WRITTEN QUESTION E-2622/00 by Ulpu Iivari (PSE) to the Commission. Monitoring of the distribution of EU food aid.
Date: 2000-08-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, Finland, exchange of information, food aid, food hygiene, foodstuffs legislation, intervention agency, product quality

C 113 E/136

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

What initiatives can the Commission take to guarantee that the management of waste in the municipality
of Baæeza does not endanger public health or the environment and to ensure that relevant Community
legislation is complied with, particularly the provisions laid down in Articles 4 and 9 of Directive 75/442/
EEC (1) on waste, as amended by Directive 91/156/EEC (2)?

(1) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 39.
(2) OJ L 78, 26.3.1991, p. 32.

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

(3 October 2000)

The Commission had not been aware of the situation referred to by the Honourable Member.

Council Directive 75/442/EEC, as amended by Directive 91/156/EEC of 18 March 1991 on waste provides
that Member States shall take any action needed in order to ensure that waste is either disposed of or
recovered without posing a threat to human health and without using methods that are likely to have an
adverse effect on the environment. In order to implement that provision any establishment or undertaking
involved in waste disposal operations must obtain a permit from the authority responsible for implement-
ing the Directive.

As the guardian of the Treaty the Commission will take any action needed in order to ensure compliance
with Community law in this particular instance.

(2001/C 113 E/140)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2622/00

by Ulpu Iivari (PSE) to the Commission

(1 August 2000)

Subject: Monitoring of the distribution of EU food aid

It has been reported in Finland that, together with EU food aid, foodstuffs from other sources whose use-
by dates were past and which were therefore unsuitable for consumption have been distributed. This has
given the impression that the EU distributes to its less affluent citizens foodstuffs which are perished.

Do the rules and instructions concerning the distribution of food aid forbid distributors of EU aid to

1.
distribute food from other sources which has passed its use-by date?

2.

If not, how will the Commission secure amendments to the rules and instructions?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(9 October 2000)

The regulatory provisions adopted by the Community (1) provide for distribution of products of Commun-
ity origin held in intervention storage and products made from these. This may extend to exchange of
products withdrawn from intervention storage for equivalent products that will be distributed to the needy.
The Commission draws up annual plans that the Member States execute. It is they who designate the
organisations which distribute the foodstuffs.

The rules incorporate a timetable. The whole distribution exercise, from the withdrawal from intervention
stocks to the supply to charitable organisations must respect several time limits. This enables the whole
operation to be run in the form of (cid:145)annual plans(cid:146).

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/137

Articles 9 and 10 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3149/92 require the Member States to undertake
various policing responsibilities in connection with these plans. They are also required to send the
Commission a report once each plan has been executed. Observations in the field by the various parties
involved or by any interested party are followed up by the Commission.

The Honourable Member(cid:146)s question states that products past their sell-by date that were not part of the
Community operation were distributed at the same time by organisations appointed by the national
authorities to distribute the Community food aid. The Commission has nonetheless sought clarification
from the authorities responsible for the plan in Finland. They must in any case send a report once
execution of the annual plan in progress in complete.

(1) Council Regulation (EEC) No 3730/87 of 10 December 1987 laying down general rules for the supply of food from
intervention stocks to designated organisations for distribution to the most deprived persons in the Community
(OJ L 352, 15.12.1987). Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3149/92 of 29 October 1992 laying down detailed rules
for the supply of food from intervention stocks for the benefit of the most deprived persons in the Community
(OJ L 313, 30.10.1992).

(2001/C 113 E/141)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2624/00

by Esko Sepp(cid:228)nen (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(1 September 2000)

Subject: Animal testing of cosmetics

In the Council(cid:146)s view, what international agreements should be taken into account in drafting a directive
banning animal testing of cosmetics and marketing of products which have been tested on animals?

Reply

(30 November 2000)

It is for the Commission to determine what international commitments must be taken into account in
drawing up a proposal for a Directive.

This said, the Council informs the Honourable Member that it has recently received a proposal for a
Directive to amend to existing legislative requirements for cosmetics with a view to replacing the
prohibition on the marketing of cosmetic products containing ingredients or combinations of ingredients
tested on animals with a prohibition on carrying out tests on animals on the territory of the Member
States with a view to the production of cosmetics.

According to the proposal for a Directive, the prohibition should apply to finished cosmetic products as
from transposition of the Directive and to ingredients as soon as validated alternative methods have been
approved at Community level, but in any case on expiry of a three-year period at the latest.

The proposal is currently being examined within the competent bodies of the Council.