Conservatives beef up EU bird flu protection

Release: Immediate
Date: 1 December 2005
Issued by: Conservatives in the European Parliament
Neil Parish MEP, tel: +32 (0) 2 284 5392

Conservatives beef up EU bird flu protection

MEPs support Conservative moves to protect the poultry industry but common sense may not prevail when the law goes back to EU ministers

Brussels, 1 December 2005 – Europe's preparations for a bird flu outbreak are set to be beefed up after the European Parliament adopted a Conservative MEP’s report today.

Neil Parish MEP, Conservative agriculture spokesman in Brussels and 'rapporteur' (lead Member) for the EU's new bird flu directive, drafted a report that mostly supports European Commission proposals to create logistical restrictions that would prevent an outbreak from spreading.

And today he received the support of the European Parliament for amendments that will require all poultry infected with low-pathogenic bird flu to be destroyed. Under the current proposals put forward by the European Commission, meat that is infected with bird flu could still be sold in supermarkets across Europe. Scientists have said that current scientific evidence asserts poultry meat infected with low-pathogenic bird flu would pose no threat in the food chain.

But Mr Parish – who is a farmer himself - had argued that in reality, few consumers would be prepared to purchase poultry if it could be infected with any type of bird flu and public confidence in all poultry could be damaged if consumers fear that it could be infected. He has expressed his gratitude to MEPs for supporting his proposals which would result in the destruction of all infected meat, with compensation for affected farmers.

Now the decision is set to go back to the European Commission and the Council of Ministers, who have the ability to reject the common sense approach being put forward by MEPs. Neil will now be lobbying Brussels officials to ensure that his common sense approach prevails.

Mr Parish said:

"This directive focuses on ways to prevent an outbreak of bird flu from spreading.

"We want to see the development of a cost-effective, multi-strain, orally administered vaccine to keep bird flu out of poultry so that we can keep it out of humans. This directive acts as a catalyst for the scientific research essential to developing a new vaccine.

"My main concern about this directive has been the lack of common sense towards poultry with less serious forms of bird flu.

"There is scientific evidence showing it’s safe to eat poultry infected with certain strains of bird flu. But in reality, are people going to choose poultry products unless they have complete confidence in their safety?

"If bird-flu infected poultry is allowed onto our supermarket shelves, we risk destroying public confidence in poultry and that would devastate the industry.

"I am particularly pleased that MEPs have backed my proposals today as it will send a clear signal to EU ministers that we need to use some common sense when thinking up proposals that affect consumers and the poultry industry.

"The Council of Ministers must not ignore the clear message that the European Parliament has sent it."

ENDS

Notes to editors

Mr Parish will hold a press conference at 13.30 pm in room PHS 0A50 of the European Parliament in Brussels.

For a full copy of Neil’s European Parliament report, go to: http://www.europarl.eu.int/omk/sipade3?PROG=REPORT&L=EN&SORT_ORDER=D&S_REF_A=%25&LEG_ID=6&AUTHOR_ID=4528
For a copy of the background briefing outlining the measures encompassed by the EU directive, please contact the Press Office on the contacts below.

Key elements of the directive include:

* Compulsory surveillance in the Member States for low pathogenic avian influenza.
* Improvement of early warning systems.
* Contingency plans restricting transport of birds and eggs, creation of protection zones, disinfection etc in the event of an outbreak.
* Research into new multi-strain orally-administered vaccines to make vaccination efficient, cost-effective and animal-friendly.
* Co-financing arrangements for compensating farmers affected by an outbreak.

The directive is now set to be adopted by the Council of Ministers before Christmas. The directive will be formally enacted on the 1st January 2007 but there are provisions to immediately enact the provisions within the directive in the event of an outbreak within the EU.

Contact: Neil Parish MEP, tel: +32 (0) 2 284 5392, Mobile: +44 (0) 7788 443 231, Stephen Jones - Conservative Press Office - tel: +32 (0) 2 284 2574 or +32 (0) 473 861762, ; James Holtum - Conservative Press Office - tel: +32 (0) 2 283 1138 or +32 (0) 473 211174 .