WRITTEN QUESTION E-1971/01 by Elizabeth Lynne (ELDR) to the Commission. Liquid Petroleum Gas fuel.
Date: 2001-07-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: competence of the Member States, environmental protection, gas, motor vehicle

20.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 364 E/233

This concern was already put forward in Parliament(cid:146)s earlier debates, when it adopted its previous
resolution on Macao on 16 December 1999, at the time when Portuguese administration ended and
Macao acquired the status of a special administrative region within the People(cid:146)s Republic of China. The
above Commission communication to the Council and Parliament, moreover, charted the same goal.

Addressing Parliament in the February debate, the Member of the Commission concerned, Mr Nielson, said
that: (cid:145)With regard to cooperation, the resolution calls upon the Commission to settle quickly the Question
of appointing a technical cooperation officer for Macao. Here I would have liked to be able to report that
the nominated technical cooperation officer had been appointed in November as had been planned.
Unfortunately the selected candidate withdrew at the final stage after a selection procedure that lasted
several months. We continue to consider the appointment of the technical cooperation officer very
important(cid:146).

Parliament, indeed, is most anxious for the EU-Macao cooperation officer to be appointed and start work.

Can the Commission therefore say what progress has been made as regards the appointment of the EC-
Macao cooperation officer and how soon the officer will be able to start work?

(1) COM(1999) 484 (cid:129) C5-0169/2000 (cid:129) 2000/2099(COS).

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(19 July 2001)

The Honourable Member rightly recollects that the selected candidate withdrew from his nomination as
Co-operation Officer for Union-Macao Co-operation last November 2000.

Following this disappointing news, and in view of the reorganisation of the Commission(cid:146)s external co-
operation delivery system at the start of this year, the Commission has been preparing the required multi-
annual, co-operation programming for Macao, including the Co-operation Officer appointment.

In this context, the Commission is pleased to be able to report that this programming is now in its final
stages and the Question of the Co-operation Officer will be resolved shortly.

(2001/C 364 E/257)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1971/01

by Elizabeth Lynne (ELDR) to the Commission

(5 July 2001)

Subject: Liquid Petroleum Gas fuel

What initiatives has the European Union taken with regard to the conversion of motor vehicles to Liquid
Petroleum Gas (LPG) fuel? What is the full cost to the EU of such initiatives?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(10 September 2001)

The European type approval system regulates the placing on the market of new passenger cars. The
regulatory framework comprises all the safety and environmental requirements which such vehicles have
to satisfy before they are allowed to be placed on the market. Until recently, this system was not
completely adapted in order to take into account all the specific characteristics of liquid petroleum gas
(LPG) fuelled vehicles. For this reason, Member States needed to request a derogation for new LPG vehicles
with respect to one or more European type approval directives.

C 364 E/234

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.12.2001

In recent years, the Community has adopted a number of amendments to these type approval directives
concerning LPG fuelled vehicles. Following the accession to United Nations economic commission for
Europe (UN-ECE) regulation 67 regarding specific provisions for LPG fuel tanks and the adoption of an
amendment to Council Directive 70/220/EEC of 20 March 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the
Member States relating to measures to be taken against air pollution by gases from positive-ignition
engines of motor vehicles (1) to provide specific dates of application of on-board diagnostic systems for
LPG fuelled vehicles,
it will now be possible to receive a European type approval for an LPG fuelled
vehicle. In this way, these vehicles can now benefit fully from the internal market.

The conversion of vehicles already placed on the Community market falls within the competence of the
Member States. Several Member States have taken regulatory or fiscal measures in order to encourage such
conversions depending on the specific situation prevailing within their territory.

in order to harmonise specific
Additionally, a draft regulation has been prepared at UN-ECE level
requirements for LPG retrofit systems. The adoption of this regulation is currently being considered by the
Union institutions.

(1) OJ L 76, 6.4.1970.

(2001/C 364 E/258)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2006/01

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(6 July 2001)

Subject: Chemicals in fast food

Eric Schlosser(cid:146)s diatribe of a book entitled Fast Food Nation reveals the alarming fact that the taste of the
fare served up at fast-food outlets all over the world is produced by chemical flavourings which are
damaging to health because they apparently lead to obesity, the risk of heart attacks, colon and stomach
cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and sterility.

In the light of these worrying allegations:

1.

Is the Commission aware of the problem?

2. Will it make provision for research with a view to establishing the truth of the claims?

3.

If the information in its possession were to corroborate the accusations, what steps would it call for to
protect the health of European citizens?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(5 September 2001)

The Commission is not aware of the publication referred to and is not in a position to comment on its
content. However, the Commission would like to recall the legislation and actions taken to ensure safety of
flavourings.

Community legislation on flavourings covers the use of flavourings in all foodstuffs, not only the use in
a particular category of foods, and aims at a high level of consumer health protection.

Council Directive 88/388/EEC of 22 June 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States
relating to flavourings for use in foodstuffs and to source materials for their production (1) prohibits the
addition of certain substances as such to foodstuffs and sets maximum levels for these substances in
foodstuffs to which flavourings and other food ingredients with flavouring properties have been added.
These substances of toxicological concern are naturally present in source materials for flavourings, like
herbs and spices, and cannot normally be avoided. The intake of such substances via flavourings is