RESOLUTION B3-0286/93

Resolution on the use of hormones and illegal growth-promoting substances in beef production

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the Commission's statement of 11 February 1993,

-having regard to its resolution of 29 October 1992 on monitoring of compliance with the directives prohibiting the use of hormones and other growth-promoters,

-having regard to its resolution of 16 September 1988 on the use of hormones in meat production,

-having regard to the report of the Committee of Inquiry on the Problem of Quality in the Meat Sector (A2-0011/89),

-having regard to its resolution of 11 October 1985 on the Commission proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 81/602/EEC concerning the prohibition of certain substances having a hormonal action and of any substances having a thyrostatic action,

-having regard to the Community's ban on the use of hormones,

1.Calls on the Commission to report urgently on the result of its investigations into the illegal use of hormones and to report on the extent to which the recommendations of the Committee of Inquiry have been complied with;

2.Believes that use of unauthorised substances such as Clenbuterol (Angel Dust) should be included in the Community ban;

3.Calls on the Commission to propose additional means to prevent the use of illegal hormones and growth-promoting substances as called for by the European Parliament's Committee of Inquiry;

4.Observes that in addition to hormones in the strict sense of the term an increasing number of other products, such as illegal growth promoters, B-agonists (redistributors such as Clenbuterol) and cocktails of growth-promoters, are also used in livestock fattening, often in combination with other pharmaceuticals such as corticosteroids;

5.Calls on the Commission to continue regular inspections and visits and believes that an increase in financial resources and staff is necessary to this end;

6.Notes that existing directives do not go far enough and calls for them to be amended so as to:

-clarify the distinction between prohibited substances and permitted substances which are administered illegally,

-lay down Community legislation on the use of B-agonists (redistributors, Clenbuterol and Angel dust), with an explicit ban on the use of such substances in livestock fattening,

-create an efficient system enabling every animal or carcass to be identified at every stage of the food-production chain,

-destroy without compensation live animals treated illegally,

-make the possession of prohibited substances and the unlawful possession of permitted substances criminal offences,

-indicate how, when and where live animals are to be inspected on farms, at markets, in transit and at slaughterhouses; such inspections should be carried out without prior notice;

7.Takes the view that, where possible, the Commission should consolidate in a single legislative text all provisions concerning the administration of pharmaceutical products to animals and the supervision and monitoring thereof, in order to simplify the legal position for the benefit of the authorities responsible for implementation, producers, consumers and veterinary surgeons;

8.Calls on the Member States, for their part, to introduce more stringent checks and, through tougher penalties, to put an effective stop to trade in and use of illegal hormones in stockfarming; in this connection, draws attention to the necessity of setting up international enforcement teams;

9.Points out that the illegal use of hormones contributes to the supply of oversized carcases and thus to excess beef production;

10.Stresses that the continuing illegal use of hormones contributes to a poor image of beef production for consumers; believes that it is the responsibility of producers to prevent further use of illegal hormones;

11.Insists on the need for beef imports into the Community to respect Community marketing standards;

12.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, Commission and the governments of the Member States.