During the EP plenary session (11-14 September 2017) in Strasbourg, MEPs&nbsp;debate on the&nbsp;Fipronil scandal. Statements by Matti MAASIKAS , Estonian Deputy Minister for EU Affairs, Vytenis Povilas ANDRIUKAITIS , European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Ivo BELET (EPP, BE), Miriam DALLI (S&amp;D, MT), Ulrike MULLER (ALDE, DE), Anja HAZEKAMP (GUE/NGL, NL) and Annie SCHREIJER-PIERIK (EPP, NL).

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

MAASIKAS, Matti (EE)

DALLI, Miriam (S&D, MT)

BELET, Ivo (EPP, BE)

SCHREIJER-PIERIK, Annie (EPP, NL)

ANDRIUKAITIS, Vytenis (LT, EC)

HAZEKAMP, Anja (The Left, NL)

Fipronil crisis (T)

MÜLLER, Ulrike (Renew, DE)

Fipronil scandal: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Matti MAASIKAS , Estonian Deputy Minister for EU Affairs, Since the first contamination cases were reported concerns have been raised including in the European Parliament regarding possible weaknesses in the EU Rapid Alert System and the speed of information sharing. The question of how we can strengthen cooperation and exchange information between countries in order to deal more efficiently with such crisis situations will be further discussed at the High level Ministerial meeting organised by the Commission in Brussels on September 26.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vytenis Povilas ANDRIUKAITIS , European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, The risk to human health remains very low and has been successfully contained thanks to the measures which have been taken at the EU level. Secondly, this incident is clearly the result of a criminal act resulting in food fraud. This is not to minimise the incident as it relates to an illegal use of an unauthorised substance which is totally unacceptable but this not about a health risk issue.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vytenis Povilas ANDRIUKAITIS , European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, The Commission is developing a common platform for this systems and exploring the possibility of a single network of member states authorities. I know that we have the new official control law I see insufficient help as to be more effective.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Ivo BELET (EPP, BE), Things have been gone wrong with the exchange of information between individual authorities. There should be automatic and rapid exchange of information. I think we have lost weeks and even months before the information have managed to get from one member state to another, from one agency to another. So Rapid Alert System has not really been rapid.

SOUNDBITE (Maltese), Miriam DALLI (S&amp;D, MT), Many people out there, including myself, has serious doubts about the safety of the food that we are eating. It is not acceptable that there is lack of timely information and lack of transparency as you have said. It is not acceptable that the member state where the first case emerged knew about it for months but kept everything under wrapped with the excuse that it is conducting an investigation.

SOUNDBITE (German), Ulrike M&#220;LLER (ALDE, DE), Commissioner, listening to what you have to say, it would appear that you concluded that it was not the system which failed but the stage before that at which member states notified. I think it is very worrying that the competent authorities in a member state knew about this illegal use for over six months, knew that this insecticide was been used but their warning notification happened so late. This is led to interpret the minds of the contributors, it has meant huge economic damage for the agriculture sector and a lot of negative press coverage.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Anja HAZEKAMP (GUE/NGL, NL), The Commissioner has said just yesterday that it is impossible to ban fipronil and it would be a disaster. Commissioner, do you really believe that banning fipronil would be a greater disaster than the disaster that we now have found ourselves in? I will call the Commissioner once again to ensure that during the fipronil summit, ministers will be given a proposal to eliminate fipronil form European farming so as to better protect the health of animal and humans in the future. Moreover, I also believe that these substances for European farming should also be abolish.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Annie SCHREIJER-PIERIK (EPP, NL), What are we going to do to help the family's farms whose have ended up in this situation, how can we offer them a helping hand? It is not just intensive farming that is affected by this, a lot of small and organic farms have been affected as well. I call for there to be financial aid for the farmers in this difficult transition situation.