Brussels, 16/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Standing Veterinary Committee, gathered Wednesday in Brussels, brought a majority support to the European Commission proposal aiming to extend to all EU bovines above a certain age, the obligatory screening test programme for rapid detection of bovine encephalopathy spongiform (BSE), programme which must enter into force on 1 January 2001 (see EUROPE of 13 & 14 November, p.15 and Wednesday, p.12). The Member State representatives have, as a whole felt that, compared to the initial programme for screening tests on a targeted sample of risk group animals (170,000 in total in the EU, or a limited percentage of these animals), rapid test (24 hours on average) applied to all animals slaughtered that are more than two years old and entering in to the risk category - animals urgently slaughtered, animals presenting worrying neurological symptoms, sick animals - would offer consumers an excess of guarantees as to the safety of bovine meat, given that presently, some of these animals still enter into the human and animal food chain.
No decision has been taken until now, the Commission having announced in advance that the Agriculture Ministers will debate the issue on Monday and Tuesday in Council. Italy deplored the rejection of the decision and official protested on this issue in a statement in the minutes of the meeting.
This four hour discussion had exclusively as aim to get to know the positions of the delegations on concrete proposals in order to prepare the works of the Agriculture Council. "No vote was planned", added, this Thursday, the spokesperson for Commissioner David Byrne, challenging that the Commission wanted to prevent the Committee to ruling. Refusing to disclose the details of the proposal, she said that the Commission hopes to gain "political assent" from the Ministers. As for the cost of the tests - subject of concern for some countries - the spokesperson considered it difficult to give figure while unaware of the number of animals to which it will apply and who will undertake them. However the Commission is prepared to take on part of these costs, she assured.