Import of frozen fatty livers used for foie gras production

9.1.2020

Question for written answer E-000126/2020
to the Commission
Rule 138
Anja Hazekamp (GUE/NGL), Petras Auštrevičius (Renew)

Data from the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) shows that frozen fatty livers used for foie gras production are regularly imported into the EU from Ukraine. These imports have grown exponentially from 1 tonne in 2014 to nearly 50 tonnes in 2018.

According to the Commission, in spite of the prohibition in Directive 58/98/EC, foie gras production by force-feeding is still allowed in some Member States based on the derogations contained in the 1999 Council of Europe recommendations applicable to ducks and geese used for foie gras production, for countries that were producing foie gras through force-feeding at the time. Only five EU Member States still allow force-feeding.

Not only is Ukraine a member of the Council of Europe, but, in the framework of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, it is also required to comply fully with EU animal welfare legislation.

• 1.Can the Commission share the documentation provided by the Ukrainian authorities to show that foie gras production by force-feeding was in place in Ukraine in 1999?
• 2.Does the Commission agree that without such evidence the import of livers from Ukraine fattened through force-feeding would be in violation of both the Council of Europe recommendations and of EU legislation?