Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development Ordinary meeting
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AGRI European Parliament
Follow its sittingsVeronika Vrecionová
It was rejected. Compromise six, who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstained? It was adopted.
Compromise seven, who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstained? It was adopted. Amendment 322, who is in favor?
Who is against? Who abstained? It was rejected. Amendment 3-0, who is in favor? Who is against?
Who abstained? It was rejected. Three one, who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstained?
It was rejected. Three, okay. Let's check. Three one. I open the vote.
Adopted for one.
Veronika Vrecionová
Oh, okay. It was adopted. Thank you. Okay. So amendment 332, who is in favor?
Who is against? Who abstained was rejected. Three, who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstained?
Let's check, please. I have checked. I opened the vote. Three.
You can close.
I close the vote.
Adopted.
Veronika Vrecionová
It was adopted. Three four. Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstained?
It was adopted. 335. Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstained?
It was adopted. 336. Who is in favor? Who is against? Please check.
I open the vote.
I close the vote.
Veronika Vrecionová
Rejected. It was rejected. 337 is in favor, against, abstain. It's a gain check, please. I open the vote.
Close.
Close the vote.
Reject.
Veronika Vrecionová
It was rejected. Amendment three nine, who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstained? It was rejected.
Compromise 8. Who is in favor? Against? Abstain. Adopted.
Amendment 344 in favor? Who is against? Who abstained? It was rejected. 3 4 5.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstained? It was adopted. Compromise 9.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstains? It was adopted. On compte 10 en faveur.
Against, abstain, adopted amendment 351. Who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstained? It was rejected.
Compromise 11, who is in favor? Who is against? Who abstained? It was adopted. Amendment 355 in favor?
Against? Abstain? It was adopted. Compromise 12, who is in favor? Who is against?
Who abstained? It was adopted. Compromise 13, in favor. Against, abstain, adopted. Compromise 14, in favor.
Against, abstain, adopted com 15 in favor, against, abstain, adopted compromise 16 in favor, against, abstain, adopted Amendment 443 in favor. Against, abstain, rejected. Okay. Let's check. Four 4 3.
I open the vote.
Veronika Vrecionová
Adopting. It was adopted. Compromise 17 in favor, against, abstain, adopted. Compromise 18 in favor, against, abstain, adopted. Amendment seven.
Who is in favor? Who is against? Let's check. I open the vote.
Close.
Close the vote.
Veronika Vrecionová
It was adopted. Amendment 446 in favor, against, abstain, adopted; compromise 19 in favor, against, abstain, adopted; amendment 448 in favor, against, abstain, adopted; amendment 449 in favor, against, abstain, rejected; 450 in favor, against, abstain, rejected; amendment 451 in favor, against, abstain, rejected; amendment 80 in favor, against, abstain, adopted; amendment 81 in favor, against, abstain, adopted. Let's check, please. I open the vote. 81.
Close the vote.
Veronika Vrecionová
It was adopted. Compromise 20. Who is in favor? Against. Abstain.
Adopted. 21 in favor. Against. Abstain. Adopted.
Amendment 98 in favor. Against. Abstain. Rejected. Amendment 100 in favor.
Against, abstain, rejected, compromise 22 in favor, against, abstain, adopted, compromise 23 in favor, against, abstain, adopted, compromise 24 in favor. Against, abstain, adopted, 25 in favor. Against, abstain, adopted, 26 in favor. Against, abstain, adopted amendment 120 in favor, against, abstain, adopted amendment eight in favor, against, abstain, adopted compromise 27 in favor, against, abstain, adopted compromise 28 in favor, against, abstain, adopted amendment 132 in favor, against, abstain, rejected. Compromise 29 in favor, against, abstain, adopted.
Compromise 30 in favor. Against, abstain, adopted. 31 in favor. Against, abstain, adopted. 32 in favor.
Against abstain adopted. Amendment 16 in favor. Against abstain adopted. Compromise three in favor. Against abstain adopted.
Compromise 3 4 in favor. Against abstain adopted. Amendment 19 in favor. Alright, let's check, please. 19 of the vote is open.
Close. I close the vote.
Veronika Vrecionová
Adopted. It was adopted. Amendment 161 in favor, against, abstain, adopted; 162 in favor, against, abstain, adopted; compromise 35 in favor, against, abstain, adopted; 36 in favor. Against, abstain, adopted, 37 in favor. Against, abstain, adopted, 38 in favor.
Against, abstain, adopted, 39 in favor. Against, abstain, adopted, compromise 40 in favor. Against, abstain, adopted, 41 in favor. Against, abstain, adopted. 42 in favor.
Against, abstain, adopted. 43 against, abstain, in favor, in favor, in favor, against, abstain, adopted. Sorry. 42 is in favor. Forty-four forty-four in favor, against, abstain, adopted.
45 in favor, against, abstain, adopted. Amendment 218 in favor, against, abstain, adopted. Two one nine in favor, against I will check, please. I open the vote. 219.
Veronika Vrecionová
Adopted. Adopted. Amendment two in favor against abstain. It was, I think, rejected, but I opened the vote two.
Two 20. Two.
222.
We can close.
I close the vote.
Was adopted.
Veronika Vrecionová
It was adopted. Yeah. Amendment 223, 223 in favor. Against, abstain, adopted, 224 in favor. Against, abstain, adopted. Compromise 46 in favor.
Against, abstain, adopted, and now will be roll call vote. Final vote. I open the vote.
Close.
Close the vote.
Adopted.
Veronika Vrecionová
It was adopted. So thank you, colleagues. Thank you. I did a mistake. Very well.
So, dear colleague, let's start with our next item. The European Court of Auditors has published a special report control system for olive oil in the EU, a comprehensive framework but annually applied. The commission is responsible for establishing the regulatory framework, while member states must ensure that olive oil complies with food safety requirements and EU market access regulations. Member states are also responsible for setting up a national control system and performing risk-based checks. The ECA conducted an audit to evaluate the design of the control framework as mandated by EU legislation and its implementation in four member states since 2018: Belgium, Greece, Spain, and Italy.
