Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 May 2006
368 Mr. J. Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will extend the age from 30 to 40 months for BSE testing, in view of the fact that numbers testing positive are falling; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16075/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe requirement that all bovine animals over 30 months of age, slaughtered for human consumption, must be tested for BSE is provided for in Regulation (EC) No. 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Accordingly I do not have discretion to raise this age provision as I would wish to do.
Community rules in relation to, inter alia, the testing for BSE are currently under discussion at EU level but the Commission has not tabled any proposals to change the general 30 month age limit for BSE testing. However, a possible outcome of this review is that Member States may be allowed to request revisions to their annual monitoring programmes based on the improvement of the BSE situation of the country, on the basis of as yet to be agreed criteria.
Any request for such changes would require to be approved by the European Commission and the other Member States within the framework of the Standing Committee on Animal Health and the Food Chain.
