WRITTEN QUESTION E-2756/01 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. GM food in Swedish shops.
Date: 2001-10-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU control, Sweden, application of EU law, consumer information, food inspection, foodstuff, genetically modified organism, labelling, marketing

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/187

(2002/C 93 E/222)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2756/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 October 2001)

Subject: GM food in Swedish shops

In January 2001 the Swedish Nature Conservation Society (SNF) published the findings of a survey it had
carried out among Swedish local authorities. Its conclusion was that checks on GM labelling of food were
not working. Under the 1997 EC regulation food containing more than 1 % GMOs had to be labelled. The
local authorities were responsible for that labelling. However, the SNF survey showed that only four of the
214 local authorities who replied to the questionnaire were actually checking labelling during 2000. They
were Stockholm, Landskrona, Torås and Skurup.

Sweden is probably not unique in the way the labelling of GM food is being monitored. Has the
Commission carried out any enquiries into how GM labelling operates in the Member States?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(3 December 2001)

Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 1997 on novel food and
novel food ingredients (1) which includes genetically modified (GM) food) and Council Regulations (EC)
No 1139/98 of 26 May 1998 concerning the compulsory indication of the labelling of certain foodstuffs
produced from genetically modified organisms of particulars other than those provided for in Directive
79/112/EEC (2), Commission Regulation (EC) No 49/2000 of 10 January 2000 amending Council
Regulation (EC) No 1139/98 concerning the compulsory indication on the labelling of certain foodstuffs
produced from genetically modified organisms of particulars other than those provided for in Directive
79/112/EEC (3) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 50/2000 of 10 January 2000 on the labelling of
foodstuffs and food ingredients containing additives and flavourings that have been genetically modified or
have been produced from genetically modified organisms (3), are directly applicable in all Member States.
The requirements for placing on the market and labelling GM food are therefore uniform in all Member
States. As foreseen by the EC Treaty, the responsibility for enforcement and control
lies within each
Member State.

The Commission is carrying out enquiries into how GM labelling operates in the Member States, in the
context of its responsibility for ensuring the proper functioning and development of the single European
market

The Commission intends to include the control of correct labelling of foodstuff that may contain GM
ingredients in the coordinated control program for 2002 under Directive 89/397/EEC of 14 June 1989 on
the official control of foodstuffs (4). The aim of this Directive is to ensure that Community food law is
enforced with the same rigor in all Member States. This initiative is designed to improve the harmonised
implementation of the official controls by Member States

C 93 E/188

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2002

The Food and Veterinary Office of the Commission has also started to carry out mission in Member States
in order to evaluate official control systems on GM food, including labelling.

(1) OJ L 43, 14.2.1997.
(2) OJ L 159, 3.6.1998.
(3) OJ L 6, 11.1.2000.
(4) OJ L 186, 30.6.1989.

(2002/C 93 E/223)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2761/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 October 2001)

Subject: Barley as barley

In July 1997 Sweden was allowed to continue to call barley barley for another year. Most barley grown in
our cold country is too small to meet EU requirements for barley.

What is the present situation regarding Swedish barley and the EU specifications for barley since 1997?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(15 November 2001)

The separate definition for measuring the smaller barley grains offered into intervention in Sweden and
Finland (they must pass through a wire mesh of 2 millimetres rather than 2.2 mm) has been incorporated
definitively into the rules defining impurities in the form of grains as set out in the annex to Commission
Regulation (EC) No 824/2000 of 19 April 2000 establishing procedures for the taking-over of cereals by
intervention agencies and laying down methods of analysis for determining the quality of cereals (1).

(1) OJ L 100, 20.4.2000.

(2002/C 93 E/224)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2769/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 October 2001)

Subject: Community School Milk Scheme

The School Milk Scheme has been at risk in the past from cost-cutting; for example in 1999 its continued
existence was called into question.

Which Member States are at present receiving funds under the School Milk Scheme and what amounts are
involved?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(9 November 2001)

The table below shows the payments to Member States in the framework of the Community school milk
scheme for the budget years 2000 and 2001 (figures in million €). The figures for the budget year 2001
are provisional.