This audit aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the EU control system and ensure that olive oil sold within the EU is genuine, safe, and traceable. We are very pleased here to welcome Madam Elvinger, the ECA member responsible for this report. Madame, you have now 10 minutes for your presentation. So please, the floor is yours.
Joëlle Elvinger
Thank you very much, dear Chair and honorable members of the European Parliament, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much, first of all, for inviting me here today to present our report on the EU control systems for olive oil. Olive oil is a product that many of us consume on a regular basis, so this is a topic that resonates with citizens across the EU. I will start with a short explanation on the reasons for carrying out this audit and what we actually did, and then I will talk about our key findings and recommendations we made to the commission. Olive oil is a flagship product for the European Union, and the economic impact is significant.
More than 60% of the world's olive oil is produced in the EU. The EU is also the world's leading exporter of olive oil. Beyond economics, there's consumer trust. This is about public health and cultural heritage. The EU has a reputation for producing high-quality olive oil.
Many EU citizens incorporate olive oil into their daily diets, and they must be able to trust that what they buy actually meets the quality standards on the label. Olive oil is also a high-value product, which increases the risk for fraud through, for example, blending with lower quality oils or mislabeling the origin. Our audit assesses the EU's control systems to see if it ensures that olive oil sold in the EU is genuine, meaning it corresponds to the declared olive oil category, that it is safe to consume, and that it can be traced back to its origin. We examined the design of the EU control framework and how it has been put into practice in four member states, namely Belgium, Greece, Spain, and Italy. We selected these member states because Greece, Spain, and Italy together produce around 90% of the olive oil in the EU.
Belgium, on the other hand, is the biggest exporter of EU olive oil among the non-producing countries. The commission is responsible for the setup of the regulatory framework, while Member States must check that olive oil meets food safety standards and the EU requirements for putting it on the market. In our audit, we looked at the whole supply chain from the pharma to the bottling facility, the wholesaler, and finally, the retailer. I would like to highlight three main conclusions from our audit. Firstly, there is a comprehensive EU legal framework for checking that olive oil is genuine, although member states are not implementing it consistently.
Secondly, we identified some deficiencies in the control systems, particularly concerning contaminants other than pesticides. Thirdly, the audit revealed that it is not always possible to trace the olive oil's origin. Let me provide you with some details. Despite the comprehensive EU framework, we found that member states do not always carry out the required number of checks to determine that the olive oil is genuine. Furthermore, except for Spain, the member states we audited do not systematically analyze all the parameters when conducting checks.
And two of the member states we visited exclude part of the market from the checks without justifying this by a risk analysis. One example is that the Belgian authorities do not carry out checks on online sales. Another example is that Greek authorities only carry out conformity checks on olive oil, which is produced in Greece and intended for the Greek market. We also found that the commission only has a partial view of the member states' control systems. Member states do not have the re to report their risk analysis or control plans to the Commission.
Then there's food, seafood safety. Our audit showed that the EU-controlled system for olive oil contaminants works well for pesticide residues. One might like to call it a success story. It is well developed, risk-based, and with few non-compliances. However, the control system for other contaminants is less developed.
For example, there is currently no EU-wide minimum check requirements for substances such as heavy metals or dioxins, and we found that member states do not always document the risk assessment that they use to decide what to check. Also, olive oil imported from non-EU countries is not systematically checked neither for pesticides nor for other contaminants. Finally, we found that the origin of olive oil cannot always be traced. According to EU rules, the origin of extra virgin and virgin olive oils should be identifiable. However, the commission has not defined precisely how member states should check this.
Having said that, we did find good examples, such as Italy and Spain. These member states include the origin of olive oil in checks at all stages of the supply chain, a good practice that goes beyond the EU requirements. During our audit, we also did a case study and checked 24 different olive oils to see whether we could trace their origin. Four, our four products, we could not. This exercise showed that tracing oil beyond national borders is often difficult because of ineffective cooperation between the member states.
Our report includes several recommendations. The commission accepted all of them. We recommend the commission, firstly, to strengthen its oversight of member states' control systems, secondly, clarifies the rules for blending different virgin olive oils, thirdly, improves safety by better guidance on contaminants checks, particularly for imports, and fourthly, we recommend better guidance on traceability checks and the development of compatible digital registers to facilitate cross border traceability. To sum up, the EU has a robust framework for ensuring the quality and safety of olive oil, but there's still room for improvement in how it is implemented. With our recommendations, we aim to help enhance the effectiveness of the control systems and to ensure that consumers can continue to trust the olive oil that they buy in the EU. I thank you very much for your attention, and I look forward to your questions.
Veronika Vrecionová
Thank you very much, madam. And now, I open the round of coordinators. And first, madam K. Crespo Díaz. Okay.
Carmen, the floor is yours for two minutes. Yes.
Carmen Crespo Díaz
Thank you very much indeed, madam chair. Thanks to the ECA as well, thanks, missus Elvinger. Thanks for that report. I'd like to thank you specifically because this looks at how important olive oil is strategically. What we need now, and thanks to these recommendations, is simplification.
We need to make sure that we have similar rules so that we can do away with the differences between member states, and obviously, to do away with unfair competition. We need updated systems because monitoring their various different methods, there is AI. You need to look at legal certainty, producer protection. I think that can be done now. What I'd like to draw your attention to now is strengthening the mechanisms and criteria of the panel, the tasting panels.
93% of the physical chemical analysis is done there, and that means that there is subjectivity, and we need to do away with that subjectivity, because this has no effect on the producers. So I'm not saying get rid of the tasting panel. I'm just saying strengthen the tasting panel with new technology, AI, and with modern chemical analytical methods. We are leaders when it comes to olive oil, and Spain is the biggest exporter of olive oil and Delucia also within Spain. So we do know how things work.
