WRITTEN QUESTION E-2553/01 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Action to bring Community citizens closer to the European institutions.
Date: 2001-09-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU institution, competence of the Member States, promotion of the European idea, public awareness campaign, teaching

16.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 115 E/115

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(30 October 2001)

The Commission would stress its great interest in the issues raised by the Honourable Member which
jeopardise the principles of equality and non-discrimination as restated in the Charter of Fundamental
Rights.

The Commission would point out that the rules on releasing prisoners on licence to which the Honourable
Member refers are enshrined in national criminal law and thus, in principle, fall within the jurisdiction of
the Member States. However, the Court has constantly maintained that Community law restricts this
jurisdiction (1). The rules may not discriminate on grounds of nationality against persons entitled under
Community law to travel or stay in a specific Member State as recipients of services nor can they restrict
the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by Community law, unless such discrimination is justified by
objective circumstances or by Member State’s obligations relating to public policy and national security.

The Commission plans to question the Member States on the subject of their systems for releasing
prisoners on licence regardless of the nationality of the prisoners.

At the present time, the Commission can see no reason for proposing Community regulations to guarantee
non-national prisoners the same rights to be released on licence on the same terms as national prisoners.

(1)

Judgment of the Court of Justice of 2 February 1989 in Case 186/87 [1989] ECR I-195; judgment of 10 February
2000 in Case C-340/97 [2000] ECR I-957.

(2002/C 115 E/118)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2553/01

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 September 2001)

Subject: Action to bring Community citizens closer to the European institutions

The EU Foreign Ministers recently agreed that there is a gulf between the public and the EU institutions
and that they must react quickly to ensure that Europeans attach more value to the historic objective of
constructing a united Europe.

One of the main conclusions of the debate was the emphasis placed on the need for the EU to be included
in education and training programmes in all the Member States.

Can the Commission say whether, making use of its right of initiative, it considers it necessary for the
Member States to define, on a compulsory basis, teaching material to be imparted to pupils on the nature
of the EU, its institutions and its tremendous achievement of guaranteeing peace for so many decades and
making the EU the prime area of peace and freedom in the world, not to mention impressive economic
development?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(29 October 2001)

including the content of teaching,

The Commission would draw the Honourable Member’s attention to the fact that the organisation of
is the responsibility of the Member States, as
education systems,
provided in Article 149 (ex Article 126) of
‘the Community shall contribute to the
development of quality education by encouraging cooperation between Member States (…) while fully
respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content of teaching and the organisation of
education systems (…)’.

the EC Treaty:

C 115 E/116

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

16.5.2002

Nevertheless, while the Member States have full responsibility for the content of teaching, it is clear that
the achievements of European integration, as mentioned by the Honourable Member, deserve to be given a
high profile using all possible means, including education. Moreover, Socrates, the European programme
for cooperation in education,
is helping to develop a European dimension via its actions in school
education.

(2002/C 115 E/119)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2558/01

by Gabriele Stauner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 September 2001)

Subject: Health risks resulting from a lack of checks on butterfat

Up until the middle of 2000, members of the Italian Mafia were conducting a large-scale operation
involving adulterating butter by adding to it animal and vegetable fats and chemical substances and
marketing it through Belgian, German, French and Italian companies. Overall, some 100 000 tonnes of
adulterated butter is thought to have been produced, and used mainly in the manufacture of pastry
products. According to the Italian public prosecutor’s office (press release of 5 July 2000), consumers have,
as a result, been exposed to health risks. Records of interrogations and electronic surveillance records
published by the French journal
those
adulterating the butter were clearly aware of the health risks involved.

in its issue of 7 December 2000 suggest

‘L’Expansion’

that

In reply to a question from me, the German Minister for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture
confirmed in a letter of 17 August 2001 that it is possible to detect the addition of non-milk fats to butter
and butterfat by means of analysis, but that Community law does not lay down official tests of this kind in
the case of all measures for the disposal of butter using EU funds.

1. Why did the Commission omit to mention this fact as recently as in March 2001, despite being
asked a relevant question, in its replies to the questionnaire submitted by the Committee on Budgetary
Control in relation to the Fléchard case?

Given the lack of checks,

2.
manufactured and marketed today?

is there not a substantial risk that adulterated butter may still be

3. What steps has the Commission taken to improve checks?

4. Would it not be best to completely prohibit the manufacture of lower quality butterfat, or at least to
abolish the financial assistance currently granted for such products?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(26 November 2001)

1.
The Commission has provided all available information in its answers to Written Questions
E-3240/00 (1), E-3241/00 (2), P-3478/00 (1), P-1506/01 (3) and E-2210/01 (4) and in the answer to the
questionnaire on the Fléchard case addressed to the Commission by the European Parliament Committee
on Budgetary Control. The Commission cannot identify the question which the Honourable Member
claims is still outstanding.

The Honourable Member mentions a quantity of
Commission does not know the source of this figure and is not in a position to confirm it.

‘some 100 000 tonnes of adulterated butter’. The