WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1419/98 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Commission. Inspections and checks relating to Directives 93/43/EEC and 96/3/EEC
Date: 1998-05-11
Institutions: European Parliament, MUSCARDINI
Subjects: European standard, Italy, food hygiene, food inspection, foodstuff, foodstuffs legislation, health control, human nutrition, product safety













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91998E1419

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1419/98 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Commission. Inspections and checks relating to Directives 93/43/EEC and 96/3/EEC  


Official Journal C 386 , 11/12/1998 P. 0125 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1419/98by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission(11 May 1998)Subject: Inspections and checks relating to Directives 93/43/EEC and 96/3/EECThe Italian legislative provisions laid down in DL155 of 26.5.1997, implementing Directives 93/43/EEC(1) and 96/3/EEC(2), require companies, particularly farms and farm-based tourism companies, to comply with onerous regulations. These measures relating to the hygiene of foodstuffs and to the "healthiness" of agricultural products for human consumption, together with provisions on safety at work and environmental protection, form a sizeable and onerous set of regulations for companies. Producers in many regions have been inundated with inspections carried out by the excessively large number of monitoring organizations, whose responsibilities overlap owing to a lack of coordination (NAS and NOE (police units responsible for combating food contamination and pollution), USL (local health units), municipal police, customs/tax evasion officers, provincial police, regional inspectors, etc.). These inspections are often oppressively frequent and repetitive, with inspectors from the various investigating authorities who visit the same companies sometimes differing in their conclusions, judgments or viewpoints on the same subject. Nevertheless, the checks usually end in fines, financial penalties or even criminal charges for "crimes" (or alleged crimes), which are totally inappropriate, given the requirements and peculiarities of production conditions and of the social context in question.1. Does the Commission not think that a system of prevention based on providing information could help avoid the detrimental effects described?2. Does the Commission not think that these checks are very damaging, since in addition to the considerable expenditure firms have to sustain to comply with legislation, the delicate financial health of small companies is harmed, although they typically have limited resources and have to fight for their economic survival?3. Does the Commission not think that training programmes aimed at raising cultural awareness, in order to remedy the lack of training among the staff of inspecting organizations, could avoid damage to the production system?Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission(12 June 1998)In May 1995 the Commission transmitted to the competent authorities its report on the evaluation of the systems for the official control of food in Italy pursuant to Directive 93/99/EEC on the subject of additional measures concerning the official control of foodstuffs(3). On this occasion the Commission said it would welcome greater coordination between the various departments responsible for control and inspection. However, it should be noted that the organisation of control services is a matter for the Member States. At any rate the Commission considers that when infringements are ascertained, measures must be taken to protect consumers and, more generally, to ensure compliance with the legislation.(1) OJ L 175, 19.7.93, p. 1.(2) OJ L 21, 27.1.96, p. 42.(3) OJ L 290, 24.11.1993.