WRITTEN QUESTION P-3209/00 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Damage to human health and quality of dairy products.
Date: 2000-10-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, cheese factory, consumer protection, designation of origin, foodstuffs legislation, health risk, marketing standard, milk, national implementing measure, semi-soft cheese

C 136 E/204

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.5.2001

The Commission itself does not have any instruments to affect the short-term value of the euro.
3.
However, as far as economic fundamentals are concerned, there are a number of factors which should tend
to encourage an appreciation of the euro over the medium-term. Firstly, growth in the euro area is strong
and core inflation is low. Secondly, there has been a significant amount of progress in fiscal consolidation
by Member States. Thirdly, structural reforms have improved (and will continue to improve) the supply
side in the euro area economy.

Although intervention in markets can, under certain circumstances, be a useful tool at the disposal of
policy makers, it is above all essential that macroeconomic policy (cid:129) both in the euro area and in other
major economies (cid:129) remains on a sound footing. The Commission has emphasized the principles of
stability oriented policies in its broad economic policy guidelines and it will continue to do so.

(2001/C 136 E/239)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3209/00

by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 October 2000)

Subject: Damage to human health and quality of dairy products

Given that:

(cid:129) Directive 92/46/EEC (1)

lays down minimum hygiene, health and quality requirements for the
production and placing on the market of milk and milk-based products. It stipulates that if such
products fail to meet the said requirements they should be set aside for zootechnical use.

(cid:129) The Italian Government, invoking Presidential Decree (DPR) No 54 of 1997, has not only transposed
the aforementioned directive in an inadequate manner (cid:129) as shown by the report drawn up by the
Food and Veterinary Office of the Commission in the wake of its inspection visit to Italy in March
1999 (cid:129) but has also done so three years after the deadline (Jan. 1994).

(cid:129) DPR 54/97 allows Directive 92/46/EEC to be waived pursuant to rules which conflict with Commu-
nity legislation, in that it allows inferior-quality, unsuitable milk (cid:129) in terms of its micro-bacteriological
composition (cid:129) to be used for the production not only of long shelf-life cheeses (primarily Grana
Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano) but also of other finished products (butter, cream, ricotta cheese)
made from dairy products such as cream and whey and placed on the market for direct use, thereby
contravening the aforementioned directive.

(cid:129) As regards the production of Grana Padano, the certifying authority for the granting of the PDO mark
(protected designation of origin) requires the use of copper machinery in breach of the provisions in
force, given that such machinery may transmit harmful copper salt particles to the cheese and whey.

The Commission:

(cid:129) Can it therefore express an opinion on the legitimacy of DPR 54/97 and on the consequent risk that
its application by way of derogation from the above-mentioned Community directive poses to
consumer health?

(cid:129) What measures does it intend to take to rectify the said breaches, which could damage human health

and undermine product quality?

(cid:129) What provisions will
appropriate rules?

it adopt to ensure that the PDO mark is granted in accordance with more

(1) OJ L 268, 14.9.1992, p. 1.

8.5.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/205

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(21 November 2000)

Council Directive 92/46/EEC of 16 June 1992 laying down the health rules for the production and placing
on the market of raw milk, heat-treated milk and milk-based products, provides under Article 8 that
Member States may grant derogations for certain requirements of the Directive for the manufacture of
cheese with a maturation period of at least sixty days or for the manufacture of milk-based products with
traditional characteristics.

Council Directive 92/46/EEC was transposed into Italian national law by Presidential Decree No 54/97 of
14 January 1997 (1). In the Commission(cid:146)s opinion Article 9 of this Decree contains derogations that do not
comply with Article 8 of the aforementioned Directive. As a result, the Commission will raise the matter
with the Member State concerned to ensure that the Directive is transposed properly, and will, if necessary,
initiate infringement proceedings under Article 226 (formerly Article 169) of the EC Treaty.

As regards the Honorable Member(cid:146)s last question, the Commission does not intend to make any new
regulatory proposals, as the protected designation of origin (PDO) registration procedure already requires
that candidate products for this designation comply with all the applicable regulations, among others
health regulations.

(1) GURI No 59, 12.3.1997.

(2001/C 136 E/240)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3213/00

by Jillian Evans (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(10 October 2000)

Subject: Innovative actions unit (DG-REGIO)

Can the Commission confirm that it intends closing down the Innovative Actions Unit in DG-Regio, which
is responsible for small projects under Article 10 of the European Regional Development Fund, without
any cost/benefit analysis? If so, can the Commission justify this decision?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(30 October 2000)

The Commission can confirm that it does not intend to close down the Innovative Measures Unit in DG
Regio. The mission of this unit, on the one hand, is implementing and closing the innovative measures
decided under the previous rules of the Structural Funds (1) and, on the other hand, of launching the new
pilot projects and exchanges of experience as laid down in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1783/1999 of
the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 1999, on the European Regional Development
Fund (2).

(1) Council Regulation (EEC) No 2083/93 of 20 July 1993 amending Regulation (EEC) No 4254/88 laying down
provisions for the application of Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 on the European Regional Development Fund (cid:129)
published in OJ L 193, 31.7.1993.

(2) OJ L 213, 13.8.1999.

(2001/C 136 E/241)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3214/00

by Enrique Bar(cid:243)n Crespo (PSE) to the Council

(20 October 2000)

Subject: EU-UN co-operation on crisis management and conflict prevention

On 15 September a meeting of the UN and the EU took place to discuss co-operation in the area of crisis
management and conflict prevention.