Strasbourg, 13/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Standing Veterinary Committee (SVC) was to give its decision, on Wednesday, on a series of proposals concerning the BSE crisis, adopted the day before by the European Commission. The most important proposal concerns the renewal (for six months) of the suspension that currently affects the use of meat and bone meal in animal feed. If there is no qualified majority, the proposals of regulation will be submitted to the Agriculture Council which is to meet next Tuesday in Luxembourg.
The other proposals examined concern BSE screening and the slaughter of entire herds in the case of BSE outbreaks, as well as animal flours imported from third countries. The proposals aim to:
lower from 30 to 24 months (from 1 July) the age of high risk cattle (emergency culling, diseased during slaughter or having died at the farm) subject to BSE screening tests;
allow Member States free of BSE (Austria, Finland and Sweden) to no longer have to carry out tests, from 1 July, on all healthy cattle of over 30 months of age (these countries, however, should continue to test a minimum of 10,000 healthy cattle of this age group);
introduce, into the United Kingdom, the obligation to carry out BSE screening tests on a minimum of 50,000 cattle aged over 30 months in order to draw up a better epidemiological report (even if cattle over 30 months have all been destroyed in this country);
set in place a system for post-mortem random screening for sheep and goats of over 18 months of age;
allow Member States that so wish to carry out testing on healthy animals below 30 months of age without discrimination on trade (this measure has already been taken in Germany, which leaves the door open to France which is planning to do the same);
introduce, from 1 July 2001, the slaughter (if there is an outbreak of BSE) of the descendants and the cohorts of diseased animals on a compulsory basis, and of all the herds on a voluntary basis;
concerning imports from certain third countries (which are in risk zones), compel Member States to assure, as of 1 October, that meat and bone meal be banned in cattle feed, and ensure that it is possible to identify animals by tracing back to the origin of the mother and the herd of origin;
adapt the list of products of animal origin imported into the Community bearing in mind, from 1 October, restrictions on a series of products such as tallow, gelatine, and pet foods.
Commission Communication on strengthening research on BSE
On Tuesday, moreover, the Commission adopted a communication on the appropriate measures for strengthening European research on BSE and related diseases. The text is based on an inventory of European research activities in this connection established by a high level group of experts and published during April. In the light of this inventory, the Commission proposes strengthening coordination and increased concentration of means. The areas identified as clearly suffering from shortcomings as far as research is concerned are: in vivo testing for pre-clinical diagnosis; the human variant of the disease and risk assessment; the inactivation of the prion and prevention; transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in animals and its transmission. (See EUROPE of 1 May, p.13, on the subject of the plenary debate in Brussels with Commissioner Busquin).