WRITTEN QUESTION E-1403/99 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. Labelling of food.
Date: 1999-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: United Kingdom, agricultural product, financing method, foodstuff, labelling, originating product, preparation for market

20.6.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 170 E/5

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(11 October 1999)

The right of firms within the Community to choose a geographical location appropriate to their
1.
particular needs is assured by the right of establishment enshrined in the EC Treaty. Any decision to
relocate an existing establishment is a complex matter affected by many factors such as companies(cid:146) wider
strategies to restructure, specialise or concentrate their operations in the interest of improving efficiency.

The Community has, however, a particular interest where a firm undertaking a relocation has been
supported by public funds either in its present or future location. In examining individual cases, the
Commission will have to take into account all the circumstances, bearing in mind that among the options
open to the firm are those of relocating outside the Community, or complete closure.

2.
The success of the single market depends to an important degree on Community competition rules,
in particular, the rules on state aid which seek to prevent distortions and to underpin fair competition. The
Commission has included specific provisions in the recently adopted rules in the fields of both state aid
and of the structural funds, to address possible problems linked to relocation. In particular, the Commis-
sion(cid:146)s state aid guidelines reduce permitted intensities for investments in officially notified assisted regions.
The new levels seek to allow less favoured regions the possibilities to attract mobile new investment
through inducements, while at the same time the reductions can be expected to reduce the risk of regions
engaging in competitive bidding. Furthermore, both the guidelines and the structural funds regulation
(Council Regulation (EC) 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the structural
funds (1)) introduce the condition that the supported investment should remain in place for a minimum of
five years.

Finally, the Commission pays particular attention to major projects as it has to confirm or modify the
support by the structural funds for such projects (investment level of more than € 50 million) on an
individual basis. Part of its analysis consists in analyzing the employment effects of such projects on a
Community level.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2000/C 170 E/006)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1403/99

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Labelling of food

Can the Commission clarify the logic which allows food produced in country A but packed in

1.
country B to be labelled as being of origin from country B?

Can the Commission indicate the schemes for the funding of agricultural products in which the UK

2.
does not participate?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(14 October 1999)

The provisions relating to the labelling of foodstuffs, as enacted by Directive 79/0112/EEC of 18 December
1978 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and
advertising of foodstuffs (1) as last amended by Directive 97/0004/EC (2), do not allow for the possibility
suggested by the first question of the Honourable Member.

The Commission would be grateful if the Honourable Member would provide more specific information
on the case to which he refers.

C 170 E/6

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2000

With regard to the second question posed by the Honourable Member concerning the Guarantee Section
(Markets) of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), these measures generally
give beneficiaries the right, in certain conditions, to receive the sums indicated in the regulations governing
the common agricultural policy (CAP). These regulations are applicable in each Member State and each
Member State is obliged to apply them. On the other hand, for certain specific schemes financed by the
EAGGF-Guarantee, application is optional. For example, the United Kingdom does not grant aid for the
consumption of butter to persons receiving social assistance (Council Regulation (EEC) 2990/82 of
9 November 1982 on the sale of butter at reduced prices to persons receiving social assistance (3)), a
scheme only applied in Ireland. Furthermore, since 1999, the United Kingdom does not distribute
agricultural products to underprivileged persons in the Community (Council Regulation (EEC) 3730/87 of
10 December 1987 laying down the general rules for the supply of food from intervention stocks to
designated organisations for distribution to the most deprived persons in the Community (4)).

A list of agricultural mechanisms for which the United Kingdom did not declare expenses in the course of
the 1998 financial year is being sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the General Secretariat of
the Parliament.

(1) OJ L 33, 8.2.1979.
(2) OJ L 43, 14.2.1997.
(3) OJ L 314, 10.11.1982.
(4) OJ L 352, 15.12.1987.

(2000/C 170 E/007)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1413/99

by Heidi Hautala (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Veterinary treatment of horses

There is increasing concern amongst veterinarians and horse owners at the loss of a number of important
medicines used for the treatment of horses, thereby compromising both the health and welfare of these
animals. The reason is the obligation on pharmaceutical companies to establish, at great cost, maximum
residue limits (MRLs) for all drugs used to treat food-producing animals.

The cost is not justified for products used for (cid:145)minor(cid:146) species for which there is little commercial return.
The EU classifies the horse as a food-producing animal, even though less than 15 % enter the human food
chain. One possible solution is to reclassify the horse as a companion animal. Will the Commission
confirm that such a move is being considered and, also, that other solutions are being discussed?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(15 November 1999)

The availability of medicinal products for food producing animals is a complex problem. The problem has
an animal welfare aspect since necessary treatments cannot be applied due to a prohibition on the use of
certain drugs, and also a consumer health protection aspect. It reflects a conflict between the agricultural
needs, the required investments of the pharmaceutical industry and the public perception of the problem
as a whole. The problem also has an important international aspect, as a significant proportion of the
horsemeat consumed in the Community is of foreign origin.

In accordance with the EC Treaty, equidae (donkeys, horses and their crossbreeds) are agricultural animals.
Council Directive 64/0433/EEC of 26 June 1964 on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in
fresh meat (1) applies to horsemeat. Reclassification of equidae as companion animals would deprive a
substantial number of citizens of their traditional food.