WRITTEN QUESTION E-3309/03 by Philip Claeys (NI) to the Commission. Responsible shopping week in the Commission's buildings.
Date: 2003-11-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, European Commission, fair trade, public awareness campaign

C 78 E/518

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

(2004/C 78 E/0538)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3306/03

by Gary Titley (PSE) to the Commission

(10 November 2003)

Subject: Fluoride in drinking water

The 1998 Drinking Directive (98/83/EC (1)) lays down a limit of 1,5 milligrams per litre for fluoride in
drinking water.

Can the Commission provide the number of Member States, or regions within Member States, that
currently add fluoride to their drinking water supply? What are the rights of EU citizens concerning the
addition of fluoride to their drinking water?

Given the planned revision of Directive 98/83/EC, does the Commission foresee a change in the
parametric values for fluoride?

(1) OJ L 330, 5.12.1998, p. 32.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(16 December 2003)

Fluoridation is currently allowed in four Member States (Germany, Spain, United Kingdom and Ireland); in
the three first countries the decision to add fluoride is left to the local/regional authorities. In Italy, there is
no specific law banning or authorising fluoridation. The situation at the regional level is not known by the
Commission. The issue of the rights of Union citizens concerning the addition of fluoride to their drinking
water is outside the formal scope of implementation of the Directive on the quality of drinking water and
the matter of fluoridation of water supplies lies within the Member States’ responsibility.

At this stage, where compliance with the standards fixed by Directive 98/83/EC (1) should be achieved by
25 December 2003, it is premature to foresee any change for any parametric value.

(1) Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption,

OJ L 330, 5.12.1998.

(2004/C 78 E/0539)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3309/03

by Philip Claeys (NI) to the Commission

(10 November 2003)

Subject:

‘Responsible shopping week’ in the Commission’s buildings

Between 6 and 10 October, a ‘responsible shopping week’ was held in the Commission’s buildings.
A brochure published in connection with it mentions cooperation in the project by the Fair Trade Centre
and the Commission’s main catering suppliers, Delhaize, Eurest and Sodexho.

As well as making space available in its buildings, did the Commission also provide financial assistance for
this event? If so, how much?

Were any quantitative objectives set for ‘responsible shopping week’? If so, what? Were the objectives
attained?

Did the organisers give consumers the opportunity to assess the quality of the products on offer? If so,
what was the outcome?

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/519

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(19 December 2003)

A one-week event on the theme of responsible consumption took place at the Commission from 6 to
10 October 2003. The week was organised to coincide with the ‘Fair Trade’ week in Belgium and in
collaboration with the Fair Trade Centre (cid:1) which co-ordinates the activities of the Belgian Fair Trade
Organisations. The organisation of this event is the result of a commitment made by the Commission in its
Communication on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) (1) to launch a campaign in 2003 to raise staff
awareness of the principles of CSR.

During the event, fair trade products were offered for sale in the restaurants and cafeterias, vending
machines and the Euro City shop of the Commission in Brussels. Products offered were coffee, tea, fruit
juices, sugar, cereal and chocolate bars, rice, quince and bananas.

The Parliament was associated with the promotion and fair trade products were offered for sale in its
restaurants and bars, as the Honourable Member will know.

The Employment and Social Affairs DG of the Commission provided a budget of EUR 30 000 that was
used for producing promotional material (brochures, posters, etc.) and for organising food-tasting stands
offering fair trade products.

The object of the week was to reinforce staff awareness of the issues relating to CSR and responsible
consumption by offering them information on this subject as well as the chance to buy fair trade products
at their workplace.

Initial reactions from Commission staff to the products offered have been positive, especially regarding
coffee, tea, cereal and chocolate bars and fruit juices. Sales of these products have been substantial. The
overall results of the event will be evaluated at the end of 2003.

The companies holding the concession contracts for the Commission’s restaurants and cafeterias, vending
machines and the Euro City shop have committed themselves to continue to offer these fair trade products
for as long as there is sufficient demand.

(1) COM(2002) 347 final.

(2004/C 78 E/0540)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3321/03

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(10 November 2003)

Subject: Malta’s temporary landfills

To comply with the EU Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC (1)), the government of Malta announced, on 8 July
2003, that two quarries for the dumping of domestic and organic waste are to be set up as temporary
landfills, until an engineered landfill at Tal-Ghallis is built by 2005. The choice of the two identified
quarries has raised serious objections, since they are only a few hundred metres away from the Unesco
World Heritage Site Mnajdra and Hagar Qim Megalithic temples and this area has been earmarked as a
Heritage Park for a long time.

Can the Commission confirm whether it has been informed by the Maltese government about the choice
of the two temporary sites and whether it considers that this temporary solution complies with the
(current and future) Member States’ commitment to safeguard and enhance Europe’s cultural heritage?

(1) OJ L 182, 16.7.1999, p. 1.