Traceability is key for us. We have to remember when you carry that tracing. Because within the chain, I think it's obviously logical to do that, but also you have to look at the transports and the sales phase. You have to take those into account as well. Because there are sanctions that can be placed on the producers that have nothing to do with them.
So Europe, at this point in time, really needs to come together. We need the same rules. We need to strengthen the tasting panels. We're not seeing the results from them we'd like. We need to make sure that we're all doing the same thing in different member states, and make sure there is reciprocity.
We do want monitoring through the import control office of Agri Frontex. I think that will allow us to check what's coming in the imports, make sure there's no fraud. Thank you.
Dario Nardella
Yes. My thanks to the court who ordered this special report, which confirms what many olive oil producers have reported for years. The European control system for olive oil is well thought out on paper, but in practice, it's vulnerable and shows many shortcomings. We've heard about structural limitations with risk undermining transparency and damaging those who work professionally according to the rules. As representative of one of the main producer countries, Italy, the second largest in Europe, we cannot accept that the shortcomings when it comes to cross-border traceability continue to offer these loopholes for irregular producers, hurting other producers and consumers.
In fact, the figures are alarming. And it means that in the end, only half of the oil is actually acceptable. There's a system which should guarantee confidence in the whole sector. Now we think about the compatibility between different national systems. It's not a minor problem.
Also, when you look at the fraud on the markets and various labeling problems throughout Europe, we also need to think about the homogeneous nature of things between member states. Spain and Italy, through their excellence, cannot make up for shortfalls elsewhere. So in this context, we the recommendation of the court seemed to me a pressing priority to actually enforce. We need to think about this when it comes to recording olive oils, to look at compatibility of national traceability systems, because it's not just a matter of technical issues. It's also a necessary precondition to make the whole olive oil system and the control system credible.
We need to think this between the national records. Any effort to try and control and check this fraud, otherwise, will be in vain. I close with three questions. The report tells us that 50% of the oils analyzed were traced. What and where was the greater shadows cast here?
But the second court, the court approved already existing, that is, interoperable systems in other agro-sectors. Which ones are they? And finally, this recommendation to member states when it comes to the role that the commission might have in coordinating and financing this coordination effort. Thank you. Thank you.
Raffaele Stancanelli
My thanks to the representative of the court of order for his report. And I think we can draw some conclusions. Rules exist. But some countries, how can I put it, respect them for the most part. This has been the case, I think, for Spain and Italy.
Others don't respect them. So I think if we can be part of this, we will be able to draw on our great tradition. Thinking about what the representative of the court said is not just cultural and traditional, but also very important economic sectors. So think of all the shortcomings which have been highlighted by the representative whom I cannot but thank. But all of these things must be taken up by the commission to try and make all the production and all of the controls more homogenous.
But there is a point I'd like to make, share one thought with you. I think it has been said between the lines by the representative of the court of auditors, because from the oil which comes from outside Europe, what about that? I think we need to tell the commission that it needs to take this in charge, because if we don't actually deal with this seriously, well, producers have to respect very high, very stringent measures. And we said these are often not respected. These things need to be checked, but we have the duty to impose these controls.
And it's been said that there's controls on pollutants, on traceability of oils which come from outside Europe is missing. It's quite terrible in its absence. So we need to be very precise about this. It cannot simply be that we like that, that we impose strict rules on our own producers, but allow any old producers to produce from outside the EU without respecting this. Other countries face inexistent tariffs, and they exploit these loopholes.
That's simply not acceptable. So when it comes to food safety, as things pass and time moves on, I think the commission must take the initiative, and it must respond to the concerns of this Parliament.
Veronika Vrecionová
I don't see Carlo Fidanza if no. Nobody wants to. Okay. Take the floor. Elsie, okay.
Christensen. Christensen from Renew.
Thank.
you.
Asger Christensen
You've been telling us that, on paper in the EU, we do have a good system to control our food products. So it exists. However, the problem is that there are gaps in our different countries. So the problem lies in the implementation of the rules. So I think that we must definitely ask the commission to focus on combating this issue.
These are the products that we find on the shelves in our shops, and we need to be able to know where they're from and what is in them. Now when it comes to products that come from outside of the EU, from third countries that aren't controlled enough, it's very important that we focus on this issue.
Veronika Vrecionová
Prince Thomas White is not what you want. Okay, madam. Christina Guarda. Okay. Madam Guarda.
Cristina Guarda
Thank you, Madam Guarda. Sorry. I will speak in my mother tongue. Yes.
Thanks to the European Court of Auditors for this work. The report confirms one aspect which sadly no longer makes the news. That is oil imported from third countries. There are virtually no controls on pesticides and other things. This is a structural weakness in the EU, which threatens the consumer's health and brings unfair competition towards our own producers.
So the court doesn't spare my own country, Italy, either. In 2022, 2023, the main points of entry, no sample of oil was checked. Now it's obvious that a country which produces 17% of this cannot allow itself to be so negligent. So we need to strengthen our customs officials and make up for our shortfalls. But let's not forget that we need to have a broader perspective. It's quite right that we tighten up quality controls, particularly for products that generate unfair competition.
But in general, in our field, we have to think about climate change. According to the Italian Council for Agricultural Research, there's likely to be a fall by a third in production of various products by the middle part of the century. We need to be careful. We need to think about these problems. And at the same time, we must remember olive groves, because we do everything we like at the borders.
But if European production crumbles, then that will affect others as well.
Veronika Vrecionová
Because I don't see Luke Flanagan. Nobody wants to take the flare. Yes.
Our group,
Ivan David
We have had only one member from a country which produces olive oil. But, of course, we, in general, produce anything that supports high quality and good trade relations.
Veronika Vrecionová
And we start just now with the KGI. You have one minute each, and madam Boris Pavon is first.
Mireia Borrás Pabón
I'm gonna speak in my language. Thank you.
