WRITTEN QUESTION E-0650/01 by Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission. Checks on the use of toxic products on Spanish oranges.
Date: 2001-03-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Spain, application of EU law, citrus fruit, food additive, food contamination, infringement of EU law

13.11.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 318 E/95

Commissioner

Debates for
which responsible

Attended

Kinnock

de Palacio

Monti

Fischler

Liikanen

Bolkestein

Busquin

Solbes

Nielson

Verheugen

Patten

Lamy

Byrne

Barnier

Reding

Schreyer

Wallstr(cid:246)m

Vitorino

Diamantopoulou

5

28

6

25

17

29

5

15

18

5

35

2

19

11

10

19

28

26

20

4

22

5

23

15

28

5

12

17

5

28

0

15

11

10

19

19

23

16

Total

323

277

Based on Strasbourg sessions Monday to Thursday and Brussels sessions.

Excludes all debates attributed solely to President Prodi; Urgency debates; votes and Commission
declarations on the decisions of the day.

(2001/C 318 E/098)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0650/01

by Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Checks on the use of toxic products on Spanish oranges

(6 March 2001)

In reply to Written Question P-1189/00 (1) which I submitted to the European Commission,
it was
indicated to me that the Spanish authorities would withdraw authorisations for the use of colophony
in the treatment of Spanish
transformed using maleic anhydride and esterified with pentaerythritol
oranges.

Can the Commission say whether and when the Spanish authorities have withdrawn the above
authorisations?

If not, whether it considers it necessary to apply the provisions of Article 226 (ex Article 169) of the
EC Treaty?

(1) OJ C 26 E, 26.1.2001, p. 158.

C 318 E/96

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.11.2001

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(16 May 2001)

Following preliminary action taken by the Commission, the Spanish authorities gave a formal undertaking
to amend the authorisations for the use, in the treatment of citrus fruits, of substances containing resins
transformed using maleic anhydride and esterified with pentaerythritol, in order to conform with current
Community legislation, particularly European Parliament and Council Directive No 95/2/EC of 20 February
1995 on food additives other than colours and sweeteners (1).

As a result, the Commission closed this infringement file on 21 March 2000.

If necessary, and in the case of any specific new information, the Commission will make the appropriate
overtures to the Spanish authorities and, if the need arises, will initiate the procedure provided for in
Article 226 (ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty.

(1) OJ L 16, 18.3.1995.

(2001/C 318 E/099)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0661/01

by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Lisbon European Council and investment

(6 March 2001)

The 2000 Lisbon European Council called on the Council and the Commission, together with the Member
States where appropriate to (cid:145)improve the environment for private research investment, R & D partnerships
and high technology start-ups, by using tax policies, venture capital and EIB support.(cid:146) What progress,
particularly in terms of concrete examples, has been made since the Lisbon summit in this area?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(4 May 2001)

Since the Lisbon European Council, a series of measures have been taken at European level to stimulate
private investment in research and technological innovation.

The Community has stepped up its schemes on networking researchers and on venture capital to fund
innovation in order to boost start-ups and expansion of high-technology businesses. The framework
programme for research activities for 2002-2006 (1), as proposed by the Commission on 21 February
2001, stresses that the networks of excellence and integrated projects will necessarily entail activities
the knowledge produced. Designed as large-scale
relating to dissemination,
lead to
activities and conducted preferably as public/private partnerships,
substantial mobilisation of funds around precisely defined objectives.

transfer and take-up of

integrated projects will

To promote better use of tax measures for research and innovation, the Commission will soon be starting
an exercise to identify best practice in this field.

In its communication for the Stockholm European Council on 23/24 March 2001 entitled (cid:145)Realising the
European Union(cid:146)s potential: consolidating and extending the Lisbon Strategy(cid:146), the Commission announced
its plans to revise the rules on State aid for research and development by the end of 2001.

On a proposal from the Commission, on 20 December 2000 the Council adopted the multiannual
programme for enterprise and entrepreneurship, particularly SMEs (2001-2005), which gives high priority
to financial instruments, particularly in the form of venture capital to help to start up innovative new
businesses.