WRITTEN QUESTION E-3344/02 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Delay in publishing a compulsory warning about the possible development of infantile botulism in babies as a result of their being fed honey.
Date: 2002-11-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Netherlands, baby food, consumer information, disease prevention, food safety, honey, infectious disease, labelling

7.11.2003

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 268 E/31

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(8 January 2003)

1.

The Commission is aware of the situation mentioned by the Honourable Member.

2.
The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member’s conclusion. The type of fraud described,
where a blank counterfeit card is created and the PIN code is captured through different means (‘shoulder
surfing’, use of hidden cameras, etc.) is unfortunately not taking place only in the Netherlands and the
modus operandi described is well known by payment industry investigators and law enforcement officers.

In order to reduce counterfeit fraud, the payment card schemes and the banks are deploying substantial
resources in order to introduce chip cards in all Member States and in many third countries as well. The
data on the card will no longer be stored in the magnetic stripe, but in the chip. This will make their
duplication extremely difficult. The payment card schemes and the banks are committed to introduce chip
cards in all Member States by 2005. The late deadline is due to the huge number of cards to be re-issued
and of the equipment (terminals, automated teller machines, etc) to be replaced or modified.

3.
As a result of Resolution No C4 0455/98 of the Parliament, the Commission is taking action to
increase the security of payment transactions. To prevent fraud and counterfeiting of non-cash payments,
the Commission adopted in February 2001 a three-year Fraud Prevention Action Plan based on a
the
partnership among all stakeholders.
Commission and other parties should undertake. Security improvements are the main priority of the
Action Plan, which supports the introduction of the highest economically viable level of security.

It provides for five main areas and 11 main actions that

Discussions on security issues, including on the progress in the migration to chip cards in the Union, take
place regularly at the meetings of the Union Fraud Prevention Experts Group, the steering group for the
implementation of the Fraud Prevention Action Plan.

The Commission will organise in 2003 a Conference on the security of payments in the Internal Market,
with a view to improve information on the security of modern payment products and systems.

By the end of 2003, the Commission will report to the Parliament and the Council on the progress
achieved with the Fraud Prevention Action Plan and propose, if necessary, further action.

The eEurope Smart Cards Initiative of the Commission also provides for actions aimed at stimulating
financial
institutions to use chip cards for payment applications (supporting the remedy described in
point 2 above).

(2003/C 268 E/035)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3344/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(26 November 2002)

Subject: Delay in publishing a compulsory warning about the possible development of infantile botulism in

babies as a result of their being fed honey

1.
Is the Commission aware that children aged under twelve months whose intestinal flora has not yet
fully developed may, as a consequence of being fed honey, become infected with bacteria which cause
botulism and that such infantile botulism may result in amyosthenia and paralysis or even death?

2.
Is the Commission also aware that the third case in which, in the Netherlands, a connection was
established between the death of a baby and consumption of honey in spring 2002 resulted in the
Netherlands Food Inspection Office agreeing to introduce an obligation that a warning should be printed
on the labels of jars containing honey that it should not be fed to babies aged under twelve months?

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Official Journal of the European Union

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7.11.2003

Can the Commission confirm the report published in the Dutch media that the introduction of a
3.
compulsory warning has been delayed because it is dependent on the Commission’s approval and that,
furthermore, the granting of such approval may not be expected in the near future?

4. What prevents Member States, in anticipation of measures to be taken at EU level, from themselves
taking rapid measures immediately the risk becomes apparent in order to protect human life?

5. What can be done to speed up the current EU procedure for the introduction of an obligation to
publish a warning on foodstuffs about circumstances in which consumption may be dangerous?

6. What does the Commission intend doing in this instance, and when? When will
it be possible
actually to introduce the compulsory warning that honey should not be fed to babies aged under twelve
months?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(14 January 2003)

1.
The Commission is aware of the botulism risk associated with the consumption of honey as
described by the Honourable Member. The Commission submitted a question to the Scientific Committee
on Veterinary Measures relating to Public Health on this issue in June 2001. The Committee adopted an
opinion on 19/20 June 2002, where it confirmed that the only biological risk linked to the consumption
of honey is botulism in young children.

