WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3974/97 by Anneli HULTHÉN to the Commission. Warning system for dangerous products
Date: 1997-12-12
Institutions: European Parliament, HULTHEN
Subjects: administrative transparency, consumer goods, consumer protection, dangerous substance, exchange of information, product safety, withdrawal from the market

16. 6. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187/105

The implementation by Member States of surveillance measures required under Directive 96/23/EC on measures
to  monitor  substances  and  residues  thereof  in  live  animals  and  animal  products  and  repealing  Directives
85/358/EEC and 86/469/EEC and Decisions 89/187/EEC and 91/664/EEC (1), together with severe penalisation
of offenders, should in the medium term result in a big drop in the number of cases of illegal use of these banned
substances.

(1)  OJ L 25, 23.5.1996.

(98/C 187/158)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3974/97

by Anneli Hulthe·n (PSE) to the Commission

(12 December 1997)

Subject: Warning system for dangerous products

Within the European Union there is a system for the exchange of information on dangerous products, RAPEX.
Unfortunately there is no obligation to report dangerous products discovered on the market, nor their names.
Does the Commission regard this as a satisfactory situation for consumers? If not, what does it contemplate doing
to improve the situation?

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission

(27 January 1998)

The  Community  system  for  the  rapid  exchange  of  information  on  dangers  arising  from  the  use  of  consumer
products (RAPEX), set up by Council Decision 84/133/EEC and now integrated into Directive 92/59/EEC on
general product safety (1),  is  a  general  and  horizontal  early  warning  and  monitoring  system  designed  to  help
Member States in handling urgent situations.

Its essential aim is to provide information on all available details of the product, the danger involved, and the
measures decided by the notifying Member State, to public authorities responsible for the protection of their
citizens in order to allow them to take immediate and appropriate action when a grave and immediate risk arising
from a consumer product has been detected by one of them.

The measures adopted and notified through the system often consist in the publication of warnings or in other
arrangements to ensure that those who might be exposed to a risk from a product are informed in good time of
such a risk. The measures adopted or decided by Member States against a dangerous product are administrative
decisions which normally are published also at the national level.

Nevertheless, the Commission agrees that the system needs to be revised in order to improve its efficiency and to
introduce more transparency in its functioning. This is one of the elements to be considered when defining the
proposals for the modification of Directive 92/59/EEC that the Commission will present in the second half of
next year.

(1)  OJ 228, 11.8.1992.

(98/C 187/159)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3976/97

by Xaver Mayer (PPE) to the Commission

(9 December 1997)

Subject: Sale of propolis (bee glue)

Propolis  is  described  in  the  medical  literature  as  a  natural  substance  used  to  boost  the  body(cid:146)s  own  immune
system. It is used as a raw material in the manufacture of medicines.