HL Deb 01 May 2003 vol 647 cc127-8WA
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What transitional measures they have requested from the European Union in connection with the Animal By-Products Regulation due to take effect on 1 May 2003 so as to take account of the English and Welsh requirements. [HL2487]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)

The UK has applied for the following transitional measures, to apply throughout the UK until the dates shown: the use of small (less than 50 kg/ hour) incinerators which do not burn specified risk material (UK), until 30 December 2004; the use in animal feed of used cooking oils, until 30 October 2004; the separation at oleochemical plants which process tallow derived from category 2 and 3 material, until 30 October 2005; the rendering of mammalian blood at atmospheric pressure, until 30 December 2004; the collection and disposal of waste food from retail outlets, until 30 December 2005; and the feeding of processed animal protein from all fish to farmed fish, until 30 December 2003.

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they intend to apply the European Union Animal By-Products Regulation to waste from fish and shellfish products; if so, to what shellfish products the regulation will apply; when shellfish processors were notified of the change; and whether they will make transitional arrangements so that the processors have sufficient time to make alternative arrangements to replace landfill disposal. [HL2501]

Lord Whitty

Council Directive 90/667/EEC (the Animal Waste Directive) already classifies shellfish and fish waste as an animal by-product and applies to all member states. The directive will be replaced by Regulation 1774/2002 (the Animal By-Products Regulation) which maintains the same principle. The regulation will be applying to all shellfish products which are not intended for human consumption.

The Sea Fish Industry Authority was consulted during negotiations on the regulation and a number of other fish and shellfish industries were sent the consultation document of 27 January 2003 on enforcing the regulation. As landfill is not currently a permitted disposal route for most shellfish waste, we have not asked the Commission for a transition period to allow that practice to continue.