WRITTEN QUESTION E-3596/00 by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Reform of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (Emcdda).
Date: 2000-11-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, administrative reform

6.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 163 E/173

in several establishments: in particular premature electric shocks and failure to reach the recommended
amperage. In addition, there appears to be little or no monitoring of poultry welfare during transport or at
the time of arrival at the slaughterhouse.

What steps is the Commission taking to require the Spanish authorities to ensure that stunning is carried
the
out properly and that
slaughterhouse?

the welfare of poultry is supervised during transport and on arrival at

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(23 January 2001)

As indicated by the Honourable Member, the findings and conclusions of the poultry meat production
mission report to Spain (No 1213-1999) performed in October 1999 showed some shortcomings in the
Spanish official control system as regards poultry welfare Community legislation. In this report, recom-
mendations were made to the Spanish competent authority in order to improve the situation, but the
Commission did not receive any information on corrective actions taken from the Spanish authority within
the requested deadlines.

In order to assess any progress made in Spain following the 1999 mission, a follow-up mission was
performed by the Commission(cid:146)s Food and Veterinary Office from the 2-6 October 2000. A draft report is
being sent to the Spanish competent authority for comments. Once any comments have been received, the
report will be finalised and, together with these comments, sent to the Parliament and published on
the Internet. The Honourable Member will therefore be able to judge whether any improvement in this
particular field was recorded. The Commission will consider whether further action is necessary on
this matter in the light of the final report.

(2001/C 163 E/198)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3596/00

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 November 2000)

Subject: Reform of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (Emcdda)

The Emcdda was the subject of an external assessment early in 2000. As a result of the assessment the
Centre embarked on and adopted a radical reform of its objectives and working methods. The reform was
recently presented to the Committee on Citizens(cid:146) Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs, which
gave it a favourable reception.

Can the Commission specify what initiatives it expects to take, particularly in the light of the EU(cid:146)s anti-
drugs campaign, which gives the Centre more extensive duties and a heightened role,
to support
implementation of the Centre(cid:146)s reform in terms of organisation and resources? Can it say how it intends
to structure its cooperation with the agency in years to come, avoiding duplication of effort, making use of
relevant Community programmes and machinery and taking full advantage of the Centre(cid:146)s working
capacity and products?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(16 January 2001)

The external assessment report on the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction
(Emcdda) concluded that the Centre should refocus its efforts on its priority tasks and place the emphasis
on quality rather than quantity.

The guidelines for the reform of the Centre were approved by its Management Board but they have still to
be put into practice. The Director of the Centre is to present proposals for implementing the reform.

C 163 E/174

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2001

The Centre(cid:146)s budget has been rising quite substantially. Since 1995, the year in which it was launched, its
budget has risen by over 60 %, from € 5,35 million to € 8,75 million in 2001. Implementation of the
reform must not result in increased requirements in terms of resources but must enable the Centre to carry
out its tasks (especially those entrusted to it by the action plan for 2000-2004), by becoming more
efficient and concentrating on its priority tasks.

As regards the support which the Centre receives from the Commission in institutional terms, the
Commission ensures that appropriate proposals are presented to the Council. Thus, following a Commis-
sion proposal (1), the Regulation establishing the Centre was amended so that it could provide technical
assistance to applicant countries and undertake an assistance project worth € 2 million under the PHARE
programme.

Lastly, the Commission stays closely in touch with the Emcdda and is particularly anxious to foster
synergies between the Centre(cid:146)s work and the activities carried out under Community programmes to
combat drugs.

(1) OJ C 342 E, 30.11.1999.

(2001/C 163 E/199)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3601/00

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(22 November 2000)

Subject: Protection of typical products outside the EU

Nowadays the European Union(cid:146)s typical products are protected by labels, such as PDO (protected
designation of origin) and PGI (protected geographical indication), which have at last made it possible to
put an end to imitation products that confuse consumers and create uncertainty on the market.
Unfortunately, however, such product protection systems are confined to the Union and so (cid:129) as in the
case of (cid:145)fontina(cid:146), the typical cheese of the Valle d(cid:146)Aosta region (cid:129) do not prevent the placing on the United
States market of imitation or counterfeit products, even if they originate in Europe, or the manufacture
and sale of such products under the same name as typical products in South America.

What steps has the Commission taken to enable the system for the protection of PDO and PGI products to
be extended beyond the Union by means of appropriate international agreements, thus protecting both the
products in question and consumers? Can the Commission take action at European level against those who
manufacture imitation DOP and IGP products for sale outside Europe?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(14 December 2000)

Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 of 14 July 1992 on the protection of geographical indications and
designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs ensures the development of protection for
indications on the Community market (1). The protection is
designations of origin and geographical
designed to promote product quality, ensure proper information for the consumer about products and
prevent substitutes or imitations from undermining the reputation of these products.

At international level, the adoption, within the World Trade Organisation (WTO), of the Agreement on
trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPs) marked real progress in the protection of
designations of origin and geographical
indications. It must nevertheless be recognised that the TRIPs
Agreement includes a number of restrictions on the legal protection of quality products and that progress
still needs to be made, in particular as regards products other than wines and spirits.