WRITTEN QUESTION P-1623/00 by Roberto Bigliardo (TDI) to the Commission. Workforce of Tonno Nostromo in Vibo Valentia.
Date: 2000-05-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Calabria, EU industrial policy, Italy, competence of the Member States, food industry, industrial conversion, sea fish

C 46 E/208

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.2.2001

is the Commission(cid:146)s position on the erroneous classification of medical products? Does the
What
Commission consider that erroneous classification of medical products causes distortion of competition?
Should identical products not be placed in the same class? Which consideration weighed more heavily in
the balance (cid:129) the free movement of goods or patient safety? Does the Commission believe that the
wrongly classified product should be withdrawn from the market until
it has undergone a correct
authorisation procedure?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(16 June 2000)

Council Directive 93/42/EEC of 14 June 1993 concerning medical devices (1) provides criteria for the
classification of medical devices, which have been developed so as to ensure a high level of health
protection. However, difficulties of
the
importance of a correct classification of devices to ensure safety, loyal competition and free movement of
goods. Various mechanisms exist to solve problems of classification.

interpretation do arise. The Commission is fully aware of

In case of a dispute between the manufacturer and the notified body, the matter will be referred to the
national authority. In addition, guidelines for classification have been agreed between the Commission,
Member States(cid:146) authorities, notified bodies, the industry and other interested parties. These are updated
whenever necessary. Notified bodies meet on a regular basis and discuss questions of classification.
Furthermore, the Commission organises on a regular basis classification meetings with all
interested
parties, where common approaches on specific devices are consensually defined. As regards devices that
nevertheless have been wrongly classified, the Directive foresees that Member States will oblige the
manufacturer (or his representative) to correct the classification (including conformity assessment proce-
dures and labelling) or, otherwise, to restrict, prohibit the device and to withdraw it from the market.

With reference to the particular case raised by the Honourable Member, a manufacturer who considers
that he suffers from a erroneous classification, should address a request for intervention to the national
authority.

(1) OJ L 169, 12.7.1993.

(2001/C 46 E/250)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1623/00

by Roberto Bigliardo (TDI) to the Commission

(16 May 2000)

Subject: Workforce of Tonno Nostromo in Vibo Valentia

Is the Commission aware of the threat to jobs at the Porto Salvo factory of Tonno Nostromo (Calvo
Group), a company which for years has been involved in, and has accounted for, a substantial market
share in a region with very high unemployment, and which is now claiming that the returns on processing
the same product are higher in Spain than in Italy.

In particular, Tonno Nostromo(cid:146)s workers have drawn up a conversion plan for setting up a tuna canning
centre in Calabria, while the trade unions have stated that they are willing to discuss the flexibility and
equipment needed to organise such work more efficiently.

Will the Commission state whether it is considering intervening to help speed up this industrial conversion
process?

13.2.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 46 E/209

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 2000)

The Commission is not empowered to intervene directly in industrial restructuring plans such as those
referred to by the Honourable Member.

The Commission would recall that Council Directive 98/59/EC of 20 July 1998 on the approximation of
the laws of the Member States relating to collective redundancies (1) and the national provisions transpos-
ing it into Italian law may be applicable to the case in question.

Besides,
in accordance with Article 16(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 of
17 December 1999 laying down the detailed rules and arrangements regarding Community structural
assistance in the fisheries sector (2), Member States may grant compensation, part-funded by the Financial
Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG), to the fish processing industry for temporary cessation of their
activity. It is for the authority responsible for managing the structural programme concerned to decide
whether or not to grant the compensation in question, in compliance with the abovementioned rules.

(1) OJ L 225, 12.8.1998.
(2) OJ L 337, 30.12.1999.

(2001/C 46 E/251)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1663/00

by Jas Gawronski (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Information campaign on enlargement of the Union

(18 May 2000)

Many official statements by Members of the Commission indicate that one of the most serious threats to
enlargement of the Union comes from public opinion in the Member States and candidate countries
concerning this change.

If the fear of enlargement is so great, why has the Commission decided to allocate only € 150 million to
an information campaign for 28 countries over seven years (€ 765 306 a year per country)?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(9 June 2000)

The Commission is aware that information is crucial to the success of the enlargement process. However,
it has no desire to usurp the role of the Member States and candidate countries in informing domestic
public opinion. The Commission intends to act as a complementary catalyst, creating synergies on the
ground. The Commission(cid:146)s strategy is to supply information to target groups which can have a multiplier
effect.

The total amount provided for, to which the honourable member refers,
Commission considers sufficient at
campaigns, previous and current, such as the campaign in favour of the Euro.

this stage. The amount

is an estimate, which the
is comparable to that spent on similar

Moreover, because these are decentralised campaigns in the candidate countries, the financial resources
take into account the availability of appropriations allocated by the budgetary authority in the (cid:145)Expenditure
on administrative management(cid:146) part of the relevant budget lines. For expenditure in the Member States and
in Brussels, the appropriations available are limited by allocations to specific budget lines, such as the line
for the Prince public information programme, approved by the budgetary authority.