Brussels, 01/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - The extraordinary Agriculture Council, convened for Monday in Brussels, will be exclusively devoted to examining the new measures proposed by the Commission as a frontal and concerted attack on the new mad cow crisis. Which, according to the Community executive, demands a joint response to reduce the risk in the Union of exposure to the BSE infection agent that is unaware of frontiers between Member States, and to react to the collapse of the beef market. Ministers, gathered under the chairmanship of Jean Glavany, French Minister of Agriculture, will debate the measures that Commissioners David Byrne (Consumer Protection and Health) and Franz Fischler (Agriculture) have presented as the most appropriate means of responding to the Commission's concerns relating to the quality of controls undertaken by Member States to assure the effective implementation of Community anti-mad cow legislation on their own territory (obligation which, foremost, is under their competency).
Certain measures have already been approved by the Standing Veterinary Committee and will thus apply after their formal adoption by the Commission. Below are the various measures discussed by the Council:
- Temporary ban of meat and bone meal in feed for all farm animals (see EUROPE of 30 November, p.6). the Standing Veterinary Committee gathered on Thursday did not gather the qualified majority required to approve this decision. Thus the Ministers will be invited to have a policy discussion on the opportunity for such a measure. If in turn the Council fails to define a position the Commission will be able to adopt itself this decision that it has ceaselessly presented as a policy decision, aiming to restore consumer confidence in beef, and not as a scientifically founded decision (see on this issue opinion of EU Scientific Steering Committee in EUROPE of 30 November, p.10).
- Elimination from food chain of animals older than thirty month that have not been submitted to prior BSE screening test and system for destruction of these animals to offer to consumers guarantees of additional safety and rebalance the market: the Ministers will discuss this measure that has not yet been the object of formal proposals. On the basis of the political conclusions of the Council, the Commission will submit a draft to the "beef" management committee and could adopt itself the measure if the committee's opinion is not negative.
- Inclusion of all bovine intestines of all ages in the list of specific risk materials (SRM) banned from use: this measure, approved on Thursday, by qualified majority by the Standing Veterinary Committee, will by enforced as of 1 January 2001 as soon as the Commission will have carried out its formal adoption.
- Flexibility mechanism for State intervention to slow the fall in beef prices;
- Lifting of percentage of advances on premiums for beef (80% instead of 60% presently) to soften the financial pressure on producers;
- Extension, as of 1 January, of rapid BSE screening tests to all risk bovines of more than thirty months. The Standing Veterinary Committee gave, on Thursday, its assent to the Commission project approving the Member States national programme and setting at EUR 15.5 million the Commission's financial contribution towards the financing of these tests.
- Extension, as of next 1 January, of these tests to all bovines older than thirty months entering into the food chain. An agreement of principal is already reached, but will be the object, at a future date, of a detailed proposal, on the basis of experience acquired.