Thank you, Chairwoman. Firstly, I'd like to thank the ECA for this report, which clearly sets out a problem that we have highlighted before. Olive oil is a strategic product for the EU and especially for Spain, which is my country, and especially Andalusia, which is the largest olive oil producing region in the world. But I wanted to really stress something. We need legal structures.
We need homogeneous controls and a framework for everyone. As you said, these rules are not currently being followed. And now with the ECA's report, we can see that we do have a framework that is quite thorough, but the problem is it being applied across the member states. This does not secure, this does not provide security for the consumers. This idea of the testing panels means that this is a very subjective approach.
So we need to see whether the current testing panel should be reviewed. Secondly, we need to see if we can have more harmonized criteria, including a shared reference system. And thirdly, what are the concrete measures that will be put forward to improve this structure? Thank you. Thank you very much.
Gilles Pennelle
France isn't a major olive oil producer, even though I believe that France's olive oil is excellent. But I'd like.
Gilles Pennelle
Put myself in the place of a consumer who walks into the shop and looks through the olive oil on offer. And I'd like to thank the ECA for bringing up the problems involved with fraud and the problems with traceability, because at the end of the day, it's the consumer that suffers. It's very difficult to trace and control olive oil. The idea of the origin of a product must not be a vague concept. It has to be something that is tangible and possible to trace from the harvest to the shelf.
As my colleague has already mentioned third countries, especially with regards to Tunisia's significant exports to the EU. There aren't very strenuous or stringent controls on those kinds of olive oil.
Veronika Vrecionová
No more speakers. That is the reason. Let's go back to Madam Elvinger. So you have just now 10 minutes, Madame, for your replies and remarks.
Joëlle Elvinger
Thank you very much for your interest and your questions. I think there were more comments than real questions, but I think there were also comments which were the commission might be able to reply better than we do. I just want to go back on the question. There was a question or comment on the checks and on the olive oil, which is important from non-EU countries regarding the pesticides and other contaminants, where checks are more limited. But, however, this does not mean that the imported olive oils are unsafe to consume.
I think this is very clear. That's not what we say in our report. But since the EU imports the equivalent of 9% of its annual production, imports should be properly considered in the member states' risk analysis, and this could then lead to a better targeted and more checks on the imports. Then the traceability check was mentioned as well. Yes, actually, in our audit, we recommend that the commission clarify and provide guidance on what the traceability checks could cover. And this guidance will then help the Member States to implement traceability requirements consistently and effectively, ensuring that the origin of the olive oil can be verified and that issues with traceability are addressed promptly.
That's what our recommendation number four says in the report. But also, our audit recommends that the Commission should encourage and support Member States in developing the register to record the movements of olives and olive oil. Additionally, the Commission should report member states in improving the compatibility of different traceability systems to facilitate cross-border traceability, and these measures will then enhance the transparency and reduce the risk of fraud in the olive oil supply. Tasting panels were mentioned. I think that's what is used to in all the member states we have visited, be it Spain or Italy or Greece, but we cannot really say anything on the subjectivity of these tasting panels. Just maybe from my side as an overall closing remark, I would like to say that the EU control system for olive oil is a comprehensive one with many well-functioning elements as well.
However, there is a significant variation between member states, and not all carry out the controls that they should. We make some recommendations, some of which I was just mentioning to the commission, and we really hope that with this report, we can also contribute to ensuring that the consumers can trust the olive oil that they buy in the EU. And this being said, I would like to thank you all for your interest and the opportunity to come here and present our report. And should there be any questions afterwards, I'm very happy to reply also by e-mail. Thank you.
Veronika Vrecionová
Thank you very much. Thank you, Madame Elvinger. And now I give the floor also to DG Agri, Madame Messonne, if you want to add something.
Brigitte Misonne
Thank you, chair. Good afternoon, honorable members of parliament. Dear member of the Court of Auditors, thank you for the presentation. Thank you, honorable members, for the debate. As the member of the court said, the commission welcomes the Court of Auditors' special report.
It gives indeed an insight into the control system for olive oil in the EU. So it shows that we have a control system, and then it goes deeper into it. As you know, it was also recalled by several speakers. The EU is not only the first producer of olive oil, it's also the first consumer and the first exporter of olive oil in the world. And it's, of course, of utmost importance that any olive oil that reaches EU consumers is safe and of appropriate quality.
And I'm on purpose mentioning those two aspects because we have to distinguish between food safety checks and marketing standards checks, so quality checks. And there is, of course, no compromise to be made on food safety. So this is the number one must when it comes to checking. With that purpose in mind, the EU has in place, and this was also acknowledged by the court, in addition to general food safety rules, a comprehensive set of rules on marketing standards for olive oil that member states have to thoroughly check. So rules exist, and member states have to check them.
It is one of the most comprehensive checking systems, conformity checking system, that we have for any food product in Europe. So it goes very far in rules and in checking obligations. And the court has acknowledged that the system overall works well. Of course, we are now digging more into the nitty-gritty details, but overall, the court has found that the system works well. The court's analysis has highlighted a few areas for improvement.
And, of course, the Commission will focus on them. The Commission has accepted all the recommendations of the Court of Auditors. As you know, and it was also recalled, member states have a lot of autonomy in planning and carrying out checks on olive oil. But they report annually to the commission on those checks. So we have indeed annual member states' reports on what they do with regard to conformity checks on olive oil.
They also report, of course, separately any breach of the rules as soon as they become aware of it. So this is fully in line with what is foreseen in the legislation. I can thus safely say that the Commission has a good overview of checks done EU-wide. Broadening the oversight would, however, further contribute to the quality of European olive oil and consumer trust in it, and that's why we have accepted all the recommendations by the court. The Commission is committed to improving its scrutiny of the system.
It has been asked by a number of members in this room. So yes, we will improve our scrutiny of the system. We will indeed provide more guidance in the areas that have been identified by the court's report. For instance, where, for the moment, Member States interpret rules differently, we will provide detailed guidance. We will explore how to adapt EU legislation if necessary.
