WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3873/97 by Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. Eco-label award scheme
Date: 1997-12-05
Institutions: AMADEO, European Parliament
Subjects: Economic Interest Grouping, consumer information, eco-label, environmental protection, inter-company cooperation, international standard, labelling, small and medium-sized enterprises

17. 7. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 223/29

However,  the  Commission  does  not  support  the  EEO  alone,  in  fact  50%  of  the  annual  fees  of  eco-labelled
products  would  go  to  the  EEO  (Annex  V.8,  of  the  Commission(cid:146)s  proposal).  According  to  Article  7.1  of  the
financial statement of the Commission(cid:146)s proposal the eco-label competent bodies shall finance the EEO together
with the Commission and shall continue to support the scheme when the Commission(cid:146)s subsidy ends. According
to Article 10 of the Commission(cid:146)s proposal, Member States will have to contribute to the establishment of the
scheme through information and promotional campaigns.

(98/C 223/31)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3873/97

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(5 December 1997)

Subject: Eco-label award scheme

The  Commission  has  submitted  a  proposal  for  a  Council  regulation  (EC)  on  a  revised  Community  eco-label
award scheme (COM(96) 603 final › 96/0312 SYN) (1).

With  regard  to  the  consultation  of  socio-economic  interest  groups,  will  the  Commission  continue  to  apply
Article 6 of the existing regulation and officially include trade unions in the Forum, while providing adequate
representation for SMU?

(1)  OJ C 114, 12.4.1997, p. 9.

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(14 January 1998)

The Commission proposal on a revised Community Eco-label award scheme foresees an extensive consultation
of  socio-economic  interest  groups  at  different  stages.  Before  defining  a  technical  mandate  for  the  European
eco-label  organisation  (cid:145)the  Commission  shall  undertake  to  open  consultation  of  all  the  interested  parties  in
accordance with the principles of Annex IV, paragraphs (a) and (b)(cid:146) (Article 5.2).

Annex IV, paragraph (a), takes into account in particular the role of the relevant interest groups, stating that (cid:145)the
involvement of the parties directly or indirectly concerned by the mandate (...) shall be actively pursued(cid:146). Trade
unions, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and hand crafts are specifically mentioned, as well as all the other
interest groups.

The  present  consultation  arrangements  defined  by  Article  6  of  the  existing  Regulation  (EEC)  No  880/92  of
23 March 1992 on a Community eco-label award scheme (1) will not be able to support the extensive consultation
process of the new system.

(1)  OJ L 99, 11.4.1992.

(98/C 223/32)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3876/97

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(5 December 1997)

Subject: Information society › rolling action plan

The Commission has submitted a communication to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and
Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  on  (cid:145)Europe  at  the  Forefront  of  the  Global  Information
Society: Rolling Action Plan(cid:146) (COM(96) 607 final).