I
(Information)
EUROPEANPARLIAMENT
WRITTENQUESTIONSWITHANSWER
(2004/C58E/001) WRITTENQUESTIONE-0281/02
byNicholasClegg(ELDR)totheCommission
(8February2002)
Subject:Customsandexcise
AremembersofthepublicandMembersoftheEuropeanParliamentallowedtoobtaincopies,fromthe
Commission, of the Letter of Formal Notice issued in late October to HM Treasury (UK) fromCommissioner Bolkestein, concerning Customs and Excise policies and possible infringements of the
freedomtomovegoodsacrossbordersresultingfromthosepolicies?Ifnot,whynot?
AnswergivenbyMrBolkesteinonbehalfoftheCommission
(20March2002)
TheCommissionconsidersthatdocumentsdraftedinconnectionwithproceedingsunderarticle226ofthe
ECTreatyfallunderthe‘inspectionsandinvestigations’exceptionofArticle4(2),3rdindentofRegulation(EC)No1049/2001oftheParliamentandoftheCouncilof30May2001regardingpublicaccesstoParliament,CouncilandCommissiondocuments(
1)whichappliestorequestsmadebymembersofthe
publicandbyindividualmembersofParliament.ThisincludesthelettertowhichtheHonourableMemberrefers.TheCourtoffirstinstancehasconfirmedthispositioninparticularinitsjudgementT-191/99of11December2001(DavidPetrievsCommission)(
2)whichconcernedthesameexceptionalreadyforeseen
inCommissionDecision94/90/ECSC,EC,Euratomof8February1994onpublicaccesstoCommissiondocuments(
3).
(1) OJL145,31.5.2001.
(2) Seealsojudgmentof5March1995incaseT-105/95:WWF-UKvCommissionLawgoverningtheinstitutionsand
Judgmentof14October1999incaseT-309/97:TheBavarianLagerCompanyvCommissionLawgoverningthe
institutions.
(3) OJL46,18.2.1994.
(2004/C58E/002) WRITTENQUESTIONE-0550/02
byErikMeijer(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(27February2002)
Subject:CarcinogenicSpanishpeppersinAustriaandreplacementofreactiveapproachtofoodsafetywith
apreventiveapproach
1. Can the Commission confirm that the carcinogen Pyrzophos, which has been banned in the
European Union since 2000 and which moreover affects the central nervous system and disruptshormonesinhumanbeings,hasrecentlybeenfoundinSpanishpepperswhichwereonsaleinAustriansupermarkets?6.3.2004EN C58E/1 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
2. IstheCommissionawarethatthesepepperswerealsofoundtocontaineightpesticideswhichare
carcinogeniceveninsmallquantities?
3. Mustconsumerswhowishtoprotecttheir healthalwayswaitforsuchcasestoberevealedby
environmentalorconsumers’organisationssothattheycanboycottsuchunfitfoodstuffsontheirowninitiative?Isitacceptablethatinthemeanwhilethegoodssimplycontinuetobesoldtootherconsumersuntilacompetentauthorityintervenes?
4. Istheriskthatharmfulfoodstuffsmaybesoldincreasedbecausetheeliminationofborderobstacles
andtheincreasingcheapnessoftransportaremakingitpossibletoofferthemforsalefurtherandfurtherawayfromtheirplaceoforigin,sothatadequateinformationabouttheconditionsinwhichtheywereproducedreachesthepointofsaleonlyafteracertaindelay?
5. WhatchangesneedtobemadetoenablenationalandEuropeaninstitutionsconcernedwithfood
safetytotakepreventiveactiontoavoidsuchproductsbeingtransportedandmarketed?
6. Whatmeasures,suchaspriorchecks,willtheCommissionnowtakeinordertoputapermanent
stoptotherecurrentofferingforsaleofharmfulfoodstuffs?
Source:‘Metro’dailynewspaper,Flandersedition,13February2002
AnswergivenbyMrByrneonbehalfoftheCommission
(16April2002)
1. TheCommissiondecidedinMarch2000nottoincludepyrazophosinAnnexItoCouncilDirective
91/414/EEC(
1) and to oblige Member States to withdraw existing authorisations for plant protection
productscontainingpyrazophos.ThedecisionwastakenbecausetheproducerwithdrewitssupportforthesubstanceduringitsevaluationatCommunitylevelintheframeworkoftheDirective.Thedetailedreasoning behind the decision, described in the review report published on the Commission’s publicInternetwebsite(
2),isthat(i)insufficientdatawereavailabletoadequatelyassesstheenvironmentalfateof
thesubstanceandtoassessconsumerexposuretopotentialresiduesresultingfromitsuse;and(ii)thatthe
following areas of concern were identified: high acute risk to honeybees and unacceptable risk to
operators,workersandbystanders.Thestudiessubmittedbytheproducerconcerningcarcinogenicitywerefoundtobeacceptableanddidnotindicateanyhazard.
