We welcome that, but the standing veterinary committee seems to be engaged in delaying tactics.

The situation was reviewed at a meeting of the Standing Veterinary Committee yesterday.

I intend to present proposals within the next several days on all these issues to the Standing Veterinary Committee.

As we speak, the Standing Veterinary Committee is discussing that particular request.

If the Standing Veterinary Committee takes a decision by a qualified majority, the matter will be settled.

I would like now to turn to the proposals which the Commission will put to the Standing Veterinary Committee.

The British experts have reported to various committees, including in particular the Standing Veterinary Committee.

The work and guidance of the Standing Veterinary Committee is, of course, important in this regard.

This decision will be reviewed at a meeting of the Standing Veterinary Committee, scheduled for this week.

How will you evaluate the new specification of specified risk materials, even in the Standing Veterinary Committee?

It also provided for a review of the decision of the Standing Veterinary Committee on 27 February.

This proposal reached the Council after the Standing Veterinary Committee failed to provide an opinion on 20 May.

Yesterday the Standing Veterinary Committee decided to postpone the date for introducing the Commission's proposal by three months.

It is quite clear that the representatives on the Standing Veterinary Committee represent the opinions of the Member States and nothing else!

The Commission responded to this request and on 15 May presented the Standing Veterinary Committee with a draft opinion.

At an extraordinary meeting yesterday, the Standing Veterinary Committee was informed that an outbreak had also been identified in north-western France.

The programme will now need to be discussed and examined in detail, and that will also be done by the Standing Veterinary Committee today.

Secondly, the Commission's information came late in the day. Two months before this press conference the Standing Veterinary Committee informed the Commission of these facts.

This approach continues to enjoy the strong support of the Member States in the Standing Veterinary Committee and in the Agriculture Council.

I would also like to make it clear that the Standing Veterinary Committee and the Scientific Committee have nothing in common except the word 'committee' .

Why, on 7 February of this year, did the Standing Veterinary Committee carry out the evaluation for removing the vertebral column from animals of more than 12 months?

This proposal was accepted by the Standing Veterinary Committee and, when it is formally adopted, Member States will be required to ensure removal of the vertebral column.

A second proposal for a Commission directive amending the technical annexes to Directive 91/630 has been discussed by the Standing Veterinary Committee during the past months.

After the adoption of this directive, following the opinion of the Standing Veterinary Committee, the report suggests including this manual as part of the directive itself.

How will you ensure geographic distinction, and will you encourage the Standing Veterinary Committee to cooperate with the Scientific Steering Committee?