WRITTEN QUESTION E-1701/03 by Ian Hudghton (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Traditional herbal remedies.
Date: 2003-05-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: alternative medicine, approximation of laws, legal code, medical plant, medicinal product, pharmaceutical legislation

21.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 280 E/175

(cid:1) ‘Combating cardiovascular disease, diabetes and rare diseases’ and especially research activities on rare

diseases which are expected to be naturally mostly dedicated to children,

(cid:1) ‘Combating resistance to antibiotics and other drugs’ which includes the development of vaccines and
alternative therapeutic strategies to circumvent the problem of antimicrobial and other drug resistance
will also undoubtedly be of interest for children,

(cid:1) ‘Studying the brain and combating diseases of the nervous system’ where the development of strategies
for prevention and management of neurological and mental disorders and diseases is expected to have
specific research action towards children,

(cid:1) ‘Studying human development and the ageing process’, where the understanding of human
development from conception to adolescence is expected to have application as regards child health.

The thematic priority 5 ‘Food quality and safety’ is also expected to contribute to several aspects of child
health and especially in the following research actions:

(cid:1) ‘Epidemiology of food-related diseases and allergies’ where epidemiological studies of the effect of diet,
food composition and lifestyle factors on the health of children and the prevention or development of
specific diseases, allergies and disorders will be tackled,

(cid:1) ‘Impact of food on health’ and ‘Environmental health risks’ where specificity of children is clearly

addressed.

(1) OJ L 294, 29.10.2002.

(2003/C 280 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1701/03

by Ian Hudghton (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(22 May 2003)

Subject: Traditional herbal remedies

The UK Flower Essence Producers Association believes that the Commission’s rejection of Amendment 13
to the Traditional Herbal Remedies Directive puts ‘Bach Flower Remedies’ and its related products under
threat. Could the Commission comment on the following concerns expressed by the Association.

The methods of production required by the Directive will render Bach Flower Remedies products as

1.
being incorrectly labelled as a flower essence and ineffective as a flower essence.

2.
The required method of production is inimical to the traditional methods of making flower essences.
Accordingly, even if products, say from Nelson Bach, were registered under the Directive, they would no
longer be classified as flower essences. They might be able to be classified as homeopathic, but, by default,
and under the Trades Descriptions Act, they could no longer be marketed as ‘Bach Flower Remedies’ as
they would not be made in the way that Edward Bach laid down in 1936.

3. Within the range of Bach Flower Remedies there are several which would not be on the positive
herbal list (i.e. Star of Bethlehem). This would deplete the list of traditional products.

Could the Commission also comment on the UK Flower Essence Producers Association’s concerns that the
impact of the Directive on Bach Flower Remedies will seriously damage this traditional British industry and
have wide-ranging economic impacts.

C 280 E/176

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

21.11.2003

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(23 June 2003)

The Commission proposal for a Directive of the Parliament and the Council amending the Directive 2001/
83/EC (1) as regards traditional herbal medicinal products intends to provide a harmonised legal framework
for these specific medicinal products, removing the differences on the status between the Member States to
facilitate the free movement in the Single Market.

Article 1 of Directive 2001/83 EC states the definition of medicinal product. Traditional herbal medicinal
products are being defined in the Commission’s proposal of herbal medicinal products; this definition is
identical with the scientific definition agreed within the European Pharmacopoeia of the Council of
Europe.

Regarding the Parliament Amendment 13 and the concern expressed by the British Flower Essence
Producers Association, the Commission considers that the Bach Flower Remedies could continue to be
regulated under the same conditions in the Community as a flower essence, after the entry into force of
this Directive, as far as these products are not marketed either as medicinal products or as traditional
herbal medicinal products.

(1) Directive 2001/83/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating

to medicinal products for human use (cid:1) OJ L 311, 28.11.2001.

(2003/C 280 E/194)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1707/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Relocation of companies outside the EU

(16 May 2003)

Recently the multinational Schiesser decided to relocate its Greek subsidiary, Schiesser-Palco, from Greece
to Bulgaria, putting 500 Greek workers (cid:1) mainly women (cid:1) out of work.

According to statements by officials at the Greek General Confederation of Labour (GSEE), when a
company relocates from the USA to a country with lower labour costs (so that the company can take
advantage of these lower costs), the USA imposes an additional tax (in the guise of a ‘social clause’) on
products imported from the third country in order to support those dismissed and also to discourage
company relocations outside the USA.

The most recent report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, dated 30 March 2003, on foreign direct
productive investment, says that Greece is one of the lowest ranked in Europe, at eighteenth of 22 EU
Member States included in the report, below all the current EU members and also four of the new
members from eastern Europe (the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia).

Does the EU intend to follow the USA’s example in doing something to support those dismissed by
companies which relocate, and (cid:1) primarily (cid:1) to check the flood of companies abandoning EU countries?
What other urgent initiatives does the Commission intend to take on this major issue which is reducing
the EU’s jobs and sapping its wealth?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(16 June 2003)

The Commission has no intention of proposing to introduce in the Union a retaliatory measure such as
the one mentioned by the Honourable Member. The Commission is not aware of any such measure being
taken by the United States.