WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4070/97 by Phillip WHITEHEAD to the Commission. Nutritional labelling
Date: 1998-01-14
Institutions: European Parliament, WHITEHEAD
Subjects: consumer information, food inspection, foodstuff, foodstuffs legislation, labelling, nutrition

16. 6. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187/119

Is the use of this phosphoric acid ester permitted under European legislation? Is it in accordance with the code of
good agricultural practice to spray this agent from an aircraft not only onto olive trees but also onto the people of
the village of Orgiva › men, women, children and infants › as well as any tourists incidentally present? What
action will the European Commission take to put a stop to abuses of this kind?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(2 February 1998)

Dimethoate is an insecticidal active substance which was authorized for use in plant protection products in most
Member  States  before  the  implementation  date  (25  July  1993)  of  Directive  91/414/EEC  of  15  July  1991
concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market (1), and therefore can continue to be authorized
by Member States in accordance with the provisions of Article 8(3) and (4) of that Directive.

Directive  91/414/EEC  provides  that,  in  granting  the  authorization  for  such  a  plant  protection  product,  the
Member State must have established that the product, having regard to all normal conditions under which it may
be  used,  has  no  harmful  effect  on  human  or  animal  health,  directly  or  indirectly.  Moreover,  this  Directive
provides, in Article 3, that plant protection products must be used properly. Proper use includes compliance with
the  above  mentioned  safety  conditions  of  use  and  also  with  the  application  of  the  principles  of  good  plant
protection practice.

The facts mentioned by the Honourable Member seem to indicate a practice which is not in accordance with the
above mentioned provisions. The Commission will ask further information of the Spanish authorities on these
facts as well as on the measures taken to ensure that the above mentioned provisions are adequately in case of
spraying from aircraft.

(1)  OJ L 230, 19.8.1991.

(98/C 187/184)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4070/97

by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission

(14 January 1998)

Subject: Nutritional labelling

Does the Commission agree that future EU food policy › for example the possible framework directive taking
the Green Paper forward › must acknowledge the importance of nutrition and the need for consumers to have
access to a healthy and nutritious diet?

(98/C 187/185)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4072/97

by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission

(14 January 1998)

Subject: Nutritional labelling

Does the Commission also agree that at present, inconsistent and confusing nutritional content claims like (cid:145)light(cid:146)
and (cid:145)low fat(cid:146) make it difficult for consumers to be able to trust the validity of such claims, whereas these claims
could be useful to consumers if they were more tightly controlled? Is the Commission planning to consider the
control of these types of claims as part of the forthcoming nutrition labelling review?