[English] Hon. Andy Mitchell (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear about our public policy in respect of slaughter capacity.

In line with that policy, no aid should be accepted for commercially viable felling or restocking after felling or establishing and maintaining any plantation with no demonstrated environmental or recreational benefit;

Illegal logging and trade of illegal wood receive growing political attention and will be an important focus of relations with ASEAN in the years to come.

whereas the Commission accepted under circumstances particular to Portugal and to restore consumer confidence that a whole herd slaughter policy be adopted in Portugal; whereas the plan approved by Decision 96/381/EC provides for the slaughter of all animals belonging to the same birth cohort as affected animals; whereas, therefore, Portugal must identify all animals belonging to the same birth cohort regardless of whether the affected animals were born or reared in the same herd as that to which they belonged at the moment of confirmation of BSE or in another herd;

Particular consideration, however, will be given to operations that promote the following: (a) conservation of primary tropical forests and their biodiversity and renewal of tropical forests which have been damaged, supported by analysis of the underlying causes of deforestation and taking into account differences between countries and regions and measures to address them; (b) sustainable management of forests designated for the production of timber and other products, but excluding commercial logging operations in primary tropical forests, except those which are community-based, on a small scale, sustainable, environmentally sound and implementing sustainable forest management; (c) the definition and development of certification systems, ...[+++] combined with independent assessment systems, for timber produced from tropical forests according to sustainable forest management principles as part of internationally harmonized certification systems envisaged for all kinds of timber and timber products; (d) provision of prior information to forest peoples, followed by their support for the identification, planning and implementation of actions; (e) capacity-building to address the needs for training schemes for local populations, forest managers and researchers, for legislation, for increased political and social support and institutional strengthening and for organizations and associations active in forest conservation; (f) a strategic and adapted research policy aimed at supplying the knowledge required for the conservation and sustainable management of forests and also for the implementation of research monitoring activities in the framework of projects and programmes; (g) development of buffer zones to assist the conservation or regeneration of tropical forests, as part of a broader land utilization plan; (h) development and implementation of forest management plans aimed at conserving tropical forests and promoting sustainable exploitation of timber and other forest ...

The conclusion of this scrutiny he told the Commission is that: * The Community should become a contracting party to all of the Conventions of the Council of Europe in this field; * The Conventions and Recommendations of the Council of Europe should be adopted partially or totally by the Community in a manner consistent with the needs of the Common Agricultural Policy, to guarantee free movement of animals and products in the single market and to provide for the equal treatment of producers; - 2 - * Existing Directives on the protection of laying hens, pigs and calves are necessary for the smooth functioning of the common agricultural policy and should remain in force; * Discussions on the Commission proposals on the welfare of animals o ...[+++]n farms and at the time of slaughter, currently before the Council, are necessary and should continue in the perspective outlined above, with a view to their early adoption.