Brussels, 14/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - The meeting over mad cow disease held, on Monday in Paris, by the European Commissioners David Byrne (Health and Consumer Safety) and Franz Fischler (Agriculture) with the French President Jacques Chirac and the Agriculture Minister Jean Glavany, enabled the French authorities to launch a call for the "strengthening of European provision" to guarantee food safety, in accordance with the aims of the Council Presidency. The interlocutors debated the French moratorium on all bone meal (while waiting for the opinion of the French Agency on the Health Safety of Food on the appropriateness of a total ban on bone meal of animal feed), possible alternative solutions and their potential implications for the common agricultural policy, as well as the Commission's proposal of extending in the Union BSE screening tests to all cattle over a certain age (proposal that the Standing Veterinary Committee will debate on Wednesday) so as to restore consumer confidence in beef. Answering Jacques Chirac who raised the possibility of a reform of the CAP to support oilseed production (intended to replace bone meal), Franz Fischler answered: "our basis is Berlin, only Berlin. The Commission will stick to the decision that the Heads of State and Government took in Berlin; it will provide reports on oilseeds, cereals, milk and developments in agricultural spending, accompanied, if need be with appropriate proposals."
"Franz Fischler has not ruled out the possibility of considering additional aid to oilseeds, should a Member State ask for it. The aid should, whatever, be in accordance with WTO rules", his spokesperson stipulated on Tuesday. Adding that "as we stand, no measure of this type is being envisaged by the Commission", he recalled that the Blair Hour Agreement was a Union international undertaking and that there was no question of re-negotiating it. "Mr. Galvany has spoken of it, but our partners would not agree", he declared. He then added that, anyhow, under Agenda 2000, the restrictions imposed by this Agreement on the surfaces of subsidised oilseeds would end in 2002, as at that moment, the aid paid to oilseeds will be strictly the same as direct aid for cereals. The question of aid to producers and to the animal feed industry, to accompany their reconversion, was not discussed either. "If France wants to grant national aid, the normal procedure for State aid will apply", added the spokesperson (notification to the Commission and decision in favour of or against within two months).
In answer to questions on the legality of measures announced by France and by other Member States, the spokesperson for David Byrne specified as follows: