WRITTEN QUESTION E-2188/03 by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE)and María Valenciano Martínez-Orozco (PSE) to the Commission. Discrimination against pregnant women in grants made by the Ministry of Labour in Spain.
Date: 2003-07-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Spain, application of EU law, education grant, equal treatment, motherhood, position of women, sexual discrimination

C 33 E/232

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2004

(2004/C 33 E/237)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2188/03

by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE)
and María Valenciano Martínez-Orozco (PSE) to the Commission

(2 July 2003)

Subject: Discrimination against pregnant women in grants made by the Ministry of Labour in Spain

The Institute for Women, which is a subsidiary organisation of the Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social
Affairs, has recently called for applications for training placement grants whose application regulations
include a clause suspending the placement and salary if participants give birth and decide to look after the
baby for the subsequent 16 weeks (Regulation TAS/939/2003 published in BOE [Official State Journal] 93
on 18 April 2003).

Does the Commission consider that this condition in the regulations governing the award of these grants
complies with Directive 92/85/EEC (1)?

(1) OJ L 348, 28.11.1992, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(4 August 2003)

With regard to the matter brought to its attention by the Honourable Members, the Commission intends
to contact the Spanish authorities to find out how these grants are awarded.

At first glance,
governing the equal treatment of men and women cannot be ruled out in this case.

it would appear that the possibility of an infringement of the Community legislation

(2004/C 33 E/238)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2192/03

by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission

(2 July 2003)

Subject: Testing methods for dairy products

Could the Commission supply an updated list of the Community legislation in force relating to testing
methods and inspection techniques used for milk and dairy products, with particular reference to methods
for detecting micro-organisms?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(4 August 2003)

Analyses and tests normally carried out on milk and milk products aim at controlling, on the one hand,
their safety and on the other hand, their quality and composition.

With regard to the safety of milk and milk products, the relevant requirements currently in force are those
laid down in Council Directive 92/46/EEC of 16 June 1992 laying down the health rules for the
production and placing on the market of raw milk, heat-treated milk and milk-based products (1). Certain
reference methods used to test against the different criteria set out in the above Directive are laid down in
Commission Decision 91/180/EEC of 14 February 1991 laying down certain methods of analysis and
testing of raw milk and heat-treated milk (2). However, some of the methods have been subject to
adaptations or replaced by new techniques, since they were prescribed in this Decision, in accordance with
the recommendations of the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) for the analysis and testing of milk
and milk products.
It is indeed one of the duties of this laboratory to provide national reference
laboratories (NRLs) with details and updating of analytical methods, to co-ordinate research into new