Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if further progress has been made in changing the BSE testing for cattle up to 36 months; and her views on whether this is causing difficulty for many of the high quality cattle fatteners; her further views on whether these cattle are going into the same market at the same price yet discounted to the farmer producer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32274/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The 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, TSEs. Under the Regulation, as it currently stands, I have no discretion to raise the age limit at which bovines destined for human consumption must be tested. I, and my officials, have made repeated efforts to have the age thresholds for the various categories of animals changed, based on the results of surveillance carried out here. Amendments to the TSE Regulation, including Community rules in relation to testing for BSE, have been under discussion in various EU fora, including the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament. My support for a change reflects the difficulties which I entirely appreciate are being experienced by some producers in having cattle finished within 30 months and I hope that any changes that may be agreed would alleviate those difficulties.

These discussions are almost complete but the regulation is not expected to be adopted before the end of the year. It is however likely to include a provision to allow Member States wishing to change the age limit for testing for BSE in healthy animals slaughtered for human consumption to seek the approval of the Commission and other Member States for revisions to their annual monitoring programmes, within the framework of the Standing Committee on Animal Health and the Food Chain. Such applications would be made by reference to a range of criteria relating to the BSE situation and controls in the particular country. These criteria have yet to be determined and may take some time to finalise. It should also be pointed out that our view that the age limit should be raised is not shared by all Member States. I will, of course continue to press for a change in the age threshold at every opportunity, as I and my officials have done for the past three years.