WRITTEN QUESTION E-0783/00 by Encarnación Redondo Jiménez (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Checks on the use of vegetable fats.
Date: 2000-03-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU control, competence of the Member States, confectionery product, food inspection, vegetable fats

13.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 46 E/41

The Commission is also currently appraising, together with the government of Mozambique and the World
Bank, the need for additional budget support for 2000 and 2001. Proposals intended to help the country
to maintain macro-economic stability will be shortly presented to the Commission. Additional resources of
up to € 15 million could be made available in this regard.

Notwithstanding the above, the Commission is pressing forward with its normal development programme
in Mozambique, from which no funds have been diverted. On the contrary, disbursements will be stepped
up, reaching an estimated € 150 million in 2000 as compared to € 100 million in 1999.

The Commission(cid:146)s intervention in the relief and resettlement phase is expected to continue for at least six
months. The Commission is now in the process of identifying its intervention strategy for the reconstruc-
tion phase, will be designed to link in with and take over from the relief operations in order to ensure
uninterrupted assistance.

(2001/C 46 E/046)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0774/00

by Jens-Peter Bonde (EDD) to the Council

(15 March 2000)

Subject: Funding of the meeting of Ministers of Defence

Was any of the cost of the unofficial meeting of Ministers of Defence in Portugal on 28 February 2000
met from the EU budget? If so, please give details.

Reply

(10 July 2000)

The informal meeting of Defence Ministers in Portugal on 28 February 2000 did not place any burden on
the EU budget. Apart from the mission expenses of a small number of officials, ordinary administrative
costs were borne by the Presidency.

(2001/C 46 E/047)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0783/00

by Encarnaci(cid:243)n Redondo JimØnez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Checks on the use of vegetable fats

(16 March 2000)

How will the Commission monitor the use of vegetable fats in the manufacture of chocolate if the
European Parliament and Council Directive relating to cocoa and chocolate products intended for human
consumption (COM(97) 682) (1) is adopted?

(1) OJ C 118, 17.4.1998, p. 10.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(27 April 2000)

First of all, the Commission would like to point out that monitoring the content of foodstuffs is a
responsibility of the Member States. Where the specific technical requirements of Community legislation

C 46 E/42

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.2.2001

are concerned (notably for verification of maximum constituent levels and presence of other elements)
Member States use analytical methods as part of their controls. Council Directive 89/397/EEC of 14 June
1989 on the official control of foodstuffs (1) confirms such analytical work as incumbent on the national
authorities.

Their work of checking that products meet
the specified requirements is of wide scope (technical
installations, stock records, analyses etc.). A particular analysis method cannot be considered as in itself
the sole means of irrefutably concluding that a product does or does not meet the legally binding
requirements.

Nonetheless, given the political sensitivities over chocolate and the desirability of a single European
analysis method, the Commission asked the Joint Research Centre (Ispra) to find one. Having assessed all
the possible methods with the Member States(cid:146) laboratories, the JRC has formulated a method applicable to
ordinary chocolate that it considers very satisfactory. This is based on determination of the triglyceride
profile, which turned out to be the most suitable (EUR Report 18992 EN (2)). There are of course for all
analysis methods criteria of reproducibility and repeatability but these do not call the method into question
in any fundamental way. To facilitate analysis, the JRC is preparing reference material that can be used as
technique (high-
an internal standard for the analysis and will permit calibration of
temperature gas chromatography).

the analytical

Moreover, as stated in the communication to Parliament on 18 November 1999 (3) on the Council
common position on chocolate products, the Commission will include, in the next coordinated Commun-
ity foodstuff control programme, arrangements for checking conformity for these fats with the require-
ments of the new Directive due to be adopted shortly by the Council following Parliament(cid:146)s recent second-
reading opinion. Such arrangements may cover both analysis methods and the other types of check
provided for in Directive 89/397/EEC.

(1) OJ L 186, 30.6.1989.
(2) Report (including description of method) available from JRC (E. Anklam, Institute for Health and Consumer

Protection, I-21020 Ispra).

(3) SEC(1999) 1912 final.

(2001/C 46 E/048)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0784/00

by Rosa MiguØlez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(16 March 2000)

Subject: Compliance with environmental priorities and Sogama plan

The treatment of waste in densely populated regions such as Galicia must comply with strict safety rules,
since otherwise dangers could arise for the population through the pollution of the air, water and soil.

The Galician government(cid:146)s Sogama plan for the treatment of solid urban waste has attracted criticism on
the grounds that it is not geared to the five key objectives of Community environmental policy as regards
urban waste: preventing the production of waste, reusing it as raw material,
improving its disposal,
strengthening rules governing the transport of waste and cleaning up polluted ground.

On the basis of what technical conditions was the subsidy granted for the Sogama plan?

Should that plan be revised to bring it more closely into line with environmental requirements, would the
Commission be in a position to re-examine the funding of the improved plan?