WRITTEN QUESTION E-0391/03 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Eco-label.
Date: 2003-02-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, business policy, corporate social responsibility, eco-label

6.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 33 E/39

(2004/C 33 E/036)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0339/03

by Horst Schnellhardt (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 February 2003)

Subject: Ban on chocolate cigarettes

A letter from the Federal Ministry for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture of the Federal Republic
of Germany announces measures drawn up by the European Commission designed to restrict advertising
campaigns which seek to promote the consumption of tobacco by children and young people. In this
connection, consideration would also be given to a ban on the manufacture, import and sale of sweets and
toys which look like tobacco products.

1.

2.

On what basis and when will a measure of this nature be drawn up?

How are the objectives set out above to be attained?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(3 March 2003)

Banning the sales of chocolate cigarettes is not a measure adopted by the Commission. Rather, such a
prohibition is part of the Recommendation on the Prevention of Smoking and on Initiatives to Improve
Tobacco Control, which the Council adopted on 2 December 2002 upon a proposal by the Commission
under Article 152 paragraph 4 of the EC Treaty (1). With regard to this proposal of the Commission the
Parliament adopted a resolution (2) which as modification 5 contains the following new paragraph under
point 1(d) of the Commission’s proposal:

By prohibiting the production, importation and sale of edible products and toys in the form of

(da)
tobacco products.

The definitive version of the Recommendation adopted by the Council follows this suggestion with a
different wording:

(e)
Prohibiting the sale of sweets and toys intended for children and manufactured with the clear
intention that the product and/or packaging would resemble in appearance a type of tobacco product.

As the name implies this Recommendation of the Council is not legally binding. It is, therefore, left to
Member States to decide in which way they will follow-up the Council’s Recommendation to prohibit the
sale of products like chocolate cigarettes.

(1) Council Recommendation 2003/54/EG of 2 December 2002 on the Prevention of Smoking and on Initiatives to

Improve Tobacco Control (cid:1) OJ L 22, 25.1.2003.

(2) 2002/2167 INI.

(2004/C 33 E/037)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0391/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(13 February 2003)

Subject: Eco-label

in Regulation (EEC) 880/92 (1), recently amended by Regulation (EC)
The introduction of an eco-label
1980/2000 (2), is intended to make it easier for consumers to identify environmentally-friendly products
which have been officially approved by the EU and to encourage enterprises to develop projects having the
necessary specifications. Criteria have now been adopted for 19 categories of product, and in the long term
it is intended to establish 35 such categories.

C 33 E/40

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2004

1.

To what extent has the eco-label found acceptance in the EU?

2. Which products and how many and which enterprises have been awarded an eco-label in Greece?

3. What measures must be taken to encourage more enterprises to take an interest in and obtain the
eco-label, without any lowering of the quality and environmental protection criteria?

(1) OJ L 99, 11.4.1992, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 237, 21.9.2000, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(16 June 2003)

The Union Eco-label is a benchmark tool to help consumers, whether public or private purchasers, to
identify environmentally friendly goods and services on the market. The main aim is to encourage
businesses to market greener products which comply with high environmental and performance standards.

(a) At present the statistics for the Union Eco-label are as follows:

(cid:1) 20 product groups with established criteria;

(cid:1) 134 awarded companies;

(cid:1) 81 million ecolabelled articles (1);

(cid:1) EUR 179 million factory sales (1);

(cid:1) EUR 314 million retail sales (1).

(b) Statistics for Greece are as follows:

(cid:1) nine awarded companies:
(cid:1) Bed mattresses:

(cid:1) Ideal Strom Krdakos Bros S.A.;
(cid:1) Vas. Chantiridis S.A.;
(cid:1) Athenian Bed Mattresses Manufacturing Unit S.A.

(cid:1) Indoor paints and varnishes:

(cid:1) Berling S.A.;
(cid:1) ‘ER (cid:1) LAC’ G.D. Koutlis S.A.;
(cid:1) International Ilios Cotachem S.A.;
(cid:1) Viochrom Ltd.

(cid:1) Dishwashers:

(cid:1) Morris S.A.
(cid:1) Textile products:
(cid:1) Gallop S.A.

(cid:1) 2,1 million ecolabelled articles (1);

(cid:1) EUR 17,8 million factory sales (1);

(cid:1) EUR 26,8 million retail sales (1).

In answer to the question about how to encourage enterprises to join the Union Eco-label, it is important
to note that the Union Eco-label is now part of a wider approach on Integrated Product Policy (IPP) within
the 6th Community Environment Action Programme. Therefore the growth of the Union Eco-label will
certainly benefit from the future development of such an environmental policy in terms of sustainable
consumption and production.

The Union Eco-label has also adopted a working plan for the period 2002-2004 which seeks to increase
significantly the visibility of the scheme. In particular, the Commission together with Member States, acting
as the European Union Eco-labelling Board (EUEB), is actively operating to identify effective actions to
increase the market penetration of the Union Eco-label, including specific marketing initiatives and a closer
co-operation and co-ordination between the Union eco-label and national labelling schemes.

(1) Estimated data for 2002 based on a 50 % increase in turnover compared to 2001.