These are already two commitments. Let me come to another one. The Commission also commits to ask member states to provide more detailed control plans on contaminants that were raised by several members, and strengthen risk analysis and controls on imported olive oil. Yes, this is a commitment, more improved controls on imported olive oil. Last but not least, the commission commits to improving traceability.
So Dateline as well, and we have accepted, and we will consult broadly on how to best achieve this improved traceability. But let me stress again that the current system already guarantees that any olive oil placed on the EU market can be traced one step back, one step forward. This is required by food safety rules. You will have noticed also that the report illustrates a high degree of compliance of olive oil sold to consumers, and we all have to rejoice about it. So this is good that our consumers can be assured that there is a high degree of compliance with the EU rules.
So what we will do is clarify legislation where this is necessary. We will provide technical assistance. We will foster cooperation in order to further strengthen consumer reassurance without, if at all possible, increasing unnecessary administrative burdens. Maybe one particular word on the testing panels. They were mentioned by some members.
A lot is already being done to try to harmonize the performance of those testing panels, to try to make everyone approach the testing in the same way. There are inter-laboratory tests that are being carried out and also appropriate training. Many thanks. Thank you. Thank you both.
Veronika Vrecionová
Thank you, our colleague, for this discussion.
And let's move to our last item of today, the committee. It's a let the okay. Let's now turn to our attention to animal health matters, in particular African swine fever. It's a viral disease affecting pigs and wild birds, causing high mortality among affected animals. While it is harmless to humans, the virus has significant social economic consequences.
It's highly contagious and can spread rapidly among pigs on affected farms, resulting in sustained substantial economic losses. Prevention in African swine fever-free countries relies heavily on strict implementation of import policies, trust, checks, and application of robust biosecurity measures. Each year, we hear from farmers about new outbreaks in different regions, and the challenges these outbreaks pose to them. So I am very pleased to welcome here DG center representative Mister Francesco Raviero Cordejo, head of crisis preparedness in food, animals, and plant units, who will be available to answer our questions and share best practices. So, mister Cordecco, the floor is yours now for 10 minutes.
Cordecco, I'm sorry.
Francisco Reviriego Gordejo
Thank you, madam chair, for providing a space and room for the commission to present the situation and evolution over the last months of African swine fever, a disease that is familiar to this house as we have been discussing with the honorable members many times since the introduction in our territory in 2014. So we are twelve years after the incursion of the virus from the eastern flank in the territory of the Union. I will limit my intervention, my first intervention, to a few new ideas that you are not familiar with because, in plain terms, the situation is rather stable in the union. If the slides are on the screen, it will help. Otherwise, I can already indicate which are the elements that are new today as compared to the last time we were invited to speak about African swine fever in this room.
I need to signal the bad side, the negative aspects, that in Germany, there is a new affected zone close to the border with Poland. And in Czechia, outbreaks have been detected. Luckily, and for the time being, this is not such bad news, is that the disease has only been found in these spots in Wylborg, not affecting domestic peaks. Something new, it was grasping the attention of the media and possibly the constituencies of some of the honorable members, is the discovery of the virus in Spain, in Barcelona, very close to the faculty of veterinary science in the university on November 25 with the first outbreak in wild boar. Up to now, 48 outbreaks have been notified in a very limited geographical area around the initial outbreak.
The commission, as usual, demarcated the infected and the restricted zones following the outbreak, and the authorities are applying all sorts of measures that were designed for controlling initial outbreaks following the experience in other member states. In Poland and in Hungary, there are new areas where the virus has been found, and I will give you more indication on the precise spots where the virus has been found in WildBoar in these two member states in the map that is in the next slide. And on the bad news aside as well, the virus has been spotted circulating again in domestic peaks in Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. And in particular, in Romania, where the number of outbreaks is higher, you are familiar with the situation in Romania, where the persistence of the virus in the domestic pig population is of singular concern. To complete the picture on the domestic pigs, in Italy, we have seen, again, outbreaks in domestic pigs in the north of the country.
These outbreaks in domestic peaks are all attributable to well-known shortcomings in the biosecurity. We can hardly accept shortcomings or deficiencies in biosecurity in 2026, because all our farmers should be familiar with African swine fever and should know very well that regardless of the size of their farm, they need to implement very strict biosecurity to prevent the entry of the virus. And it's even more painful, the reiterated introductions in places where the disease has been present before. The outbreak in Romania in a large commercial farm, around 5,000 pigs, was extremely painful for the Romanian farmers, the Romanian authorities, but also for us in Digi Santi. The jumps of the virus or the small progression of the virus in wild boar is attributable or possible to explain by the normal dynamics of the virus in the wild population.
And there is nothing to highlight as regards our previous knowledge of the behavior of this virus. The commission has deployed experts in the member states in order to support those that were confronting a new situation, like in Spain twice, in Poland to address some specific concerns in very singular spots. And we have as well audited the performance of the veterinary services in the member states. Recently, we have been in Poland, and we are going to audit Hungary as well. And this is the map representing the situation.
It's very difficult to spot the difference year after year, because, as I said, the virus is behaving in a very stable manner. You can see there that, numerically, the number of outbreaks notified in wild boar is impressive. It's more than 6,000 since October 1. But this also reflects the efforts on surveillance and on managing the wild boar populations that the member states are doing in the infected areas. I insist on the outbreaks in domestic peaks being painful for everyone.
200 outbreaks in seven months is something that should be evaluated. The deficiencies in biosecurity need to be addressed. Resources need to be mobilized. And apparently, awareness is not yet enough in the farming community. You can see the spots in red where the virus has been newly found in WildBorr, in the South, in Barcelona, and also in Germany, in Poland, very close to the Czech Republic and Germany.
And the new affected areas affecting domestic peaks are in Croatia and again in Italy. This is the evolution of the presence of African swine fever in the Union over the years. I have put this slide because it represents visually rather well the situation in which we are. In purple or in blue, you can see the number of outbreaks per week in domestic pigs. And the situation is stable, and we are watching, hopefully, the phasing out of African swine fever in domestic pigs.
