WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1864/97 by Marianne THYSSEN to the Commission. Study of the impact of the proposal for a European Parliament and Council directive relating to cocoa and chocolate products intended for human consumption
Date: 1997-05-27
Institutions: European Parliament, THYSSEN
Subjects: Cameroon, European Commission, cocoa, comparative study, confectionery product, economic consequence, product designation, product quality, proposal (EU), vegetable fats

C 45/114

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

10. 2. 98

The first priority of the Directive is to prevent the production of packaging waste. It also aims to encourage reuse
of packaging, recycling and others forms of recovery of packaging and hence the reduction of final disposal of
packaging waste. Encouragement of reuse systems is a legitimate option which Member States may adopt, in
conformity with the Treaty.

The Commission does not share the Honourable Member(cid:146)s negative views on the Directive, but considers that
potential situations in which unjustified barriers to trade and national protectionism are created, should be dealt
with on a case by case basis and would correspond to an inappropriate implementation of the Directive. The
Commission will examine carefully all such situations which might occur.

(1)  OJ L 365, 31.12.1994.

(98/C 45/143)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1864/97

by Marianne Thyssen (PPE) to the Commission

(27 May 1997)

Subject: Study of the impact of the proposal for a European Parliament and Council directive relating to cocoa

and chocolate products intended for human consumption

In its answer to my written question E-2838/96 (1) concerning the existence of an objective study of the impact of
the  Commission  proposal  for  a  directive  on  chocolate  products  on  the  working  of  the  single  market  and  the
economic implications for the developing countries, the Commission states in paragraph 3 that it is carrying out a
macroeconomic study into the impact on the economy of Cameroon of fluctuations in cocoa prices and of the
revision  of  the  European  directive  on  the  composition  of  chocolate.  This  study  relating  to  Cameroon  could
subsequently be extended to include other countries, in particular the ACP states. The study(cid:146)s conclusions were
expected towards the end of 1996.

Has the Commission already completed the above study and, if so, when can publication of the conclusions

1.
be expected?

2.

Can it indicate what the main conclusions of this study are?

Does it plan, as heralded in its answer to my written question, to extend the study relating to Cameroon to

3.
the other cocoa-producing ACP states? If so, when may the conclusions of such a study be expected?

(1)  OJ C 83, 14.3.1997, p. 77.

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(9 July 1997)

The study the Commission referred to in its answer to written question No E-2838/96 was entrusted to outside
experts. Thus far, only intermediate results have been obtained, and since these do not altogether correspond to
the mandate given to the experts the Commission will be asking that the study be taken further.

It is the Commission’s intention to provide a tool which will help substantially in arriving at the most accurate
assessment possible of the impact of the proposal for a directive.

Once  it  has  examined  the  study,  the  Commission  could  extend  its  scope  to  other  cocoa  producing  countries,
chiefly in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP).

The Commission is as yet unable to say when the conclusions will be published.