WRITTEN QUESTION P-3911/00 by Minerva Malliori (PSE) to the Commission. Revision of the Directive on the safety of toys.
Date: 2000-12-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: automatic game, child, disease prevention, health policy, product safety, toy industry

C 163 E/224

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2001

(2001/C 163 E/263)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3910/00

by Adeline Hazan (PSE), Anneli HulthØn (PSE), Ulpu Iivari (PSE)
and Catherine Stihler (PSE) to the Commission

(13 December 2000)

Subject: Alcohol awareness

There is increasing evidence that more and more people start drinking younger and younger, with specific
alcoholic drinks being targeted at the very young. Much of the advertising is directed towards young
women in particular. The evidence also indicates that this is a Europe-wide problem.

What action is the Commission taking to raise awareness in the Member States of the need to address this
growing social problem?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 2001)

The Commission is aware of the problems raised by the Honourable Members.

A concrete step to tackle these issues was the adoption of a proposal for a Council Recommendation on
the drinking of alcohol by children and adolescents by the Commission on 27 November 2000 (1). The
focuses on health promotion and education
proposal, which was also forwarded to the Parliament,
measures as well as on the further development of self-regulation of alcohol advertising and sponsoring
targeted at young people, which of course includes young women.

Once the Recommendation is adopted by the Council, the Commission will be able to play an active role
in supporting the Member States in increasing their awareness of the need to take action and in supporting
them in their efforts to implement the proposed measures.

(1) COM(2000) 736 final.

(2001/C 163 E/264)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3911/00

by Minerva Malliori (PSE) to the Commission

(6 December 2000)

Subject: Revision of the Directive on the safety of toys

Recently the European market has seen the arrival of electronic toys and video games imported from third
countries, such as Pokemon, in which the heroes are endowed with supernatural properties and portrayed
in such a way that children identify with them and behave in a dangerous manner, endangering their
psychological and physical health.

Given that some Member States such as Sweden have banned the import of toys of this kind, does the
Commission intend to investigate the effect they have on the development of children and to take
appropriate counter-measures?

The European Directive on the safety of toys 88/378/EEC (1) is relatively old and thus does not cover video
games and all the new types of toy. Does the Commission intend to revise the above Directive to lay down
parameters relating not only to the physical health and wellbeing of children but also to the effect of these
new types of toy on their psychological and mental state?

(1) OJ L 187, 16.7.1988, p. 1.

6.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 163 E/225

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 2001)

Concerning the effect of video games on the psychological health of children, the Honourable Member is
referred to the Commission(cid:146)s reply to Written Question E-1182/98 from Mrs Karamanou (1).

Council Directive 88/378/EEC of 3 May 1988, on the approximation of the laws of the Member States
concerning the safety of toys, sets the safety conditions that toys must meet before being placed in the
market. At the time of adoption of this Directive, the legislator decided that the safety requirements should
cover health hazards and the risk of physical injury only. The Commission intends to examine the need for
a revision of the Directive during 2001. The issue raised by the Honourable Member will be considered in
that context.

Until any future legislation is adopted, any measure taken by a Member State to protect the psychological
health of children from toys has in principle to be notified under Directive 98/34/EC laying down a
procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations (2), in order
to allow an analysis of the conformity of the measure with Articles 28-30 (ex Articles 30-36) of the
EC Treaty.

Moreover, Decision No 372/99/CE of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 February 1999
adopting a programme of Community action on injury prevention in the framework for action in the field
of public health (1999-2003) (3) includes the analysis of the risk factors (including psychological risks)
associated with injuries. The concept of injury in this programme includes, among others, home and
leisure accidents involving children and certain aspects associated with damage. The establishment of an
injury data-collection and information system, and the epidemiological analysis of the data, are the first
actions to be instituted. A network concerning the epidemiology of injuries has been set up with experts
appointed in the Member States: examining the influence of this type of game on children(cid:146)s health will be
one of the subjects dealt with in the short term as part of the study of the extent and impact of these video
games on children(cid:146)s physical and mental health.

(1) OJ C 13, 20.1.1999.
(2) OJ L 204, 21.7.1998.
(3) OJ L 46, 20.2.1999.

(2001/C 163 E/265)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3914/00

by Helena Torres Marques (PSE) to the Commission

(6 December 2000)

Subject: Daphne Programme

The author of this question is extremely concerned at the fact that, this year, no Portuguese projects have
been approved under the Daphne programme.

Since Portugal is a country which normally submits quality projects in this field, would the Commission
state the reasons which prompted it to take such a decision?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(8 January 2001)

For the year 2000, the Commission received 415 proposals under the Daphne programme. Amongst
those, 308 were eligible. After evaluation, 47 projects were selected for funding, for a total amount of
€ 4 590 045.

Amongst the 415 proposals received, 15 were promoted by a Portuguese organisation; 11 out of these 15
were eligible. The final selection of 47 projects includes 1 project lead by a Portuguese organisation
(Associa(cid:231)ao Fernao Mendes Pinto in Montemor-o-Velho). Furthermore, amongst the 361 organisations
involved in all the selected projects, 27 (7,5 %) are Portuguese.