Coming from a situation three or four years ago with this huge epidemic, I think we should be somehow proud collectively that we are bringing the disease to sporadic findings. Still, I said two hundred since October are too many, but it is much less than before. On the other side, the evolution of the disease in yellow or orange is stable because we find roughly the same number of infected wild boar in roughly speaking, the same territory. We apply regionalization. And the map that you are familiar with remains rather stable.
Those knowing very well their local geography will spot the progress towards the control and eradication of the disease in domestic pigs because there is less red, less red color indicating finding of the virus in pigs, especially in the Baltic States. The colors in the Baltic States were red and pink. For the memory, pink is the color we used to represent when the disease is found only in wild boar, not in farms in domestic pigs. And the blue color indicates where we identify a higher risk of spread, and with the market out of prudency, a restricted area. In plain terms, the surface affected by the restrictions remains rather stable.
The evolution of the colors is towards the positive, with less red. But still, we find unexpected colors in unexpected places like the one in Barcelona, part of the pink in Germany, and still some painful red color, small dots in the North of Italy. With this, I think I have tried to update you because I tend to think that you are very familiar with our policies. We can go through all the measures that we deploy, and I'm happy to reply to any question. Thank you, madam chair.
Veronika Vrecionová
Okay. Thank you very much. And I would like to ask now the coordinators. First, Herbert Dorfmann. You have two minutes, Herbert.
Thank.
Herbert Dorfmann
Thank you very much for that presentation. I think that the situation remains worrying in many parts of Europe. I have a question. You underscored just how important it is to take safety measures in pig rearing. Are there any data as to what degree the fever has reached small and medium-sized pig rearing?
For example, there might be some places where they just, when it's almost a hobby, they keep just one or two pigs. Has it reached that sector as well? There are other small operations where they also have to take these measures. And of course, it's difficult to conduct these things within reasonable cost. I'd like to know.
And also, the degree to which you think member states are monitoring arrears to ensure they conduct these things as they should? And then thirdly, you didn't mention the development of any vaccines. Are there positive news on that? Is there any hope that we might soon see an effective vaccine against African swine fever? Thank you.
Cristina Maestre
Good afternoon. Thank you very much. Thank you for the explanations about this concern that I think we all share. And I come from a country where we've also been hard hit, in particular Catalonia. And I know that the African swine fever has gone back to January 25, and we've had more than 20 such outbreaks around Barcelona, in particular at the beginning of the year.
It's worrying. Everyone knows that there's no threat to human health, but the economic aspects and impacts are very great. So this is very important indeed, because we know that pork and pork exports are hugely important economically. So it's very serious. I'd like to underscore one particular response from the commission and from the government of Spain and regional authorities in this case, here, the Catalan authorities, because there's a contingency plan which is to heighten controls and to increase all the measures so far to think about these.
Now we think it's been crucial to save the sector. Nonetheless, we see that African swine fever is spreading, and I think it's a threat, as we heard, to food safety and to our competitiveness. Hence, I'd like to know what are these weaknesses, which mean that the outbreaks spread quite so fast and makes it impossible for us to check that. What might you recommend to the breeders? What should they be doing?
And I'd also like to know whether you're doing everything you can to provide support for breeders affected, and also think about further measures, forecasting measures, thinking about phytosanitary measures. Thank you very much.
Gilles Pennelle
Thank you, madam. The increasing number of these diseases due to greater movement of animals and globalization of trade has led to swift spread of pathogens internationally. And in this context, obviously, use of more local transport routes might be one lever that would help us prevent the spread of this. I agree with what we said. Where are we so far in our research on vaccines to solve this problem?
Now obviously, that's one essential approach to combat this disaster, which, in spite of the reassuring words from some countries we've heard, nonetheless, is pretty worrying. Given that no one except me will do so, I'd also like to mention the hunters. In some political groups here, they stigmatize them, and these groups will never support them. In fact, they attack them. Hunters who play a key role in keeping down the wild boar population, this is essential if we're going to stop the spread of the virus.
Jadwiga Wiśniewska
Ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I'd like to thank you, Madam Chair, and the coordinators for the opportunity to debate these issues. I think it's very important I meet farmers and representatives of the Silesian Chamber of Agriculture, and they've asked me to act fast. Thinking about the voivodship of Silesia, I can tell you the situation there. Farmers are suffering from great losses, and they have to pay a lot as well to secure their farms. In Poland and in Salysha, the whole sector is suffering greatly.
Farms are being ruined. The problem is not just the extent of the damage, but also the fact that it's concentrated in certain regions. Pig breeders believe that this closure, these sort of are being exaggerated, producers are suffering very much because of the price differences, and they can't sell their animals if they come from these so-called risk areas. So it's a vicious circle. And we're working towards meeting these EU rules, in particular, the regulations from 2024.
But at the same time, the commission refers to the regulations in the member states. At the end of the day, pig breeders are left on their own with their problems. So I would appeal to the European Commission. Perhaps those farms which have suffered from African swine fever ensure that they are compensated. There are also administrative costs.
Perhaps the commission should introduce a corresponding compensation. And we need short-term, that is, swifter measures from the commission in order to limit the damage to the breeders. And finally, the relevant regulation should perhaps be reviewed. We should take into account regional conditions, and the areas where it's restricted should be reduced. We're thinking about the current situation in Europe.
Asger Christensen
My question is, how can we prevent it? For example, if you use waste of food as feed, and when there's infection occurring, there is compensation after outbreaks, but it leads to great uncertainty among the pig rearers. How can we ensure that this is all dealt with better? How does the commission wish to improve this cooperation, in particular with third countries not yet affected by swine fever? We think it's important that this stock of wild boar be reduced.
Veronika Vrecionová
I think in Denmark, we all shoot them.
Left. I don't see anybody. So in this case, yes, and Ivan David, please.
