to label imports cannot be imposed without there being a similar requirement for Community produced lamb. The Commission has no plans at this stage to introduce a sheep meat-labelling scheme. (2000/C 219 E/193) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2379/99 by Françoise GrossetŒte (PPE-DE) to the Council (13 December 1999) Subject: UN/ECE Regulations R 108 and R 109 The controlled use of natural resources is a vital component of sustainable development and the EUís waste management strategy gives priority to prevention, and where that is impossible to recycling, re-use and recovery. The development of a high-quality European tyre retread and remould industry would allow such tyres to be re-used and would reduce non-renewable raw material consumption while ensuring high safety levels for consumers. At present the quality of retread and remould tyres on the Single Market varies widely and these disparities help cast doubt on their reliability, thus depriving the consumer of some of the aforementioned benefits. The aim of international regulations UNO/ECE R 108 and R 109 is to improve the quality of remould and retread tyres. In view of the Commissionís answer to Question 68/H-0114/99 (1), could the Council state its position on the early accession of the EU to these two Regulations? (1) Debates of the European Parliament (March 1999). Reply (31 January 2000) As indicated in the Honourable Memberís question, the aim of international Regulations UNO/ECE R 108 and R 109 is to improve the quality of remould and retread tyres. At present, Community legislation does not cover remould and retread tyres. Council Directive 92/23/EEC relating to tyres for motor vehicles and their trailers and to their fitting applies to any new pneumatic tyre designed for the equipment of vehicles to which Directive 70/156/EEC applies. At this stage, the Commission has not forwarded to the Council either a proposal for Community legislation on remould and retread tyres or initiatives which could enable the issue of the Communityís accession to Regulations R 108 and R 109 to be examined