8 Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies: prohibitions
on feeding protein to farmed animals
| (24914)
13003/03
COM(03) 546
| Commission working document with regard to the state of play on the prohibitions on feeding protein to farmed animals to prevent transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.
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| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 19 September 2003
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| Deposited in Parliament | 2 October 2003
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| Department | Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 10 October 2003
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| To be discussed in Council | No date set
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Cleared
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Background
8.1 Regulation (EC) No. 999/2001[12]
provides the legal base for Community measures against the spread
of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), including
BSE and scrapie. However, since animal proteins are widely considered
to be the main vector in the spread of BSE, the transitional measures
taken under it include a prohibition on all such proteins being
fed to farmed animals which are kept for food production.[13]
Initially, this prohibition was due to expire on 30 June 2003,
but it has now been extended indefinitely.
The current document
8.2 Notwithstanding this, and the fact that it sees no scope for
any relaxation of the ban on feeding mammalian protein to ruminants,
this Commission working document examines the possibility of relaxing
the restrictions on non-ruminant proteins, on the grounds that
these have not been implicated in BSE, and have been covered by
the ban up to now essentially for control purposes (to avoid any
problems arising from cross-contamination, and from the absence
of diagnostic tests to distinguish between mammalian and other
animal proteins in feed).
8.3 It suggests that these prohibitions might in
future be reconsidered, when more practical and sensitive diagnostic
tests are available and there is evidence of stringent enforcement
of the existing rules across the board. In the meantime, the
Commission envisages that the relaxation of controls on fishmeal
might be reconsidered in six to twelve months, in the light of
continuing efforts to improve methods of differentiating fishmeal
from mammalian proteins.
The Government's view
8.4 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 10 October 2003,
the Minister for Nature Conservation and Fisheries at the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr Ben Bradshaw) points
out that the main rationale for any change in approach would arise
as a result of the Commission's efforts to support improved methods
to differentiate fishmeal from mammalian proteins. He adds that
the UK has been working independently on new and improved diagnostic
tests. The Minister also points out that UK manufacturers estimate
that, since the ban was introduced, the use of fishmeal in animal
feeds, which he says confers significant welfare benefits, has
fallen by 30%. The UK therefore welcomes the Commission's efforts
to examine the scope for relaxing the present ban on fishmeal.
Conclusion
8.5 Since this document does not call for any
immediate action, we are clearing it. However, in view of its
intrinsic interest and the importance of the current ban, we think
it right to draw to the attention of the House the fact that a
limited relaxation is being considered.
12 OJ No. L. 147, 31.5.01, p. 1. Back
13
There are only a very limited number of derogations for feeding
material such as fish meal to non-ruminants, which are based on
opinions from the Community's Scientific Steering Committee and
subject to strict conditions relating to sourcing and processing. Back
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