WRITTEN QUESTION E-2774/00 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Sale of a banknote printing machine to Ukraine.
Date: 2000-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Ukraine, economic offence, fraud against the EU, industrial building, issuing of currency, paper money, printing

C 136 E/92

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.5.2001

Answer given by Mme de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(26 September 2000)

The Commission does not share the Honourable Member(cid:146)s estimate of the size of cut that is
1. and 2.
proposed for the ecopoint quota for Germany. The Commission proposal would see a reduction in
Germany(cid:146)s quota of 735 466 ecopoints spread over 3,5 years, which is equivalent to a 5 % reduction.
Whilst any reduction may have some negative consequences, the Commission does not accept that a
reduction of this size will destroy many jobs in the production and transport sectors in Germany.

The proposed reduction in ecopoints is due to the number of transit journeys by lorries through Austria in
1999 exceeding a pre-determined limit by some 100,000 trips. Since the proposed reduction in ecopoints
is equivalent to some 350 000 trips the Commission does agree with the Honourable Member that the
the Commission is legally obliged to bring forward such a
reduction is disproportionate. However,
proposal under the methodology laid down in Protocol No 9 of the Treaty of Accession of Austria (1).
The Honourable Member is reminded that this methodology was unanimously agreed by the Member
States when they ratified the Treaty.

3.
It is hoped that some of the reduction in ecopoints will be offset by greater rail freight movements
across Austria. In addition Member States lorries should from 2001 have the opportunity to make up to
300,000 transit trips by 40 tonne lorries through Switzerland, as well as unlimited journeys at up to
34 tonnes.

4.
The reason why the ecopoint system is covered by a Protocol of the Accession Treaty is precisely in
order to allow for a derogation from the objectives of free movement of goods and services within the
single market.

5.
The Accession Treaty lays down no rules about how any cut shall be borne by the Member States.
This does not, however, mean that the cut must be borne equally by all Member States. Rather the
Commission has made a proposal that applies the cut objectively to those Member States whose hauliers
caused the reduction mechanism to be actuated. On this basis the Commission does not rate highly the
prospects of successful actions on this element of the proposal.

(1) OJ C 241, 29.8.1994, p. 361.

(2001/C 136 E/105)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2774/00

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(1 September 2000)

Subject: Sale of a banknote printing machine to Ukraine

In 1992 the Italian State Printing Works, Stationery Office, and Mint won an order worth several hundred
billion lire from the newly independent Republic of Ukraine for 1,7 billion coins and a quantity of
industrial equipment, including banknote printing machine.

According to the official version put out by the Ministry of the Treasury, bureaucratic and diplomatic
complications (cid:129) not specified in greater detail (cid:129) intervened, and, as a result, the State Printing Works
apparently supplied only the coins and, later, a general-purpose paper machine. However, a statement by
the Under-Secretary responsible, Mr Pennacchi, and the State Printing Works(cid:146) own balance sheets make it
clear that the machine in question was intended expressly to produce banknotes. On 10 April 2000 the
Corriere della Sera, one of Italy(cid:146)s foremost newspapers, carried an article by its Brussels correspondent, Ivo
Caizzi, which revived the theory that the mystery surrounding the banknote printing machine for Ukraine
might be due to the fact that the machine could be used for unlawful ends, among other things to print
euro banknotes.

Could the Commission express a general view on this matter?

8.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/93

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(10 November 2000)

The printing of euro banknotes involves several processes with the use of different machines, i.e. for the
production of water-marked paper, the printing of the design, the printing of the relief design and for the
application of other security features. This complex production process is a safeguard against illicit printing
of euro banknotes by unauthorised people using a machine for a particular step in the process.

(2001/C 136 E/106)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2777/00

by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 September 2000)

Subject: Migration of uncured isocynates from laminating adhesives into food

Bearing in mind that the Internet Consumer Alert reports that, in Belgium, more than 40 % of isocyanate-
based laminating adhesives used in food packaging are not fully cured at the time of wrapping, that the
Internet Consumer Alert reports that uncured laminates can migrate into wrapped foods, that it is
suspected that this phenomenon can cause severe allergic reactions and that it is suspected that the
uncured isocyanates can combine with moisture in the packaged foods to form carcinogenic aromatic
amines, would the Commission comment on the situation and outline its strategy to address the potential
dangers to public health posed by isocyanate migration?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(18 October 2000)

Laminates are composed of various layers of plastics linked together by adhesives, often prepared with
isocyanate compounds. The isocyanates, when released into foodstuffs or food simulants, can cause the
formation of primary aromatic amines. Commission Directive 90/128/EEC of 23 February 1990, relating
to plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs (1) establishes that the
plastics cannot contain more than 1 milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) of isocyanates. No rule exists yet at
Community level as regards primary aromatic amines. In Germany, a recommendation establishes that the
release of these amines should not exceed the quantity of 0,2 micrograms/100 millilitre (ml) of test liquid.

Following the Internet consumer alert report, the Commission has been informed that the industries
mentioned in the report have carried out a series of tests on laminates to check compliance of the release
of aromatic amines with the German recommendation. The results of these tests were negative. Moreover
the official central Belgian laboratory was charged by the Belgian authorities to check compliance of these
laminates not only with the German recommendation for the release of aromatic amines but also with
Directive 90/128/EEC for isocyanate content in the finished laminates. The Commission has asked the
Belgian authorities for a copy of the results as soon they are available.

The Commission is considering the possibility of
introducing into the above-mentioned Directive a
provision stipulating that primary aromatic amines should not be detectable in foodstuffs or in food
simulants.

In order to avoid that uncured laminates contain quantities of isocyanates exceeding the legal limit and to
avoid the formation of detectable aromatic amines, a certain delay has to be respected between
manufacture and use of laminates. At the request of the Belgian authorities, the European association
representing the food industries again informed its members on the need to respect such delays as
recommended by the manufacturers of laminates.

(1) OJ L 75, 21.3.1990, rectified by OJ L 349, 13.12.1990.