Ivan David
Totally frankly, we see that the toll problem of the African swine fever miss, that is something where we have a look on the actual map of the problem: Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria. Obviously, we don't have to talk about the actual problem of domestic swine fever. Well, maybe there are certain problems where I personally believe we would have to explain what is looked behind, what has happened in these particular areas. What can we do in the future to improve the situation? What are mechanical possibilities to protect, to improve this area, this problem?
There are countries that have been able to look after the area or to fight it, whilst in Romania, for example, it is a problem. Let's say all of it. This.
Carmen Crespo Díaz
Problem is creating great financial loss. It's not just the case in Spain. Many millions of euros have been lost. And it's also the uncertainty it creates, because we still don't know what will happen with the mark in Malaysia, Japan, or Mexico. So we think it's essential.
We need to know from the EU, will the aid continue to arrive? Some of them have not yet reached the producer, but there must also be aid when it comes to crisis survival. We need to think about what will happen with those countries. If everything's closed and we have no regionalization in this particular case, then we have a major problem. Now it seems that we've had five months of being completely sealed off.
But with the energy prices, and if we simply leave friends in the countryside to their own devices, they'll be lost because there'll be a disaster between climate change and other prices. If the costs, there'll be disaster in the rural areas. There needs to be help for them. Things should happen in a respectable way. But over the years, we've just burdened the rural population with all of these problems, in particular, it comes to energy problems and the cost there as well, and also what's happening to wild fauna and then research into their future?
Thank you.
Jessika van Leeuwen
Thank you very much, Chair. You said something very interesting, and that is that not enough awareness in the farming community exists about the contagiousness of ASF. And the question I have is, is this level of awareness reflected in the site's outbreaks and linked to reduced biosecurity measures or the strict follow-up of those rules on-site? So how is the commission planning to enforce better follow-up of biosecurity? Because of lack of good implementation in other member states and dangerous production in other member states.
So we really depend on a harmonization of the follow-up on biosecurity rules. Then I recently visited some pharmaceutical companies, and they said they're almost ready with the ASF vaccine. So is there something the commission can do to stimulate development and speed up the process on the ASF vaccine? And also about, when we come to when we talk about trade, the acceptance from third countries of vaccinated animals. The last question I have is about regionalization.
Does the commission believe this is still sufficient? And how do we make sure that third countries continue to respect this regionalization that we have applied? Thank you.
Eric Sargiacomo
Merci, madame. Thank you, madam chair. Well, this issue of African swine pest is very worrying, and the maps put forward, I think, a bit of a miracle, because we're witnessing exploration of these things, in particular among wild boar, so it's difficult to control. I'm pleased to have the colleagues who said that hunters are essential. Well, I live in a French department where 200 boar were killed in just one year.
Now it's 10,000 now. I wonder whether, when the African swine fever reaches France, how, with classic measures, we will manage to keep it under control? Unfortunately, wild fauna now moves and extends beyond what we think are reasonable limits and affects farmers. How can we regulate seriously these issues when we know that, sadly, with climate change, the number of wild boars is going to explode, in fact, is exploding already?
Veronika Vrecionová
Very much. And now I would like to ask again Mister Jorgejo for his replies. Please. The floor is yours.
Francisco Reviriego Gordejo
Thank you very much, Valancao, and thank you for the excellent remarks, comments, and questions by the MEPs. You know a lot about this disease, and this is reflected in your intervention. You already addressed most of the critical points that we have in mind when we discuss the challenges of African swine fever. When I compare an old slide that I put on the screen months ago here about the challenges and the questions that you raised, there is almost a complete match. And I would go through most of them in a quick manner.
You referred to small size holdings, small backyards, where there would be available data on how these farms play a role. Yes, there are data. EFSA is compiling a lot of data. And we know that these small farms, they have problems complying with biosecurity. But this is not an excuse.
The size of a farm is not an excuse not to comply with the biosecurity that is needed, in particular when you are confronted with a difficult situation. When you have the virus present in the vicinity in wild boar, then you have to extreme biosecurity. If you are a hobby keeper and you keep two peeks, you have to do the job for the two peeks. If you are a large commercial facility with 20,000 peaks, you have to do the job for 20,000 pigs. No excuses, because the risk is the same regardless of the size.
The costs are not comparable, but this is another issue. The cost of complying with biosecurity, we cannot afford not to have sufficient biosecurity. And for sure, feeding pigs with swill or with food waste, this is forbidden, prohibited since many years, and I hope that no one in Europe is following the temptation of feeding pigs with leftover from kitchen anymore. You raised as well many times the challenges on managing the wild boar, the wildlife population. And it's true.
It's extremely difficult. And the hunters play a major role. And the hunters need to be steered into the right direction. The hunters, they have their own interests. One of those interests is to have as many wild boar as possible, but we cannot afford having too many wild boar.
We need to decrease the population, and the hunters need to be part of the solution. They need to cooperate on implementing the measures to control the wild boar population. And the member states have an obligation by EU law to design national plans for managing the wild boar population. In Denmark, it's easy to have a management plan. First wild boar.
You see, you shoot down, and you eradicate again. They are in a lucky situation. In Poland, for example, it's much more difficult. Poland is a difficult country to manage a wild population. I've been there.
The geography, the forests, the density of rural areas in which it's difficult to hunt. So the Polish authorities are in the best position to decide what to do in Poland. I would know what to do in my province in Spain, in Avila, but I'm in the commission, and no one is in a position to tell the member states what to do and their local conditions. You mentioned vaccines. Vaccine is a hope, but it's not here.
We are repeating the same mantra for many years. We have invested a fortune in research for a vaccine, but the vaccine, unfortunately, is not yet there. We cannot base our policies on the hope of getting a vaccine. There is an indication that a vaccine might be there soon. For that, we have already developed the rules for the use of this future candidate vaccine so that there is no negative stimulus to produce the vaccine.
