WRITTEN QUESTION E-2380/00 by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Commission. Measures for monitoring the quality of Ecstasy.
Date: 2000-07-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European social policy, competence of the Member States, drug addiction

C 89 E/192

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.3.2001

The centre welcomed this proposal as it felt it could successfully compete for grant monies. With the
collapse of the previous Commission and the subsequent reshuffling however, the centre is now in a
position where it has not yet been notified of final policy decisions relating to this decision. If nothing is
done, the centre will be in a position from December onwards of losing its grant while not yet having had
the opportunity to bid for contracts to supply the funds which will be lost. The prospect of losing 25 % of
its income without chance to win a tender in its place, makes project proposals, budgeting and manage-
ment impossible.

Can the Commission indicate which budget lines and project tenders will be open to replace this line of
funding for the European Journalism Centre?

Can the Commission state at which point these budget lines will be announced and what timeframe will be
indicated for application and grant decisions?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(26 September 2000)

Since its foundation in 1994, the European Journalism Centre in Maastricht has developed very important
training activities for journalists from all Member States and the applicant countries in Central and Eastern
Europe. The Commission is aware of the importance of these activities and has supported the Centre since
the very beginning.

As far as the funding in the past is concerned, the Honourable Member is mistaken on two points.

The Commission gave an annual subvention of € 500 000 during the years 1992 to 1998, then € 450 000
in 1999. For this year, the overall amount would be again around € 450 000.

Secondly, the Commission notified the board of the European Journalism Centre already in November
1998 that the general subvention would come to an end in the year 2000. This decision was commu-
nicated at an early stage in order to allow for a reasonable period of adaptation and for exploring new
initiatives and possibilities for the Centre.

The European Journalism Centre can apply to all calls for proposals launched by the Commission, such as
the call for the submission of projects organised by European associations and federations (budget line
A-3024), and the call for proposals: support for information campaigns organised by non-governmental
organisations (budget line B3-300). Information about general conditions and time-schedules can be found
in the Official journal and on the Europa server.

(2001/C 89 E/215)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2380/00

by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Commission

(13 July 2000)

Subject: Measures for monitoring the quality of Ecstasy

French Minister Jack Lang has proposed setting up, during events and gatherings for young people at
which it is probable that Ecstasy-taking will be widespread, an aid service which would be able, through
tests, to check the (cid:145)safety(cid:146) of the pills distributed, in order to identify pills (cid:145)cut(cid:146) with highly toxic substances
and avoid exposing those who use Ecstasy on such occasions to fatal risks.

As a matter of principle, how does the Commission view this proposal? What consumer protection
measures does the Commission consider could be taken, in view of the principle of the consumer(cid:146)s right to
the
accurate information? Does the Commission not believe that
consumption of certain substances that, by driving their production and marketing underground,
encourages products to appear on the market which are utterly devoid of quality standards of any sort?
Does the Commission not believe that failing to apply the most basic quality criteria to a whole class of
substances is difficult to reconcile with the responsibility that the Community sets out, in Article 153,
regarding consumer health protection?

is the very criminalisation of

it

20.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 89 E/193

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(26 September 2000)

First, it should be stressed that (cid:145)safety tests(cid:146) as mentioned of (cid:145)ecstasy(cid:146) as well as similar illegal drugs fall
within the competence of
involved in the
implementation of such measures. The reference to Article 153 (ex Article 129a) of the EC Treaty is not
applicable here since this article is not intended to cover illegal substances.

the Member States, and that

the Commission is not

The Community action plan on drugs (2000-2004) (1) encourages the Member States and the Commission
to develop innovative approaches to the prevention of the abuse of synthetic drugs, taking into account
the specificities of synthetic drug users. On-site testing of (cid:145)ecstasy(cid:146) may form a part of this preventive
approach provided that it is allowed by the legislation of the Member States.

According to the draft 2000 annual report on the state of the drugs problem in the Community produced
by the European monitoring centre for drugs and drug addiction (EMCDDA), on-the-spot pill testing has
been implemented in different forms in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Austria. In some Member
States pill testing operates in a legal (cid:145)grey area(cid:146), since collecting, analysing and storing illegal drugs, even
for test purposes, is a violation of the law. On the other hand, a Berlin court ruled that the handling of
narcotics during a drug test was not punishable, and in Austria pill testing is being performed under a
research project.
In the Netherlands, criteria for good testing practice have been developed, clearly
distinguishing the monitoring from the harm-reduction function.

The EMCDDA has commissioned a study on on-site pill-testing interventions in the Community. This
research will draw up an inventory of existing on-site pill-testing programmes and examine their
objectives,
the projects is to assess how
prevention and harm-reduction measures can be tied in with pill-testing work. The results of the study
are expected this autumn.

target groups, methods and pitfalls. The ultimate goal of

(1) COM(1999) 239 final.

(2001/C 89 E/216)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2389/00

by Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(7 July 2000)

Subject: Commencement of work on a sewage treatment plant in Ulea (Murcia, Spain)

The latest developments in Ulea are evidence of the worrying situation there, with the regional government
and town council determined to press ahead with the construction of a sewage treatment plant with
European funding despite opposition from local citizens and the unfavourable views expressed by the
Commission, which suspects possible irregularities and has given leave for a complaint to be filed against
the installation.

Given that this plant contravenes European environmental rules and directives, does the Commission not
see the urgent need for decisions and specific measures vis-(cid:224)-vis the Spanish authorities, in order to put to
an end to the uncertainty surrounding the application of the rules in question?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(7 September 2000)

The Commission was not aware of the situation described by the Honourable Member.

It has yet to receive any complaint that Community directives have not been complied with in respect of
the project the Honourable Member is referring to.