WRITTEN QUESTION E-0849/01 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission. Number of slaughterhouses.
Date: 2001-03-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, industrial building, meat processing industry

C 350 E/50

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

(2001/C 350 E/051)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0847/01

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(22 March 2001)

Subject: Blister packs containing medicines

There is concern surrounding the increase in the amount of medication being packaged in blister packs.
This has serious implications for blind and partially-sighted people, who cannot distinguish one type of
medication from another if, once the external packaging is removed, each strip appears identical.

Has the Commission given any consideration to this problem and to how it might be overcome?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(15 May 2001)

While aware of the problem raised by the Honourable Member, the Commission recalls that responsibility
for the choice of the pharmaceutical form and the packaging of medicinal products lies with the holder of
the authorisation for placing the product on the market. Community law does not regulate these aspects
beyond requiring that package leaflets and outer packaging give patients information on medicinal
products (Council Directive 92/27/EEC of 31 March 1992 on the labelling of medicinal products for
human use and on package leaflets (1)). Information to be provided on small packaging such as blister
packs is also laid down. It should also be stressed that Community law permits information in Braille to be
provided on outer packaging.

Without overlooking the difficulties which certain patients encounter, the Commission and the Member
States are at pains to ensure that the mandatory information laid down by the regulations is included in
the packaging and is legible.

Lastly, it should be noted that blister packs permit better preservation of medicinal products.

(1) OJ L 113, 30.4.1992.

(2001/C 350 E/052)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0849/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(22 March 2001)

Subject: Number of slaughterhouses

Will the Commission list the number of licensed slaughterhouses in each Member State in the most recent
year for which figures are available, five years ago, 10 years ago and 15 years ago?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(25 June 2001)

Member States are required to maintain a list of approved establishments under a range of Community
legislation on veterinary health and food hygience. These lists include, for example, slaughterhouses, meat
processing plants and rendering plants. These lists are required to be updated and circulated to the
Commission and the Member States. Examples are to be found on the website of the Directorate General
for Health and Consumer Protection at the following address (http://forum.europa.eu.int/irc/sanco/vets/
info/data/listes/public-ms.html). This site is under further development and will be expanded in scope and
coverage in line with information requested from the Member States.

11.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 350 E/51

However, there is no historical data available on the evolution of the number of slaughterhouses over the
past 15 years, as requested by the Honourable Member. The purpose of the lists is to ensure that the
relevant products in Community trade are produced in approved plants and that this can be verified by the
relevant authorities. It had not been the intention to provide statistical information on the number of
plants.

The Commission will review future possibilities for making better use of these lists for statistical purposes,
in line with its resources and other competing priorities.

(2001/C 350 E/053)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0850/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(22 March 2001)

Subject: Prior notification of fiscal policy actions

Will the Commission indicate whether it believes that the Finance Ministers of the Member States should
notify the Commission of proposed fiscal policy actions before they take them and, if so, why?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(20 June 2001)

In its Communication on strengthening economic policy co-ordination within the euro area (1), the
Commission proposed that the principle of informing beforehand other members of the euro area and the
Commission, before adopting an economic policy measure, should form part of a set of rules of conduct
outlined in the Communication.

This pre-informing should take place at the Eurogroup or at the Eurogroup working party of the Economic
and Financial Committee, and should provide the authorities of the Member State concerned with the
reactions or the messages even before the finalisation of the measure at hand.

Similarly, the main points of the stability programmes should be transmitted to the Commission before
their adoption by the Member States.

The Commission has indicated with its Communication that the principle that Member States inform
beforehand the Eurogroup and the Commission of proposed fiscal policy actions before they take them is
important as it allows to assess national policies in the light of the economic situation of the euro area as
a whole and consider the repercussions on other European Monetary Union (EMU) participants.

(1) COM(2001) 82 final.

(2001/C 350 E/054)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0852/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(22 March 2001)

Subject: Budgetary rigour

Will the Commission estimate the impact on GDP after one year and the impact on consumer price
inflation after two years of a 1 percentage point discretionary tightening in the general government budget
balance for Ireland and for Germany?