WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3130/97 by Marjo MATIKAINEN-KALLSTRÖM to the Commission. School milk programme
Date: 1997-10-13
Institutions: European Parliament, MATIKAINEN-KALLSTROEM
Subjects: aid system, child, consumer behaviour, drinking milk, educational institution, free service, milk fat, public health, skimmed milk, whole milk

C 158/40

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

25. 5. 98

The Commission is currently supporting through the European social fund (ESF) interventions under objectives
3, 4, 5b and 6 and the Community initiatives Employment-Now and ADAPT a good number of projects aimed at
improving  the  ICT  skills  of  women  and  using  the  information  society  tools  to  improve  their  situation  in  the
labour  markets.  The  current  programmes  will  be  monitored  from  this  perspective.  This  spirit  will  also  be
maintained in the context of the reform of the structural funds, where the Commission has proposed the creation
of a new Community initiative on human resources and equal opportunities.

(1)  OJ C 148, 16.5.1997.

(98/C 158/50)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3130/97

by Marjo Matikainen-Kallstro¤m (PPE) to the Commission

(13 October 1997)

Subject: School milk programme

Commissioner Franz Fischler(cid:146)s answer of 10 September 1997 to my question (E-2448/97 (1)) on school milk was
unsatisfactory. The answer completely fails to address the main point of my argument, namely that surplus fat in
dairy products should not be a factor increasing the level of subsidy in Community support policy. The less fat
there is in milk, the healthier its products are. Therefore for health reasons low-fat dairy products should be used
rather than those with a full fat content.

In the light of the above I have some follow-up questions:

How can the Commission continue to justify the fact that, while it acknowledges the positive effects on public
health of reducing fat consumption, it continues to give financial support to full-fat products at the expense of
those with a low-fat content? Can the Commission afford to overlook the public health implications of milk fat?
Would not subsidies to low fat dairy products alone promote the use of all dairy products?

(1)  OJ C 82, 17.3.1998, p. 82.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(17 December 1997)

Aid for school milk is granted as part of the common market organisation for milk and milk products, which
supports exploitation of the value of milk derived from its two components, fat and protein. Given this purpose,
the Commission tries, in deciding what products are eligible and what aid will be granted on them, to facilitate
healthy and varied nutrition without seeking to influence the choice by the beneficiaries of the aid of one or other
milk product.

The Commission will assess the impact of the aid scheme on promotion of a healthy diet and act to adjust it if
necessary.

(98/C 158/51)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3133/97

by Giuseppe Rauti (NI) to the Commission

(13 October 1997)

Subject: Against American domination of the radio and television industry

According to the latest data published by the European Audiovisual Monitoring Centre, American companies
earned around $ 7 billion through sales of their products in Europe while European producers exported only
$  532  million(cid:146)s  worth.  In  other  words,  as  Gilles  Fontaine,  of  (cid:145)IDATE  (cid:145)  (European  Audiovisual  and
Telecommunications Institute) points out, the ratio is 1 to 12 in the US(cid:146)s favour.