WRITTEN QUESTION P-2647/03 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Use of synthetic prohormones for livestock fattening.
Date: 2003-08-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Belgium, European Food Safety Authority, animal feedingstuffs, fattening, food safety, foodstuffs legislation, hormone, public health, scientific report, veterinary legislation

C 78 E/146

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(23 October 2003)

Amendment of Article 25(1) of the Kyoto Protocol is not feasible from a legal point of view. Article 20 of
the Kyoto Protocol defines the procedure that has to be followed for amendments to the Protocol itself. As
the responsibility for adoption of any amendments lies with the Conference of the Parties serving as the
Meeting of the Parties of the Kyoto Protocol, this procedure is applicable only once the Kyoto Protocol has
entered into force. The conditions in Article 25(1) also underline the need to address the global problem of
climate change by international action involving broad participation.

(2004/C 78 E/0151)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2647/03

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(28 August 2003)

Subject: Use of synthetic prohormones for livestock fattening

Reports in the Flemish press suggest that the law enforcement authorities in Belgium are investigating a
new livestock fattening product, which promotes the production of testosterone.
It is apparently a
synthetic version of a natural prohormone. The substance stimulates the brain to produce hormones
naturally produced by the body, in this case testosterone. Hormones of this kind are banned in Belgium.
According to the report, the hormone also contains dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which causes liver
damage and probably has other side-effects.

Is the Commission aware of this technique?

If so, what action has it already taken?

If not, does it intend to ask the European Food Safety Authority to issue a scientific opinion on the matter
in accordance with Article 29(1)(a) of Regulation (EEC) 178/2002 (1)?

(1) OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(18 September 2003)

The Commission is aware that so-called pro-hormones can be used to stimulate the natural production of
androgenic and oestrogenic hormones in livestock in order to stimulate growth. DHEA is such a substance.
This substance is covered by Directive 96/22/EC of 29 April 1996 concerning the prohibition on the use
in stockfarming of certain substances having a hormonal or thyrostatic action and of β-agonists (1).

It is the responsibility of the Member States to verify compliance with this legislation by applying Council
Directive 96/23/EC of 29 April 1996 on measures to monitor certain substances and residues thereof in
live animals and animal products (1) and to take the appropriate measures.

With the support of the Commission, the Community Reference Laboratory responsible for hormones is
gathering the available technical information and is organising a workshop at which the issue will be
discussed with the Member States in October 2003.

The Scientific Committee on Veterinary measures relating to Public Health (SCVPH) evaluated the risks to
human health from hormone residues in bovine meat and meat products treated with hormones for
growth promotion in 1999, in 2000 and again in 2002. The reports are available on http://europa.eu.int/
comm/food/index_en.html. Consequently the Commission does not intend at present to ask the European
Food Safety Authority to issue a scientific opinion on the matter, in accordance with Article 29(1)(a) of

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/147

Regulation (EEC) 178/2002 (2) of the Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the
general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and
laying down procedures in matters of food safety.

(1) OJ L 125, 23.5.1996.
(2) OJ L 31, 1.2.2002.

(2004/C 78 E/0152)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2651/03

by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission

(10 September 2003)

Subject: Consumer involvement

in the common implementation strategy for the Water Framework

Directive 2000/60/EC

In the answer given by the Commission to a previous question (E-0879/03 (1), 2 May 2003)
the
the common
Commission claimed that
implementation strategy had delivered on expectations,
including the involvement of stakeholders and
non-governmental organisations. However, the Commission admitted that although in October 2001 it
invited European consumer umbrella organisations BEUC and AEC to participate, neither organisation had
to date joined the implementation strategy process.

the first phase of one and a half years,

looking back at

Does the Commission regret that no organisation representing consumers, who are a key stakeholder in
the aims and objectives of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC (2)), is participating in the process?
BEUC has proposed to the Commission that the UK consumer body WaterVoice should be invited to
participate as an expert water consumer group, but the Commission is understood to have declined
because WaterVoice is not classed as a European organisation. Is the Commission satisfied that it is right
not to make a pragmatic exception which would achieve some involvement by a consumer organisation
rather than as now, and over the last one and a half years, none at all?

(1) OJ C 280 E, 21.11.2003, p. 110.
(2) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(7 October 2003)

The Commission regrets that, so far, no European, or international, consumer organisation is currently
participating in the Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) for the Water Framework Directive (1). Since
the last communication on this issue (response to the Honourable Member’s Written Question E-0879/03),
the Commission has continued to encourage and invite European and international consumer
organisations to participate in the Common Implementation Strategy. In addition to the Bureau Européen
des Unions des Consommateurs (BEUC) and the Association of European Consumers (AEC) which were
already contacted in 2002, the Commission has also approached ‘Consumers International’ and invited that
organisation to take part in the CIS. Consumers International has shown considerable interest and is
currently consulting with BEUC in order to agree on an appropriate modus operandi.

In the beginning of the CIS, criteria for participation of stakeholders and non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) have been laid down and agreed between the Commission and the Member States. These criteria
include the requirement that participating organisations should have a European vocation representing the
consolidated views of different national or regional bodies. The reason for this restriction was to ensure
that the inputs from the different interest groups were balanced and representative of a wide range of
opinion rather than simply presenting national or regional positions. In addition, in many of the Member
implementation process for the Water Framework Directive includes the active
States the national