WRITTEN QUESTION E-0912/02 by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Single Health Card.
Date: 2002-04-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European citizenship, health card, health insurance

C 205 E/236

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.8.2002

Novel Foods Regulation (EC) No 258/97 (1) and have not been approved. The German health authorities in
particular assert that there is an increased risk of toxic and allergic reactions. Other EU Member States
permit noni products to be marketed without restriction regardless of quality level. It remains uncontested
in that connection that bio-certified noni products have been produced by traditional reproduction or
growing methods. At issue is their suitability as food products, although it is known that in the USA in
particular large quantities of noni products have been marketed for many years with no evidence of toxic
or allergic reactions hitherto.

How does the Commission explain the discrepancy between approval as a bio-certified food product

1.
and the withholding of approval under the Novel Foods Regulation for one and the same product?

2. What is the Commission’s own information hitherto about the apparent risk of consuming noni
products?

(1) OJ L 43, 14.2.1997, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(22 May 2002)

All Member States and the Commission agree that noni products (Morinda citrifolia) are novel food within
the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 1997
concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients, as they have been placed on the market only after the
entrance into force of the Regulation. Therefore, the marketing of noni products prior to a possible
authorisation under the Regulation is illegal in all Member States. In order to ensure that noni products are
treated in the same manner throughout
the Community, Member States have agreed to take the
appropriate steps to end any ongoing marketing of noni products in their territory (see also the
Commission’s answer to written question P-0325/02 by Mrs Müller (1)).

The Honourable Member might also note that currently only one application limited to noni juice has
been submitted and is currently being examined under the Regulation.

The purpose of ‘bio-certification’ is to distinguish between production methods. However, for novel
1.
products in the sense of Regulation (EC) No 258/97 it may not replace the necessary assessment and does
not provide any prejudice to the outcome of the authorisation procedure under the Regulation.

The Commission itself did not gather any evidence that the consumption of noni products may
2.
endanger human health. This, however, has no bearing on the fact that novel foods can only be placed on
the market after having received authorisation under Regulation (EC) No 258/97.

(1) OJ C 160 E, 4.7.2002, p. 209.

(2002/C 205 E/259)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0912/02

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 April 2002)

Subject: Single Health Card

the recent summit meeting in Barcelona the leaders of

At
introduction of a special health card which would be valid in the 15 Member States.

the 15 Members States agreed on the

Will the Commission say what measures it intends to take to ensure the success of this initiative and when
this card will be introduced?

29.8.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 205 E/237

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(17 May 2002)

As the Honourable Member states, the Barcelona European Council of 15 and 16 March 2002 decided, in
line with the Commission’s suggestion in its action plan for mobility of 13 February 2003, that in order to
encourage mobility in the EU, a European Health Insurance Card will replace the current forms needed for
health treatment in a Member State other than the Member State in which a person is insured.

According to the conclusions of the Barcelona Council, the Commission will present a proposal to this
effect before the European Council meeting in the spring (2003).

The drawing-up of the Commission proposal requires detailed preparatory work of a legal and technical
nature involving the representatives of the Member States and health authorities at national level. This
matter will be discussed shortly in the Administrative Commission on Social Security for Migrant
Workers (1), which comprises representatives of the Member States and the Commission.

The Commission hopes that the decisions needed for the introduction of the Health Insurance Card can be
taken and put into effect in the course of 2004.

This work will take account of the results of the numerous research projects in this field which have been
funded over the last ten years, and the numerous applications already in place, particularly in order to
ensure the interoperability of the various systems used.

(1) Article 80 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 of 14 June 1971 on the application of social security schemes
to employed persons, to self-employed persons and to members of their families moving within the Community (OJ
L 149, 5.7.1971), amended and updated by Council Regulation (EC) No 118/97 of 2 December 1996 (OJ L 28,
30.1.1997).

(2002/C 205 E/260)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0914/02

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 April 2002)

Subject: Problems in the electronic submission of tax declarations through Taxisnet

In response to my previous questions (E-1802/98 (1), E-0044/99 (2) and P-0147/00 (3)) the Commission has
assured me that implementation of the TAXIS system which is co-funded by the Community is progressing
smoothly. Last week the General Secretariat for Information Systems announced that it would not accept
any new requests for registration for the electronic submission of tax declarations owing to various
problems that had arisen in the operation of the system.

1.

Is the Commission still satisfied with the progress of the project?

2. What was the original budget of the project and what is the present budget?

3. What was the original timetable for completion of the project and when is it now scheduled to be
completed?

(1) OJ C 13, 18.1.1999, p. 88.
(2) OJ C 297, 15.10.1999, p. 140.
(3) OJ C 280 E, 3.10.2000, p. 186.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(22 May 2002)

The TAXIS project has been co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the
European Social Fund (ESF) and the Greek authorities under the Operational Programme for the
Modernisation of the Public Administration in the framework of the Community Support Framework
(CSF) 1994-1999 for Greece.