WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3599/97 by Gianni TAMINO to the Commission. Dissemination of information in the context of projects for certified quality beef
Date: 1997-11-13
Institutions: European Parliament, TAMINO
Subjects: EU publication, advertising, animal protein, beef, consumer information, human nutrition, nutrition, public health, quality label, vegetable protein

C 158/160

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

25. 5. 98

(98/C 158/213)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3592/97

by Yves Verwaerde (PPE) to the Commission

(13 November 1997)

Subject: Result of the 1989-1995 Impact Programme

Would the Commission supply me with the results of the Impact Programme, the plan of action for setting up an
information  services  market  and  for  enhancing  the  competitiveness  of  the  European  information  services
industry.

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(18 December 1997)

A final evaluation report on a programme for the establishment of an internal information services market (1) has
been established by independent external experts. The report entitled (cid:145)final evaluation report of the EC Impact
programme(cid:146) summarises the results of the programme implementation and was submitted to the Parliament and
the Council, together with a Commission communication (2).

(1)  OJ L 377, 31.12.1991 › In accordance with article 6 of the Council Decision 91/691/EEC of 12 December 1991.
(2)  COM(96 273.

(98/C 158/214)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3599/97

by Gianni Tamino (V) to the Commission

(13 November 1997)

Subject: Dissemination of information in the context of projects for certified quality beef

It was only in the last few days that the information disseminated at the first European conference on (cid:145)European
quality  beef(cid:146)  (held  in  Venice  in  April  1997)  came  to  the  attention  of  the  author  of  this  question.  During  the
conference press releases printed on headed paper with images of the European flag and the words (cid:145)financed with
a contribution from the European Community(cid:146) were distributed, with titles such as (cid:145)Why meat is an essential
food(cid:146) and studies signed by a J.D. Maxwell entitled (cid:145)The vegetarian diet as a risk factor in tuberculosis in the
United Kingdom(cid:146).

Does the Commission know about these press releases and does it agree with the subject matter?

Is the Commission aware that to define meat as (cid:145)an essential food(cid:146) is banned by a number of rules introduced by
the AEEP/EASA (European Advertising Standards Alliance) and that common sense dictates that if such a claim
were true, it would mean death for about ten million people in the EU countries and hundreds of millions of
people worldwide? On the contrary, research carried out by the WHO and the Committee on Medical Aspects of
Food (the latter published in the Financial Times on 15 September 1997) maintain that it has been proved that
excessive consumption of meat is (cid:145)dangerous(cid:146) and may lead to cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

When will the Commission fund an information campaign to promote a diet in which animal proteins are reduced
or eliminated, thereby encouraging European food producers who are moving in this direction?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(18 December 1997)

The  Commission  made  a  financial  contribution  to  the  European  Beef  Congress  at  Venice  but  bears  no
responsibility for the contributions of the scientists invited.

The Commission takes the view that the wide availability of products of animal and plant origin ought to enable
individuals to select a healthy, balanced and diversified diet covering their particular nutritional needs.