WRITTEN QUESTION E-1614/99 by Marianne Thyssen (PPE-DE) to the Commission. European standard for PCBs.
Date: 1999-09-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Belgium, EU market, European standard, animal nutrition, beef, consumer protection, export, food contamination, food standard, health control, health risk, meat product, pigmeat, poultrymeat, restriction on competition, toxic substance

C 225 E/4

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.8.2000

Can the Commission answer the following questions:

1. Are there still technical barriers to the free movement of articles of precious metals within the Union?

2.

If so, what is preventing the removal of such obstacles and the attainment of one of primary
objectives of the Treaties?

3. Are there any objective responsibilities or specific desiderata that are delaying harmonization in this

sphere?

4.

If the obstacles have not been removed, what steps will the Commission take to prevent firms that are
in favour of harmonization from being penalized by the lack of free movement for articles of precious
metals?

(1) OJ C 318, 25.11.1993, p. 5.

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(19 October 1999)

As stated by the Commission in its answers to written questions E-3158/98 by Mr Ferrer (1) and E-3431/98
by Mr Valdivieso de CuØ (2), several activities have already been launched in order to ensure compliance
with the principle of the free movement of jewellery.

Firstly, as stressed by the Honourable Member there is a proposal for a Council and Parliament directive (3)
that is intended, in particular, to harmonise the national laws on pieces of precious metal work in order to
guarantee their free movement. The proposal is intended to harmonise degrees of fineness, hallmarks and
responsibility marks, together with the certification systems (quality assurance, the EC declaration of
conformity and checking by third parties).

Under the procedure provided for in Article 251 (former Article 189b) of the EC Treaty, that proposal has
already been examined by Parliament on first reading. Conversely, the Council has still not been able to
adopt a common position because of the differences of opinion among the Member States with regard to
the intended certification procedures.

The version currently under discussion within the Council provides for a compromise solution whereby
equivalence would be established between only two of the three certification systems, namely between
third-party checking and quality assurance, the EC declaration of conformity system being retained on an
optional basis.

Secondly, while awaiting harmonisation at Community level, the Commission has brought infringement
actions against most of the Member States in order to bring the national regulations into line with the
judgment (4). The infringement procedures have
conclusions of the Court of Justice in its (cid:145)Houtwipper(cid:146)
caused the laws concerned to be amended in most of the Member States.

(1) OJ C 207, 21.7.1999, p. 33.
(2) OJ C 207, 21.7.1999, p. 69.
(3) OJ C 318, 25.11.1993, amended version OJ C 209, 29.7.1994.
(4) Case 293/93, 15.9.1994.

(2000/C 225 E/005)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1614/99

by Marianne Thyssen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 September 1999)

Subject: European standard for PCBs

In response to the dioxin crisis, the Belgian government has laid down a standard for testing certain
poultry, pigmeat and beef products for human consumption or for use as feed that are intended for export.
The standard has been fixed at 200ng/g of fat. The European Standing Veterinary Committee has approved
that standard.

8.8.2000

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 225 E/5

No Community reference standards for PCBs have been laid down at European level. In terms of the
internal market, the fact that certain Belgian products intended for export are required to comply with this
stringent standard consequently can be considered as tending to distort competition.

Does the Commission not consider that in the interests of optimum protection of public health and in a
concern for fair conditions of competition on the internal market, it would be appropriate to lay down
PCB reference standards at Community level? Will it submit proposals for the necessary legislation?

Reply given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(9 November 1999)

The contamination of foodstuffs notified by Belgium to the Commission and the other Member States on
27 May 1999 concerned abnormal dioxin levels in recycled fatty matter accidentally fed to certain poultry,
pigs and bovines.

The level of 200 nanogrammes (ng) of polychlorobiphenyls per gram (PCB/g) of fat in the meat and
derived products corresponds to the particular case of contamination from fats supplied by the Verkest/
Fogra firms.
In this case, seven identified PCB congeners make it possible to define the products
contaminated as a result of this incident. The standard of 200 ng/g fat was adopted at Community level
in the decisions on the Belgian crisis in order to certify, on the basis of analyses, Belgian meat intended for
exportation or for intra-Community trade. The Scientific Committee on Food held that the values selected
were appropriate for managing this crisis.

The latest Commission decision, namely Decision 1999/640/EC of 23 September 1999 on protective
measures with regard to contamination by dioxins of certain products of porcine and poultry origin
intended for human consumption (1),
lifts all the restrictions on bovine meat and derived products of
Belgian origin. The standard of 200 ng/g fat prescribed for bovine meat is thus no longer pertinent and
has not been included in the annexes to the new Decision.

The adoption of PCB limits in food and feedingstuffs is closely linked to the adoption of dioxin limits for
these products. As regards the adoption of limit values for dioxins in food, the Commission in June 1998
launched an in-depth study of food contamination levels ascertained in several Member States. This study
belongs in the framework of the scientific cooperation programme between the Member States (SCOOP).
The preliminary results of this study, which should be available very shortly, should cast light on the
public health risk and will be one of the factors in the ongoing deliberations with a view to laying down
Community limits at a later stage.

Finally, in view of the current state of Community law, and quite apart from the values laid down in the
Commission(cid:146)s decisions specifically concerning the Belgian dioxin crisis, a maximum level of dioxins for
citrus pulp is specified in Annex I, under B, point 21, of Council Directive 1999/29/EC of 22 April 1999
on undesirable substances and products in animal nutrition (2). Besides, a proposal laying down dioxin limit
values in raw materials and final products intended for animal nutrition is currently being discussed. Any
examination of the advisability of prescribing such levels for food should take account of all the available
scientific, technical and economic data and their implications for consumer protection.

(1) OJ L 253, 28.9.1999.
(2) OJ L 115, 4.5.1999.

(2000/C 225 E/006)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1647/99

by John Bowis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 September 1999)

Subject: Airport damage to special protection area

Is the Commission aware that the proposal to extend the runway area at the City of Derry airport into
Lough Foyle, with the European Union providing 75 % of the funding, will damage a special protection