Brussels, 21/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - David Byrne, European Commissioner responsible for Consumer Policy and Health Protection will be on an official visit to Slovenia, on 23 March, to discuss the integration of the Community acquis into the fields that stem from his competence. He will meet the Ministers for Health, European Affairs and Agriculture Dusan Keber, Igor Bavcar and Franc But. A meeting with the Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek remains to be confirmed.
With his counterparts, the Commissioner underlined the importance given by the Prodi Commission to issues relating to food safety and encouraged the Slovenian authorities to finalise the drafting of their strategy, as rapidly as possible, and to implement the "acquis" before accession. Furthermore, he will outline the strategy in the field of public health adopted, in May 2000, by the Commission and underline the importance of reinforcing legislation on consumer protection. In this context, he will bring support to the Slovenia consumer protection organisations. Finally, Mr Byrne will broach the foot and mouth disease and the Mad Cow's crises. Concerning the first, he will recall the measures taken at the Community level to remove the epizootic and will call on the Slovenian authorities to end their import ban on live animals and unprocessed products from species susceptible of being carriers of the disease. The Commissioner will also inform the Slovenian authorities of the state of progress of scientific work carried out by the Union to assess the danger of BSE in Slovenia.