WRITTEN QUESTION No. 198/98 by Kirsten JENSEN to the Commission. Cosmetics
Date: 1998-02-11
Institutions: European Parliament, JENSEN KIRSTEN
Subjects: EC Directive, allergy, analytical chemistry, chemical product, cosmetic product, scientific committee (EU), toxic substance

C 223/136

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

17. 7. 98

Thus the Protocol to the Strasbourg Convention has, for example, made the agreements between Italy and France
and Italy and the Netherlands, which allow dual citizenship, operational.

In order to remove the obstacles to freedom of movement and ensure the free movement of citizens, can the
Commission  introduce  the  appropriate  measures  to  extend  the  Strasbourg  Protocol  to  cover  the  European
countries in which there are large numbers of Italians?

Can it also, in view of the sizeable Italian community in Belgium, extend the Strasbourg Protocol, as a matter of
urgency,  to  relations  between  Belgium  and  Italy,  so  as  to  allow  the  Italians  living  in  Belgium  who  want  to
complete  the  formalities  for  reacquisition  of  their  original  citizenship,  to  do  so,  whilst  keeping  the  Belgian
citizenship which they acquired by means of voluntary naturalization?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(6 April 1998)

As stipulated in Article 8 of the EC Treaty, every person holding the nationality of a Member State is a citizen of
the Union.

In accordance with Declaration No 2 on nationality of a Member State, annexed to the Final Act of the Treaty on
European  Union,  wherever  in  the  Treaty  reference  is  made  to  nationals  of  the  Member  States,  the  question
whether  an  individual  possesses  the  nationality  of  a  Member  State  is  to  be  settled  solely  by  reference  to  the
national law of the Member State concerned.

Consequently, it is the Member State concerned which is competent to define the conditions for acquiring and
giving up its nationality. The Member States are also competent to conclude bilateral or multilateral agreements
on the conditions for acquiring and giving up nationality. The Commission is therefore not entitled to intervene
in the way the Honourable Member would like.

(98/C 223/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0198/98

by Kirsten Jensen (PSE) to the Commission

(11 February 1998)

Subject: Cosmetics

In view of the increasing number of persons with allergies in Europe, will the Commission revise the Cosmetics
Directive (76/768/EEC) (1) and include a full declaration of the composition of perfumes?

Alternatively, will the Commission propose that an indication of the ten most allergenic substances in perfumes
be required?

(1)  OJ L 262, 27.9.1976, p. 169.

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(23 March 1998)

The Scientific Committee for Cosmetics and Non-Food Products has set up a Working Party on Perfumes and
Preservatives to examine the entire question of the risks of allergies which may be due to perfumes in cosmetics.

As soon as the Scientific Committee has concluded its work on this subject, the Commission will consider the
general or specific conclusions to be drawn with regard to those perfumes for which the Committee believes that
an  indication  or  a  precaution  to  users  should  appear  on  products  containing  them.  Such  indications  and
precautions for users are already provided for a series of substances llisted in Annex III to Council Directive
76/768/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States on cosmetic products.