WRITTEN QUESTION P-3118/03 by Nicholas Clegg (ELDR) to the Commission. Relaxing restrictions on paraquat.
Date: 2003-10-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: herbicide, marketing restriction, marketing standard, product safety, public health, toxic substance

C 70 E/222

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(14 November 2003)

In order to help the candidate countries carry out the necessary reforms, the Union channels financial
assistance to various fields: through PHARE for institutional matters, through ISPA for investments in
transport and the environment, and through Sapard for rural and agricultural development. The full list of
assistance granted by the Union can be found on the Internet site of
for
Enlargement.

the Directorate-General

By way of exemption from the prohibition of state aid laid down in Article 87(1) of the EC Treaty, state
aid for investment can be approved on the basis of the guidelines on national regional aid (1) or Regulation
(EC) No 70/2001 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to state aid to small and
medium-sized enterprises (2). In order to reduce the potential negative impact of relocation, The aid is
granted on condition that the investment is maintained for a minimum of five years in the less-favoured
region.

Romania is a candidate for accession to the Union and, on that basis,
is currently transposing the
Community ‘acquis’ into domestic legislation and policies. The Community acquis, including the ‘acquis’
relating to state aid rules, is already applicable in Poland, which signed the Accession Treaty on 16 April
2003. The Commission is not aware of any individual aid having been granted to the company referred to
by the Honourable Member. Aid could have been granted under an aid scheme that had been submitted to
it. The Commission is going to consult the competent authorities in the countries in question in order to
find out if aid has been granted to Rieker and under what conditions. It will inform the Honourable
Member of the outcome of the consultations.

(1) OJ C 74, 10.3.1998 and amendments in OJ C 285, 9.9.2000.
(2) Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to state

aid to small and medium-sized enterprises, OJ L 10, 13.1.2001.

(2004/C 70 E/239)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3118/03

by Nicholas Clegg (ELDR) to the Commission

(17 October 2003)

Subject: Relaxing restrictions on paraquat

The international food and farming union, IUF, is concerned about the relaxing of current restrictions on
the toxic herbicide paraquat. It is estimated that paraquat, for which there is no known antidote, accounts
for a substantial number of the 40 000 global pesticide-related deaths every year. Relaxing restrictions on
paraquat would encourage greater use of this toxic substance and would make it available on the market in
the EU where it is currently banned. It would also undermine efforts to establish higher standards of health
and safety in agriculture and to encourage agricultural production methods which are socially and
environmentally sustainable.

What was the outcome of the meeting of the EU’s Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal
Health at the beginning of October regarding the use of paraquat? Can the Commission provide official
clarification regarding its views on the substance paraquat?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(13 November 2003)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to written P-3093/03 by Mr Ettl (1).

(1) OJ C 65 E, 13.3.2004, p. 266.