WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1199/98 by José VALVERDE LÓPEZ to the Commission. Vitamin consumption in the European Union
Date: 1998-04-24
Institutions: European Parliament, VALVERDE LOPEZ
Subjects: EU statistics, consumption, report, vitamin

22.12.98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 402/91

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission

(2 June 1998)

The projects carried out in 1995 were of a purely national nature, with only one party involved. In contrast, for
1996 and 1997, the projects were selected according to the eligibility criteria set out in the applicants(cid:146) guide,
requiring the participation of at least three countries and two establishments per country in every project.
The projects accepted, although fewer in number, thus provide better quality through having a greater number of
partners, thereby enhancing cooperation and creating genuine European networks.

The Commission wishes to draw attention to Article 5 (implementation and selection procedure) of Parliament
and Council Decision No 819/95/EC of 14 March 1995 establishing the Community action programme
(cid:145)Socrates(cid:146) (1), which stipulates that (cid:145)the Member States shall take the necessary steps to coordinate and organise
the implementation of this programme at national level, in particular by providing for the appropriate structures
and mechanisms at national level(cid:146), and that (cid:145)requests for financial assistance for projects in actions considered to
be centralised in Chapter II (Action 2 ...) shall be submitted by the project coordinators to the structures
designated by the Member States. Those structures shall forward the approved requests to the Commission for a
final decision, ...(cid:146).

At the meeting of the national agencies for Comenius actions 2 and 3, held in Brussels on 5 and 6 November 1997,
the Commission drew the agencies(cid:146) attention to the fact that few projects involving the children of gypsy people
had been presented by the national agencies in 1997; the Commission stressed that, particularly in view of the
opening up of the programme to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CCEE), whose gypsy population is
estimated at close to six million, these children should not be marginalised and that, having regard to the size of
the gypsy population in those countries, it will be possible to establish a greater number of partnerships with the
aim of boosting the education of gypsy children.

(1) OJ L 87, 20.4.1995.

(98/C 402/117)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1199/98

by JosØ Valverde L(cid:243)pez (PPE) to the Commission

(24 April 1998)

Subject: Vitamin consumption in the European Union

It appears that the Commission is preparing a legislative initiative concerning harmonization of the legal status of
vitamins.

It would be useful if information could be provided regarding total vitamin consumption within the EU (per
inhabitant and per year). Has the Commission any reports indicating a vitamin deficiency within the population or
any health problem relating to vitamin consumption within the EU?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(19 May 1998)

Sources of consumed vitamins are foods naturally containing vitamins, foods to which vitamins have been added
and vitamin supplements. The Commission does not have precise information on total per capita yearly
consumption of vitamins in the Community and doubts that such information exists.

National surveys on nutrient intakes provide data on intakes of vitamins. On the basis of these surveys and using
national criteria, which often differ from one Member State to the other, indications as to adequacy or deficiency
of vitamin intakes in the population have been obtained.

Such information is included in a report produced by a working group in the framework of scientific cooperation
on questions relating to food between the Commission and the Member States. A copy of this report is forwarded
directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.