Aspartofthedecision,aperiodofgraceof18monthswasallowedtouseupexistingstocksofthe
substance.ThisexpiredinSeptember2001.Subsequently,maximumresiduelevels(MRLs)forpyrazophosweresetbytheCommissionatthelowerlimitofanalyticaldetermination(
3).Sinceproductscontaining
residuesofpyrazophosthatwasappliedtoplantsbeforeSeptember2001maystillbeonthemarketafterthatdate,itwasdecidedthattheMRLsshallapplyasof1July2002.
2. The presence of 8 carcinogenic pesticides in peppers has not been communicated to the
Commission/dashneitherbythebytheAustrianauthoritiesnorbyanyothersource.
3. Itisdifficulttogiveapreciseresponseintheabsenceoftheoriginalinformation.However,itis
clearlyunacceptablethatunfitgoodsbesoldtoconsumers.Neitherisitacceptablethatgoodsarelabelledas unfit without reliable evidence /dash particularly where a threat to consumer health has not beendemonstrated.
4. TheCommissionhasnoevidencethattheriskofharmfulfoodstuffsbeingsoldisincreasedbecause
oftheeliminationofbordercontrolswithintheEUandtheincreasedcheapnessoftransport.Inaddition,therapidalertsystemforfoodhasasoneofitsobjectives,tominimiseanysuchriskswheretheymightoccur.C58E/2 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
5. TheCommunityprogramofevaluatingmorethan800existingactivesubstancesshouldbefinalised
by2008.Afterthattime,allactivesubstancesremainingonthemarketandanynewlydevelopedactivesubstanceshouldhavebeenadequatelytestedandevaluatedatCommunitylevel.
6. TherapidalertsystemforfoodstuffsoperatedbytheCommission,hastheroleofpermittingthe
rapidexchangeofinformationbetweentheCommissionandtheMemberStatesallowingriskmitigation
measurestobetakenwhereappropriateintheeventofareportedrisktotheconsumer.TheCommission
is currently developing guidelines for the reporting ofrisks to the consumer due to the presence ofpesticideresiduesinfood.
(1) 2000/233/EC:CommissionDecisionof9March2000concerningthenon-inclusionofpyrazophosinAnnexIto
CouncilDirective91/414/EECandthewithdrawalofauthorisationsforplantprotectionproductscontainingthis
activesubstance,OJL73,22.3.2000.
(2) http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/ph_ps/pro/eva/existing
(3) CommissionDirective2000/82/ECof20December2000amendingtheAnnexestoCouncilDirectives76/895/
EEC,86/362/EEC,86/363/EECand90/642/EEConthefixingofmaximumlevelsforpesticideresiduesinandon
fruitandvegetables,cereals,foodstuffsofanimaloriginandcertainproductsofplantorigin,includingfruitandvegetablesrespectively,OJL3,6.1.2001.
(2004/C58E/003) WRITTENQUESTIONP-0770/02
byJaimeValdivielsodeCué(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(11March2002)
Subject:Steeltrade
On5MarchtheUSAunilaterallyimposedtariffsonsteelimportswhichrangefrom8%to30%ofthe
valuethereofandwhichwillapply,subjecttoreview,forathree-yearperiodstartingon30March.
Naturally,theEuropeanUnionisgoingtotakethemattertotheWorldTradeOrganisation.WhatimmediateeffectmightthishaveonthesteelindustryinEurope?
WhatactionistobetakeninordertoprotecttheEuropeansteelindustrywhilsttheWTOisdealingwith
theissue,andhowisthesectortobecompensatedforanylossessuffered?
Howlongisitlikelytotakeforthedisputetoberesolved?
AnswergivenbyMrLamyonbehalfoftheCommission
(5April2002)
AstheHonourableMemberrightlymentionsinhisquestion,itisclearthattheCommunityhasnochoice
buttochallengetheunilateralAmericanmeasuresagainststeelimportsintheWorldTradeOrganisation(WTO).TheCommissionthereforerequestedconsultationswiththeUnitedStatesundertheWTODispute
SettlementundertakingandSafeguardsAgreementon7March2002.Iftheseconsultationsweretobe
unsuccessful,theCommissionwouldbeinpositiontorequesttheestablishmentofaPanelasearlyas6May2002.
ItisclearthattheAmericanactioninvolvesanumberofproceduralandsubstantiveviolationsofWTO
rules.TheCommissionisthereforeconfidentthattheWTOwillultimatelyruleagainsttheUnitedStates,asithasalreadydoneinfourothersafeguardcases.However,astheHonourableMemberimplies,thisprocesswilltakesometime.
TheAmericanmeasureswillcausesignificantdisruptiontotheworldsteelmarket.Exporters,particularly
ofproductscoveredby30percentincreasesintariffs,willlookforalternativemarkets.Onaconservativeestimate,some15milliontonnesofsteelcouldbedivertedfromtheAmericanmarket.Giventheoveralleconomicsituation,muchofthissteelislikelytoheadtowardstheCommunity.6.3.2004EN C58E/3 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion