WRITTEN QUESTION No. 447/99 by José VALVERDE LÓPEZ The Environment Institute (Ispra) food analysis unit
Date: 1999-03-04
Institutions: European Parliament, VALVERDE LOPEZ
Subjects: European Environment Agency, Italy, chemical product, food additive, food inspection, foodstuff, genetically modified organism, prepared foodstuff, product safety, research body

C 370/42

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.12.1999

The Commission has examined the legislation transposing the Directive in Greece and Italy and has not
discovered any irregularities, at least as regards the problems referred to by the Honourable Member.
Furthermore, Article 56 of Directive 92/49/EEC requires Member States to ensure that decisions taken in
respect of an insurance company under laws, regulations and administrative provisions adopted in
accordance with that Directive may be subject to the right to apply to the courts.

In the event, the company concerned has doubts as to the conformity of the procedure that has been
followed, particularly by the Italian authorities,
its
authorisation. Any matter relating to this case would have to be the subject of an appeal before the
relevant Greek and Italian administrative or judicial authorities and on the basis of Greek and Italian law.

in its case but also as regards withdrawal of

(1999/C 370/053)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0426/99

by Mary Banotti (PPE) to the Commission

(1 March 1999)

Subject: Charter flights

Following its answer to Written Question E-3115/98 (1), would the Commission consider extending
Council Directive 90/314/EEC (2) so that it protects passengers on package holidays against long delays
to charter flights?

Will the Commission comment on what redress consumers have against these long delays?

(1) OJ C 142, 21.5.1999, p. 86.
(2) OJ L 158, 23.6.1990, p. 59.

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(4 May 1999)

Even though delays are not expressly covered by Council Directive 90/314/EEC of 13 June 1990 on
package travel, package holidays and package tours, in principle the tour organiser’s liability to compensate
package tour consumers for differences between service offered and service supplied also covers delays. No
further action is therefore foreseen on this matter at the present time.

When there is a basis for redress, the actual amount paid will depend upon the circumstances of the
specific situation, and the Commission is therefore not in a position to answer more precisely on that
aspect of the question.

Moreover, the Warsaw Convention also regulates air carrier liability in cases of delay, in particular by
stating that ‘the carrier shall be liable for damage occasioned by delay in the transportation by air of
passengers, baggage or goods’ (article 19).

(1999/C 370/054)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0447/99

by José Valverde López (PPE) to the Commission

Subject: The Environment Institute (Ispra) food analysis unit

(4 March 1999)

The Ispra-based European Environment Institute has a food analysis unit which checks the quality of
ingredients, additives and chemical products in general which are used in preparing food.

Will the Commission provide me with details of this unit’s work in 1998?