WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4021/97 by Panayotis LAMBRIAS to the Commission. Sale of unsafe foodstuffs in supermarkets
Date: 1998-01-14
Institutions: European Parliament, LAMBRIAS
Subjects: EU control, European Commission, Greece, consumer protection, food inspection, foodstuff, health control, marketing, report

C 196/60

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

22. 6. 98

(98/C 196/83)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4021/97

by Panayotis Lambrias (PPE) to the Commission

(14 January 1998)

Subject: Sale of unsafe foodstuffs in supermarkets

According  to  recent  studies  by  consumer  protection  organizations  and  statements  made  by  the  government
agency for quality control of food in Greece, an urgent problem has arisen in the public health sector owing to the
sale of adulterated, spoiled and contaminated foodstuffs covering the entire range of foodstuffs from drinking
water  and  olive  oil  to  meat,  cooked  pork  meats  and  packaged  products.  The  problem  is  aggravated  by
responsibility  for  foodstuffs  being  divided  between  8  ministries  and  around  50  directorates,  as  a  single  food
monitoring body has yet to be set up.

Will the Commission say what it intends to do to ensure compliance with Community legislation on foodstuffs in
Greece, and uphold the right to health of Greek citizens?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(19 February 1998)

Directive  89/397/EEC  on  the  official  control  of  foodstuffs (1)  requires  Member  States  to  inspect  and  control
foodstuffs effectively at the most appropriate stage from production to distribution and trade. Included in the
concept of control within this Directive is a requirement for the inspection of food businesses and the sampling,
examination  and  analysis  of  foodstuffs,  to  ensure  that  the  supply  of  foodstuffs  to  the  European  consumer
complies with national and European foodstuffs legislation.

Article  5  of  Directive  93/99/EEC  on  the  subject  of  additional  measures  concerning  the  official  control  of
foodstuffs (2) requests the Commission to monitor and evaluate the equivalence and effectiveness of the official
food control systems operated by the authorities of Member States. To this end an initial mission was made to
Greece as well as to other Member States by the Commission during 1996 and 1997. The mission to Greece
indicated  that  improvements  in  communication  and  co-ordination  between  the  authorities  in  Greece  would
enhance the overall effectiveness of the system for the official control of foodstuffs. This and other points were
brought to the attention of the Greek authorities in the assessment report from the Commission. Further visits are
planned in 1998 to Greece and the other Member States to assess progress.

(1)  OJ L 186, 30.6.1989.
(2)  OJ L 290, 24.11.1993.

(98/C 196/84)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4022/97

by Panayotis Lambrias (PPE) to the Commission

(14 January 1998)

Subject: Combating the narcotic substance Ecstasy

At the recent European Parliament conference of 27 and 28 November 1997 on synthetic narcotic substances,
papers were given and research presented highlighting the grave danger to our young people from the use of the
substance (cid:145)Ecstasy(cid:146). This substance, as well as other synthetic narcotic substances, is being produced in large
quantities in factories within the European Union, is sold very cheaply and is accessible to very young people,
while its use has a devastating effect on the physical and mental health and development of young people.

Will the Commission say what measures it intends to take to stop the operation of illegal Ecstasy factories in the
European Union and to promote widespread information campaigns warning young people against the dangers
of using this substance?