Brussels, 01/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - Though the debate on the Mad Cow crisis has been taken up, on Monday, most of the EU 15 Agriculture Ministers attentions (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.7 and 9), the Council progressed on other dossiers included in the agenda. The Swedish President, Margareta Winberg and Commissioner Franz Fischler said they where extremely pleased with the favourable reaction given by the Ministers to the prospect of increased protection for animals during transportation as well as to measures for the improvement of the well being of pigs in intensive farming. Below are the results gained:
Animal well being:
The Council was informed of the report by the Commission of the implementation by the Member States of the Community legislation concerning the protection of animals during their transportation. During the policy debate, the Ministers recognised the urgent need to tighten the regulations and the checks on animal transports to ease the suffering that is inflicted upon them. The dossier was passed on to a Council working group and will be once more examined by the Ministers during a following session. The Commission's concrete proposals are expected during the Swedish Presidency, which has made minimal protection one of its priorities. The Presidency intends to organise, in April or May, a debate in the Council on the ethical aspects of farming. A conference on the protection of animals will take place in Stockholm on 29 and 30 May.
The Council was informed by the Commission of the draft Directive aiming to amend Directive 91/630/EEC to improve the well bring of pigs in intensive farming (see EUROPE of 17 January, p.10). the examination of the dossier will continue at Member State Permanent Representative level (Coreper).
Antibiotics in animal feed: on request from the German and Austrian delegation, supported by other delegations, the Council was submitted a ban on the use of these substances. Commissioner David Byrne confirmed his intention to propose in the coming months a legislation aiming to progressively eliminate the four last authorised antibiotics, in accordance with White Paper on food safety that foresees a ban on growth stimulants. The Commissioner recalled the responsibility that fall upon the national authorities in the control of the enforcement of the legislation enforced to avoid that the administering to animals of antibiotics already banned does not endanger human health.