WRITTEN QUESTION E-2727/02 by Gerhard Schmid (PSE) to the Commission. Border guard units.
Date: 2002-09-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: border control, external border of the EU, paramilitary force

9.10.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 242 E/29

The Commission is aware of certain concerns regarding high intakes of fluoride. The Scientific Committee
for Food in its 1992 opinion on nutrient and energy intakes for the European Community (5) noted that
fluoride is beneficial to dental health, although chronic exposure to intakes of 10-25 mg per day can have
effects on the muscles and skeleton that can manifest as debilitating musculo-skeletal deformities. The
Scientific Committee on Food is currently undertaking risk assessments on the tolerable upper levels of
intake for all the nutrients listed in the Directive on food supplements, including fluoride. Maximum levels
for vitamins and minerals in food supplements will therefore be established at the Union level on the basis
of the scientific risk assessments and calculations of intakes from other food sources, with due account
taken of reference intakes of vitamins and minerals for the population.

Regarding drinking water, its quality is regulated in the Community by Council Directive 80/778/EEC of
15 July 1980 relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption (6), which will be replaced
by 25 December 2003 by the drinking water Directive 98/83/EC of the Council of 3 November 1998 (7).
In both Directives there is a limit concerning the maximum admissible concentration of fluoride in
drinking water, regardless of its origin, i.e. naturally present or artificially added. The limit set out in the
drinking water Directive is 1,5 milligram per litre, which according to the view of the World Health
Organisation (WHO) as expressed in its drinking water quality guidelines (8) represents a good balance
between the positive and negative effects of fluoride. At present the Commission is not considering
revision of the legislation.

The Commission is not able to provide the requested data on the impact of fluoride on dental health or
other effects on health in the population of the Union as it does not have the responsibility for collecting
such data. However,
lead to the
development of a system for the collection by Member States of comparable data on the impact on health
of individual substances in the diet.

the new health programme 2003-2008 will

is expected that

it

(1) OJ L 204, 21.7.1998.
(2) OJ C 311 E, 31.10.2000.
(3) OJ L 183, 12.7.2002.
(4) OJ C 90 E, 16.4.2002.
(5) Reports of the Scientific Committee for Food 31st series. Nutrient and energy intakes for the European Community
the European Communities,

(Opinion expressed on 11 December 1992). Office for Official Publications of
Luxembourg 1993.
(6) OJ L 229, 30.8.1980.
(7) OJ L 330, 5.12.1998.
(8) World Health Organisation. Guidelines for drinking water quality. Second edition, volume 2. Geneva, 1996.

(2003/C 242 E/032)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2727/02

by Gerhard Schmid (PSE) to the Commission

(30 September 2002)

Subject: Border guard units

Replying to my Question E-1887/02 (1) of 2 July 2002 in the debate on the Commission Communication
‘Towards Integrated Management of the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union’ (2),
the Commission regrets that it cannot answer the questions as it does not have any information on the
matter, which falls within the competences of the relevant authorities of the Member States.

Why is the Commission proposing European border guard units if it is unfamiliar with the present
situation?

(1) OJ C 28 E, 6.2.2003, p. 148.
(2) COM(2002) 233.

C 242 E/30

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

9.10.2003

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(29 November 2002)

At its meeting on 14/15 December 2001 the Laeken European Council asked ‘the Council and the
Commission to work out arrangements for cooperation between services responsible for external border
control and to examine the conditions in which a mechanism or common services to control external
borders could be created’.

these expectations of

To meet
the Commission adopted its communication,
‘Towards integrated management of the external borders of the Member States of the European Union’ (1),
setting out the possible principles for a common policy in order to establish a structured framework for
operational activities and set long-term guidelines. The Commission’s proposals are based on the practical
knowledge and experience acquired in past years, as described in Part II of the communication.

the European Council,

‘Burden-sharing between Member States in the run-up to a European Corps of Border Guards’ is a key
component of the proposed common policy. This desirable goal must not, however, be isolated from the
communication’s other key components. The Commission is in favour of the creation of a European corps
of border guards in the medium term, but the communication also makes it clear that ‘at the appropriate
juncture, the Commission will evaluate the institutional and legal nature of this structure.’

(1) COM(2002) 233 final.

(2003/C 242 E/033)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2876/02

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 October 2002)

Subject: Health and welfare in Greece

Recently there have been several references in the Greek press to problems concerning the progress of the
Health and Welfare operational programme, which is managed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare with
funding from the third CSF.

It is well known that some of the Health and Welfare operational programme’s resources come from the
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Could the Commission give details of exactly which
projects funded by the third CSF in the health sector have started in Greece? What amounts (either
automatic advance payments or payments made on receipt of applications) have been provided by the
ERDF (detailed on a project-by-project basis) in the health sector (Axes 1 and 2)? Could the Commission
give details of exactly which projects funded by the third CSF in the welfare sector have started in Greece?
What amounts (either automatic advance payments or payments made on receipt of applications) have
been provided by the ERDF (detailed on a project-by-project basis) in the welfare sector (Axis 3)? Could the
Commission give details of exactly which projects funded by the third CSF in the supporting measures area
have started in Greece? What amounts (either automatic advance payments or payments made on receipt
of applications) have been provided by the European Funds (detailed on a project-by-project basis) in this
sector (Axes 4 and 5)?

What comments does the Commission have to make on the criticisms made by Mrs Verstraete (European
Commission Director-General) during her recent visit to Athens (19 June 2002), when she said that the
proposals made by the Greek Ministry of Health and Welfare for projects for 2001 were disturbing? What
was the reason for the disagreement between Mrs Verstraete and Mr Sofianos (Secretary-General of the
Ministry of Health and Welfare) on 19 June at the second meeting of the monitoring committee in Athens,
where Mr Sofianos spoke of investments of EUR 60 million while the Commission (cid:1) represented by
Mrs Verstraete (cid:1) did not foresee more than EUR 7,5 million for Greece in 2002 under any circumstances?
What are the total amounts of resources utilised by the Health and Welfare operational programme in its
two years of operation?