However, the Committee noted that:

(cid:1) the routes by which honey is contaminated are unknown,

(cid:1) the environment (soil, dust) is thought to play a critical role as a source of infection for infants,

(cid:1) in general, in Europe, the risk of infant botulism is extremely low,

(cid:1) the level and frequency of contamination of honey with the bacteria is also low.

As a conclusion, the Committee did not consider that requesting microbiological testing or setting
microbiological criteria would be effective control options against infant botulism, due to the sporadic
occurrence of the disease and low levels of the bacteria in honey. The Committee recommended that
effective and targeted information regarding the risks of infant botulism from the consumption of honey
should be provided (via leaflets, labelling or advice to health care professionals).

2.
The Commission has not received yet the results of the epidemiological investigation carried out by
the Dutch authorities on the case the Honourable Member is referring to. However, on the basis of the
information available to the Commission, 49 cases of infant botulism have been registered up to now since
its first notification in 1978 in Europe. Of these cases, 30 had a history of having been fed honey, but only
in eight cases was it confirmed that honey contained bacteria of the same type as isolated from affected
infants.

3., 4., 5. and 6.
Existing European legislation provides for the possibility that (cid:1) where no Community
provisions exist (cid:1) Member States make provisions for the compulsory indication on labels of particulars
other than those required by Article 3 of Directive 2000/13/EC (1). Should the national authorities of The
Netherlands intend to resort to a specific labelling measure on the risk of infant botulism from honey, the
procedure contemplated by Article 19 of Directive 2000/13 would have to be activated. This requires a
notification to the Commission of the measures that are envisaged and the reasons that justify them so as
to allow the Commission to consult the other Member States.

A preliminary discussion of the issue of infant botulism from honey already took place, in June 2002, in
the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH). The Dutch authorities took part
in the debate and drew attention to the issue of infant botulism. However, to date they have not notified
any proposed labelling measure. From unofficial information available to the Commission it would appear
that, for the time being, the Dutch authorities intend to tackle the infant botulism risk by intensifying
information to consumers and health care practitioners.

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A further discussion is foreseen in the Committee, in order to take account of the Scientific Committee’s
advice, which was not available at the time of the June meeting. The Commission will consider the
orientations of the SCFCAH and continue to follow all developments with the utmost attention, in keeping
with its obligations and the commitment to ensure a high level of consumer protection.

(1) Directive 2000/13/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws of

the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs, OJ L 109, 6.5.2000.

(2003/C 268 E/036)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3405/02

by Carlos Bautista Ojeda (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Activities posing a threat to the environment in Gibraltar

(29 November 2002)

Activities are permitted in Gibraltar, a United Kingdom territory to the south of Andalusia, which pose a
threat to ecosystems in the area and the way of life of hundreds of thousands of European citizens.
Activities such as the transfer of crude oil from one vessel to another are standard practice in Gibraltar,
giving rise to recurrent discharges into the Bay of Algeciras without any administration intervening.

The port of Gibraltar also allowed docking by single-hulled oil tankers such as the ‘Prestige’, which sank on
19 November 2002 when it was heading for Gibraltar, causing an unprecedented ecological disaster along
the Galician coast.

Is the Commission aware of the above circumstances? If so, has it adopted or will it adopt any type of
measure to put an end to these irregularities?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(4 February 2003)

Regarding transhipments of oil in Gibraltar, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its
answer to Oral Question H-0800/02 by Mr García Margallo y Marfil (1) at Parliament’s December 2002
session.

As to port inspections and the measures the Commission has taken following the ‘Prestige’ disaster, the
Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to Written Question P-3484/02 by
Mr Tannock (2).

(1) Oral answer of 17.12.2002.
(2) OJ C 161 E, 10.7.2003, p. 95.

(2003/C 268 E/037)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3460/02

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

Subject: The establishment of a European Public Prosecutor

(6 December 2002)

Does the Commission believe Corpus Juris is required for the European Public Prosecutor to work
properly?