WRITTEN QUESTION E-2981/03 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Breach of Directive 89/48/EEC.
Date: 2003-10-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, access to information, diploma, dissemination of information, free movement of workers, lawyer

13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 65 E/253

What immediate action can the Commission take to ensure that the Greek authorities introduce price
inspections which are effective (and not purely nominal as has been the case until now) and to impose
heavy fines for price speculation? Is the Commission aware of the situation regarding meat marketing in
Greece in view of repeated observations by Commissioner Byrne to the effect that health standards in
Greek slaughterhouses and meat markets fall far short of those in other EU Member States?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(4 November 2003)

The Commission is continuing to monitor the hygiene conditions in meat markets and slaughterhouses in
Greece and refers the Honourable Member to replies already given this year to his Written Question
E-1709/03 (1), and Written Questions E-691/03 by Mr Hatzidakis (2) and P-558/03 by Mr Papayannakis (3).
The Commission has no special knowledge of
the circumstances described in the
Honourable Member’s written question. It is writing to the Member State concerned to request information
and will inform the Honourable Member of its findings.

the impact of

Community consumer law does not provide for means to control prices for goods offered to consumers.
It only stipulates by Directive 98/6/EC that the indication of the selling price and the price per unit of
information and facilitate the
measurement offered by traders to consumers improves consumer
comparison of prices. Inflationary price increases however are not covered by Community consumer law.

(1) OJ C 11 E, 15.1.2004, p. 217.
(2) OJ C 222 E, 18.9.2003, p. 228.
(3) OJ C 161 E, 10.7.2003, p. 226.

(2004/C 65 E/268)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2981/03

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 October 2003)

Subject: Breach of Directive 89/48/EEC

Can the Commission list the law diplomas awarded in the Member States on completion of higher-
education studies of at least three years’ duration (or those awarded by any other university college, higher-
education establishment or other establishment with the same level of training) which are covered by the
provisions of Directive 89/48/EEC (1) and which, in accordance with that Directive, grant access to the
profession of lawyer in a Member State other than that in which the diplomas were acquired?

(1) OJ L 19, 24.1.1989, p. 16.

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(17 November 2003)

The Commission does not have a list of the diplomas which give access to the profession of lawyer in the
different Member States and can be recognised in accordance with Directive 89/48/EEC (1). This Directive
leaves Member States free to regulate professions within their territories and to establish the level and type
of qualifications required for a given profession. To the Commission’s knowledge, some Member States
grant access to the profession of lawyer by their nationals conditional not only on possession of a law
degree but also on completing a period of supervised practice and on passing an additional examination.
Information on the diploma required in each Member State, can be obtained from the national ‘contact

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13.3.2004

points’ for diplomas and professional recognition: the list of these contact points is published on the
Commission’s website:
Lastly,
Directive 98/5/EC (2), although it does not list the diplomas required for access to the profession of
lawyer, contains a list of the titles of lawyer existing in all Member States.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/qualifications/index.htm.

(1) Council Directive 89/48/EEC of 21 December 1988 on a general system for the recognition of higher-education

diplomas awarded on completion of professional education and training of at least three years’ duration.

(2) Directive 98/5/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 1998 to facilitate practice of the profession
of lawyer on a permanent basis in a Member State other than that in which the qualification was obtained, OJ L 77,
14.3.1998.

(2004/C 65 E/269)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2987/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 October 2003)

Subject: Inadequate monitoring of maximum residue levels (MRL) of toxic substances and combinations of

toxic substances in nectarines and grapes originating in the EU

1.
Is the Commission aware that research carried out by the Dutch organisations Stichting Natuur en
Milieu (‘Nature and Environment Foundation’), Vereiniging Milieudefensie (‘Association for the Defence of
the Environment’) and the alternative consumers’ association Goede Waar & Co (‘Good Produce & Co’) has
revealed excessively high levels of toxic residues and of even more dangerous combinations of toxic
substances in nectarines and grapes from Spain, Italy and Greece, all EU Member States, which are
principally sold in branches of stores run by international practitioners of predatory pricing?

2.
Has the Commission paid particular attention to fruit which is eaten unpeeled and from which,
therefore, any toxic substances remaining are introduced into the human digestive system in greater
concentrations than from peeled fruit?

3.
Can the Commission confirm that the treatment with toxic substances of fruit trees and bushes in the
EU is increasing again, as is the possibility of the presence of toxic substances in fruit imported from inside
or outside the EU?

4.
According to the current findings of national and Community-coordinated programmes to monitor
residue levels of pesticides in cereals, vegetables and fruit respectively, by what percentage is the maximum
residue level (MRL) presently being exceeded?

5. What are the Commission and the Member States doing (cid:1) with the assistance of the Rapid Alert
System and with the application of harmonised guidelines (cid:1) to bring about further improvements in
Member States’ notification of pesticide-residue MRLs in food of vegetable origin and to intervene regularly
with a view to providing all consumers in the EU with maximum protection?

Is the Commission intending to take supplementary measures in order to put a stop to any possible

6.
decline in food safety and to improve monitoring of food safety standards?

Source: the 24 September 2003 edition of ‘De Volkskrant’, a Dutch newspaper

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(19 November 2003)

The Commission is not aware of the research mentioned by the Honourable Member.

In the risk assessment performed when setting Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs), and when evaluating
findings in the framework of the Rapid Alert System for Foodstuffs, the Commission makes a distinction
between fruit that is consumed with the peel and fruit consumed without the peel.