If a vaccine is available, we know how to use it. And the third countries, they know how we are going to deploy the vaccine in case it is available. This should help to prevent two extreme negative reactions from trading partners. The export to third countries is already very complicated for all production, for all diseases. In the case of African swine fever, the uncertainty that the Spanish colleagues are suffering now has been suffered before by others.
And we know that some partners are very difficult, and you mentioned some of those that I'm not going to repeat. I can mention some others that accept our regionalization and with which we can trade relatively smoothly: Canada, the US, Chile, New Zealand. These countries are serious, and they accept our regionalization. What we have developed in the last 10 years is sophisticated know-how, and this is reflected in the African swine fever regulation, the rules. The rules are very complex.
In the African swine fever regulation, the rules are very complex. It's a book of 40 pages. Difficult to understand, difficult to integrate, but it provides a solution to many problems.
It's a book of 40 pages, difficult to understand, difficult to integrate, but it provides a solution to many problems. We are open to rediscuss these rules and to amend and to update as soon as there is any indication based on science that new elements come to us, or on experience. This is a dynamic legal instrument, and it's not carved in stone. It's a simple commission implementing act. It can be amended relatively quickly, with the understanding that it might become more complex because we try to find a solution to problems.
We are open to rediscuss these rules and to amend and update as soon as there is any indication based on science that new elements come to us or on experience. This is a dynamic legal instrument. And it's not carved in stone. It's a simple commission implementing act. It can be amended relatively quickly. With the understanding that it might become more complex because we try to find a solution to problems.
Some of you have referred to structural weaknesses and how to encourage or to strengthen biosecurity. The first response from our side is resources. Resources need to be deployed. Biosecurity has two main components. One is infrastructure.
Some of you have referred to structural weaknesses and how to encourage or to strengthen biosecurity. The first response from our side is resources. Resources need to be deployed. Biosecurity has two main components. One is infrastructure, so the farms need to have all the elements to isolate the animals from the external environment, especially the wild boar.
So the farms need to have all the elements to isolate the animals from the external environment, especially wild boar. And the second element is the behavior. If the farmers behave in a manner that is not adequate, it doesn't matter the infrastructure you have, you will fail. So these two components, good training for the farmers and good infrastructure, need to be there to achieve the right level of biosecurity. Resources can be made available through different instruments.
And the second element is the behavior. If the farmers behave in a manner that is not adequate, it doesn't matter the infrastructure. You have, you will fail. So these two components, good training to the farmers, and good infrastructure need to be there to achieve the right level of biosecurity. Resources can be made available through different instruments.
One is the CAP funds through the National Strategic Plans. There is the possibility to allocate funding for biosecurity to combat animal diseases. And the second component that may need resources is less structural, is more occasional. We need money for emergency measures. Whenever there is an outbreak, we need to kill the animals, and the farmers need to be duly compensated.
One is the CAP funds, through the National strategic plans. There is the possibility to allocate fundings biosecurity to combat animal diseases. And the second component that may need resources is less structural, is more occasional. We need money for emergency measures.
Whenever there is an outbreak, we need to kill the animals, and the farmers need to be duly compensated. Somebody has to pay for the value of these animals.
Somebody has to pay for the value of these animals. We were used to a system in which these costs were short, national funds, and EU funds. We are running short of money, and the sharing of the costs has changed. Now, unfortunately, the EU, with the management from the commission, cannot pay the usual 50% or 75%. We can only reimburse to the member states up to 20% or 30%, depends on the country.
We were used to a system in which these costs were saved. National funds, EU funds. We are running short of money, and the sharing of the costs has changed. Now, unfortunately, the EU with the management from the commission, we cannot pay the usual 50% or 75%. We can only reimburse to the member states up to 20% or 30%, depends on the country.
This is painful for the member states. This is painful for the commission. And this is very painful for the farmers because it implies that there are less incentives coming from Brussels to behave in a virtuous manner.
This is painful for the member states. This is painful for the commission. And this is very painful for the farmers because it implies that there are less incentives coming from Brussels to behave in a virtuous manner. It's up to you, honorable members, to help with this and to provide financial resources to cope with emergencies. The restrictions are complicated.
It's up to you. Honorable members, to help on this and to provide financial resources to cope with emergencies. The restrictions are complicated. It make the life of the operators in some cases, almost impossible, but the restrictions are needed, and the map that we put on the screen is needed. The colors are needed to prevent the part of the EU that is still in gray color to become pink. I hope never red or even blue. And for that, we need discipline.
It make the life of the operators, in some cases, almost impossible, but the restrictions are needed, and the map that we put on the screen is needed. The colors are needed to prevent the part of the EU that is still in gray color from becoming pink, I hope never red or even blue. And for that, we need discipline. So I count on you to pass the message that respecting regionalization, respecting the restrictions, are somehow essential for the survival of the peak industry in the EU. Sorry if I took too long, but I tried to address most of the questions of the members.
So I count on you to pass the message that respecting regionalization, respecting the restrictions, is somehow essential for the survival of the peak industry in the EU. Sorry if I took too long, but I tried to address most of the questions from the members.
Thank you, madam chair.
Thank you, madam chair.
Veronika Vrecionová
Thank you. I think it's very important and very interesting to hear it from our members. So thank you very much. So we are just now also, at the end of this item, and, we have here only two more points. One is any other business.
Thank you. I think it's very important and very interesting to hear it for our members. Thank you very much. So we are just now also at the end of this item. And we have here only two more points.
One is any other business. I don't see anybody. And the last information from my side is that the date of the next meeting will be first and second June 26 here in Brussels.
I don't see anybody. And the last information from my side is that the date of the next meeting will be first and second June 26 here in Brussels. So, dear colleague, thank you very much. Our meeting is at the end, and we will have a joint meeting with envy committee at 5:15. So I hope that we will see again in a few minutes.
So, dear colleague, thank you very much. Our meeting is at the end. And we will have joint meeting with envy commit at fifteen past five. So I hope that we will see again in a few minutes.
So, have a nice day.
So, have a nice day.
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