WRITTEN QUESTION E-1982/02 by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission. Food safety as a barrier to trade with Romania.
Date: 2002-07-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Romania, common commercial policy, customs regulations, food safety, technical barriers to trade, trade relations, trade restriction

6.3.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 52 E/117

(2003/C 52 E/131)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1950/02

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Council

(3 July 2002)

Subject: Respect for the rights of the lawyers defending the Breton separatists

In France a number of Breton separatists are being tried on charges connected with an attack on a
McDonald’s restaurant in Quévert, allegedly carried out by the Armée Révolutionnaire Bretonne. The
defence lawyers have been obliged to bring an action against the French State, which has failed to fulfil its
obligations for more than six months, and they claim that the rights of the defence have not been
respected, since they have been unable to obtain copies of about 73 volumes of legal files from the
investigating magistrates, whose excuse is that they are short-staffed and lack the equipment to make
photocopies.

This situation in fact constitutes a serious discrimination against the defendants, who are all militant
Breton separatists, in view of the Decree of the French Republic of 31 July 2001, which recognises the
right of every defence lawyer to be given a free copy of the record of criminal proceedings.

Does the Council not consider that it is a matter of very serious concern that in a trial of such (cid:1) not least
political (cid:1) importance, the defence is not in a position to obtain a copy of the record of proceedings, all
the more so because they largely consist of transcriptions of intercepted telephone calls.

Reply

(5 November 2002)

The Council is not competent to comment on a matter that is sub judice in a Member State.

(2003/C 52 E/132)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1982/02

by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission

(8 July 2002)

Subject: Food safety as a barrier to trade with Romania

Since March 2002, various Dutch consignments of good-quality fruit and vegetables have been stopped at
the Romanian border on the ground that the exporters have not had the proper papers. Evidently, various
EU directives on quality standards, plant health measures and food safety requirements are not being
correctly interpreted by the Romanian authorities, thus hampering the export of fruit and vegetables. This
technical barrier to trade still exists, the loss now amounting to EUR 2 million.

Is the Commission acquainted with the problems encountered by exporters from the Netherlands

1.
when exporting fruit and vegetables to Romania?

2. What action has the Commission taken to prompt the Romanian authorities to remove this technical
trade barrier?

Answer given by Mr. Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 2002)

The Commission is aware of the problems encountered by Member State exporters as a result of a new
Romanian Order regarding the security and quality conditions for fresh fruit and vegetables for human
consumption. It is the the Commission’s view that the requirements of the order are excessive.

C 52 E/118

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

The Commission has made formal and informal contacts with the competent Romanian authorities, in
particular the Romanian Minister for Agriculture. The Commission has made it clear that measures
introduced must not be a barrier to legitimate trade and is pressing for the order to be repealed or brought
into line with Community norms.

The Commission will continue and intensify its actions as long as excessive measures remain in place, as
non-tariff trade barriers go counter to the provisions of the Europe Agreement, signed between the
Community and its Member States of the one part, and Romania of the other part.

The Commission will also provide assistance to the Romanian authorities in the drafting of new legislation
in the framework of Romania’s preparations for accession to the Union.

(2003/C 52 E/133)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1984/02

by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 July 2002)

Subject: Convention financing

Further to written question E-0486/02 (1) (Subject: ‘Civil Society’), would the Commission, now that a list
of organisations participating in the forum on the Convention of the Future of Europe has been published
on the Internet
(http://europa.eu.int/futurum/forum_convention/organlist_en.htm#list), please indicate
which of these organisations have received European Community funds in the past five years?

Could the Commission please indicate how much money each of these Community funded organisations
has received in each of the past five years?

Could the Commission please indicate from which budget line each organisation derived/derives its funds?

Finally, which organisations have money ‘earmarked’ from the Community’s budget?

(1) OJ C 28 E, 6.2.2003, p. 32.

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(12 August 2002)

The Commission would draw the Honourable Member’s attention to the fact that for the last five years
Parliament has been informed annually of the appropriations earmarked for grants (A-30) and of the use
to which they have been put.

As regards the Honourable Member’s precise request, the Commission’s departments are undertaking more
detailed research, the findings of which will be the subject of a supplementary answer.

(2003/C 52 E/134)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2012/02

by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(9 July 2002)

Subject: Iodisation

In the light of the deliberations on the proposal to amend Directive 2000/13/EC (1) concerning the
indication of additives contained in food, is the Commission aware that the iodisation of foodstuffs, even
in the smallest concentrations, may result in numerous ailments ranging from allergies, Basedow’s disease
and hyperthyroidism to anaphylactic shocks resulting in death?