NoC106/4 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 27.4.92
closercoordinationwillhelp(a)toensurethatoptimalStatesinthisfieldand(b)toincreasetheeffectiveness
useismadeoftheexperiencecontributedbyMemberofthesecontributions .
DoneatBrussels,25March1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH
Opinionon:
—theproposalforaCouncilDirectiveoninfantformulaeandfollow-onformulaeintended
forexporttothirdcountries,and
—theproposalforaCouncilResolutiononthemarketingpracticesforbreast-milksubsti­
tutesindevelopingcountriesbyCommunity-based manufacturers
(92/C106/02
On6January1992,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposals.
TheSectionforProtectionoftheEnvironment ,PublicHealthandConsumerAffairs,which
wasresponsibleforpreparingtheCommittee'sworkonthematter,adopteditsOpinionon
3March1992.TheRapporteurwasMrHilkens.
Atits295thPlenarySession(meetingof25March1992),theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
1.4.TheCommitteeendorsestheCommissionpro­
posal,subjecttothefollowingcomments.
2.Generalcomments1.Introduction
1.1.TheCommitteewelcomestheCommission
initiative,whichisintendedtoextendtheexistingrules
oncompleteinfantformulaeandfollow-upinfantfor­
mulaetotheexportoftheseproductstothirdcountries.
1.2.TheCommissionproposalamountstoanexten­
sionoftheprovisionsofDirective91/321/EEConinfant
formulaeandfollow-upformulaetocovertheexport
oftheseproductstothirdcountries.Thepreambleof
thatDirectivealreadymentionsthearrangementsnow
proposed.Thisapproachalsoaccordswiththepolicies
oftheWorldHealthOrganization .
1.3.IntheCommissionproposalArticlesl(2)(c)and
(d)and3to7inclusiveofDirective91/321/EECare
declaredtobeapplicabletoexportproductsinthis
sector.2.1.TheCommitteetakestheviewthattherulesin
Article2ofDirective91/321/EECmustalsobeincluded
inthepresentproposal,whichrelatestoexport.Infact,
thisArticleforbidsthemarketingofproductsinthe
infantformulaesectorwhichdonotcorrespondtothe
relevantdefinitions .Itstatesthat'Noproductother
thaninfantformulamaybemarketedorotherwise
representedassuitableforsatisfyingbyitselfthe
nutritionalrequirementsofnormalhealthyinfantsdur­
ingthefirstfourtosixmonthsoflife.'

27.4.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC106/5
2.2.TheCommitteetakestheviewthatthepro­
visionsrelatingtothesalespracticesofmanufacturers
basedintheCommunity [Art.7(7)ofDirective91/321/
EEC]shouldalsobesubjecttotheobligationimposed
bythepresentdraftDirective.
3.Specificcomments
3.1.TheCommitteepointsoutthatArticle2ofthe
draftDirectiveimposestheobligationthattheexport
productsmustconformwithArticles3to7ofDirective
91/321/EECorwiththestandardsestablishedbythe
CodexAlimentarius,unlessotherwiserequestedor
stipulatedbyprovisionsestablishedbytheimporting
country.
3.1.1.Toavoidmisinterpretations ,thisArticle
shouldbedraftedinsuchawaythatcompliancewith
theprovisionsofDirective91/321/EECorthestandards
laiddownbytheCodexAlimentarius istheminimum
requirement .3.2.TheCommitteetakestheviewthatthedraft
Resolutionmustrelatenotonlytodevelopingcountries
buttoallthirdcountries.Theconceptofdeveloping
countryistoovaguetobeusedasacriterionfor
definition .
3.3.TheCommitteetakestheviewthattheapproach
envisagedinpoint2ofthedraftResolutionisunclear.
InthefirstplacetheCommitteewonderswhetherthe
Commissiondelegationsareadequatelyequippedto
carryoutthistaskproperly.Itisalsounclearwhatis
meantby'competentauthorities'.Onthelastsentence
ofpoint2,cf.theCommittee'scommentsunder2.2
above.
3.4.TheCommitteeurgesthatpoint3oftheResol­
utionbewordedinsuchawaythattheCommission
seesitasitsdutytoinvestigateacomplaintsubmitted
byanyinterestedpartyandtoarriveatasatisfactory
solution.
DoneatBrussels,25March1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH