WRITTEN QUESTION E-3017/02 by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission. Protected designation for craft products.
Date: 2002-10-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: craft production, designation of origin, handicrafts, product designation, product quality, standard

C 222 E/34

Official Journal of the European Union

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18.9.2003

How does the Commission view this situation in the light of the Convention on the Rights of the

3.
Child?

How does the Commission view the fact that, through the offensive odour alone, the children are

4.
being hindered in their learning and therefore denied equal opportunities with pupils at other schools?

(1) OJ L 183, 29.6.1989, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(6 December 2002)

The Commission is very sensitive to the need to invest in the future, well-being and education of our
children. However, problems concerning the health and safety of schoolchildren do not come under its
jurisdiction, but are a matter for the Member States.

As mentioned by the Honourable Member, existing Community legislation on health and safety at work
to schoolchildren. Problems relating to the health and safety of
applies only to workers and not
schoolchildren are not a matter for the Community, but must be addressed at national level. However, in
the case of the Nideggen school complex, in addition to the Honourable Member’s complaint, a connected
complaint has been made by a teacher. As the teacher is a worker, the Commission has contacted the
German authorities in order to check that Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the
introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work is being
applied correctly.

The Commission would also like to draw attention to its successful court case (C-5/00), the purpose of
which was to ensure that German legislation was brought in line with the provisions of the above-
mentioned Directive;
this testifies to the Commission’s concern to ensure correct application of
Community legislation in the Member States.

The Commission is fully aware of the importance of the subject of ‘the environment and children’s health’
and is committed to making it one of the main points of its political agenda.

The Commission is due to prepare a communication on environment and health,
in which special
attention will be devoted to vulnerable groups, including children. The need to give more consideration to
children in the process of decision making and policy development is clear, and the communication will
present a suitable action plan on the quality of the ambient air, particularly where children are concerned.

This communication will be published in 2003.

(2003/C 222 E/039)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3017/02

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(23 October 2002)

Subject: Protected designation for craft products

European rules enabling consumers clearly to identify food products with protected designations of origin
have been in existence for ten years now, backed up by a verification and control system. However, no
such arrangements exist for traditional craft products, which are of significant importance to the European
economy and for which appropriate European rules should be laid down, in order to protect them against
imitation and counterfeiting. What are the Commission’s views on the matter?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(14 November 2002)

The Commission shares the Honourable Member’s opinion that the craft sector plays an important role in
the Union.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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However, it is often difficult to estimate the full importance of craft businesses in the European economy
because there is no European level definition of the craft trade and where there are definitions of craft
businesses at national level, these reflect different circumstances. Nor then is there any definition of a
‘traditional craft product’ at Community level. To remedy this situation, a study has been carried out to
draw up a methodology to produce a statistical definition of a small craft business which should enable the
Commission to obtain more accurate and comparable statistical data.

The Honourable Member will find further information on this study on Internet site: http://europa.eu.int/
comm/enterprise/entrepreneurship/craft/craft-studies/methodology-craftstatistics.htm

In addition, the Commission is aware of the need to take advantage of the quality of craft products and
European rare crafts, and has conducted a study aimed at identifying rare crafts in Europe and the channels
for transferring know-how in the rare crafts sectors.

The final report from this study can be found on the Internet site: http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/
entrepreneurship/craft/craft-studies/rarecrafts.htm

The Commission is thus continuing to look into this very important matter as it is aware that local
traditional craft products are an integral part of the cultural and economic life of the peoples and regions
of Europe and that the quality of these products lies in their traditional methods of manufacture.

(2003/C 222 E/040)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3020/02

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(23 October 2002)

Subject: Adoption of a less stringent policy on fertiliser in the Netherlands

In May 2002, on the basis of the 2002 evaluation of the implementation of the Fertilisers Act, the
Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) advised the Netherlands
Government then in office to adopt more stringent rules on the spreading of fertilisers containing nitrogen
land in 2003. Unless the Netherlands did so, the EU nitrates directive (91/676/EEC (1))
on agricultural
would be violated in 2003. On 31 May the Netherlands Government, then acting in a caretaker capacity,
decided not to adopt any decision on fertiliser policy in 2003. The new government has informed the
Netherlands Parliament (by letter no TRC 2002/8255 of 4 October 2002) that it intends to assign priority
to the interests of agriculture and therefore to increase the scope for farmers to pursue free-enterprise
objectives. In effect the Netherlands Government wishes to adopt a policy which is less, rather than more,
stringent. ‘In this connection, the international frameworks are the point of departure’.

This is surprising, as the international framework (the nitrates directive) lays down clearly what rules the
Netherlands is required to comply with. At the same time an infringement procedure (initiated in 1998) is
pending because according to the Commission the nitrates directive has not been implemented sufficiently.

So far the Commission has been quite clear and precise about the implementation of the nitrates directive.
What will it do in the light of the above letter to the Lower House of the Dutch Parliament?

(1) OJ L 375, 31.12.1991, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(29 November 2002)

So far, the Commission has received no recent formal communication from the Dutch government
regarding new intentions either to tighten or loosen its laws governing nitrogen fertilisation. The
Commission is grateful for the information concerning the recommendations of the Dutch National
Institute of Public Health and Environment (RIVM) on the need for stricter norms for the spread of manure
on agricultural land.