Consumer voice newsletter on food safety, health and consumer policy from the European Commission’s Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General. January 2004.
Date: 2009-04-24
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Consumers
Subjects: consumer information, consumer protection, food safety, public health, serial publication

Consumer Voice

Newsletter on food safety, health and consumer policy
from the European Commission’s Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General 

ISSN 1725-549X

January 2004

  David Byrne, 

Commissioner 
for Health and 
Consumer 
Protection

Editorial
2004 will be a year of landmark 
changes for the EU.  In May, the largest-
ever EU enlargement will bring 10 new 
countries into the fold.  In June, the 
European Parliament will hold elections 
and in November a new European 
Commission will take office.  It is no 
exaggeration to say that by the end 
of the year the political landscape in 
Brussels will have changed profoundly.

Our task over the coming months is 
to prepare a smooth transition to the 
new regime.  This involves practical 
steps, such as recruiting officials from 
the new Member States and preparing 
to use nine new official languages.  It 
also means finishing off the legislative 
work of the outgoing Commission as 
far as possible and presenting policy 
documents that will help the incoming 
Commission to establish its priorities.  

Although the personalities on the 
Brussels stage will change during 
2004, many of the political issues they 
face will stay the same.  Nowhere is 
this more true than in my areas of 
policy.  I am certain that citizens in the 
enlarged EU will continue to demand 
that their food is safe, that their rights 
as consumers are protected and that the 
EU protects and promotes their health.  
So while 2004 will see many changes, 
I predict at least one thing will stay the 
same: health and consumer protection 
will continue to be top priorities for the 
EU.

IN THIS EDITION
Commission priorities for 2004 
Irish Presidency priorities 
Events & meetings - health and consumer 
protection 
Safety first - new rules for products 
EU acts against avian influenza 
Health and consumer protection DG’s 
work plan for 2004 
New Director-General for Health and
Consumer Protection 

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2-3
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Commission priorities 
for 2004

The European Parliament will be dissolved in May, ahead of elections in June, but before 
this happens, it will have to agree on a number of key proposals:  draft laws on consumer 
credit, health and nutritional claims, food and feed hygiene, unfair commercial practices 
and the creation of a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.  There is also 
a “to do” list of approximately 36 legislative proposals that need to be adopted by the 
Commission – notwithstanding the months likely to be lost this autumn as a new College 
of Commissioners takes up office.  All this work will, of course, have to take place in 
parallel to preparing for, then adapting to, EU enlargement.

New proposals 

Highlights of the Commission’s 2004 Legislative and Work Programme include a pro-
posal for a revised directive on additives other than colours and sweeteners, a communi-
cation on health strategy, a report on tobacco control in Europe, a proposal for a directive 
on nutritional labelling and a proposal to amend the Novel Foods Regulation. 

Other important items include a new draft law on the control of avian influenza, a follow-
up communication on contract law, a communication on patient mobility and health-care 
developments  and  proposals  on  seed  sampling  and  testing  under  official  supervision.  
Details of all the new initiatives planned for 2004 are given on page 4. 

Irish presidency priorities

In January, Ireland took over the six-month presidency of the European Union.  Its pri-
orities for the next six months include a number of important actions in the area of health 
and consumer protection:

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Events and meetings during the 
Irish Presidency concerning Health 
and Consumer Protection

13 February

Meeting of the Advisory Forum of the 
European Food Safety Authority, Dublin

23-24 February 

Breaking the Barriers- Partnership to 
fight HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia, 
Dublin

25 February  

Conference: “Towards a Comprehensive 
Cardiovascular Health Policy at European 
Union Level”, Cork

4 March  

Employment, Social Policy, Health and 
Consumer Affairs Council, Brussels

10 March 

Meeting of the Management Board of the 
European Food Safety Authority, Dublin

11–12 March  

International Food Safety Conference 
“Harmonisation of Official Food Controls”, 
Dublin

11-12 March

Meeting of Chief Medical Officers, Dublin

14-15 March

Consumer Confidence in the European 
Online Marketplace, Dublin

15 March

Consumer Day, Dublin

16 April

Meeting of Governmental Chief Nurses 
‘Ageing Populations: The Challenges and 
Opportunities’, Cork

27-28 April

Meeting of High Level Committee for 
Health, Dublin

5-6 May

eHealth Conference – Exhibition & Awards, 
Cork

10-11 May

Conference on Development of Cardiology 
Audit and Registration Data Sets (CARDS), 
University College Cork

11-12 May 
Health Ministers Consultative Meeting, 
Cork

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January 2004

Public Health

The Presidency hopes to finalise adoption of the Human Tissues and Cells Directive, as 
well as the draft law to create a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.  
Cardiovascular  health  will  be  particularly  highlighted  in  the  Council  and  at  a  special 
conference  in  Ireland,  while  conferences  will  also  be  held  on  e-health  and  tobacco 
control.  The Irish Presidency will also develop the work of the High Level Process of 
Reflection  on  Patient  Mobility  and  contribute  to  the  Environment  and  Health  Action 
Plan.  At the international level, the Presidency will be fully engaged with the review of 
the World Health Organisation’s International Health Regulations.  

Food Safety

Work on the food safety side will focus on bringing forward the proposals on the Hygiene 
Package, official controls on food and animal feed and maximum residue levels for plant 
protection products.  An additional priority will be to secure agreement on the Commis-
sion’s proposals for strengthening controls on the welfare of animals during transport.  
The Presidency will also work towards agreement on an Action Plan for organic farm-
ing, which the Commission is expected to produce during the first half of 2004. 

Consumer Affairs

The  Presidency  will  work  to  achieve  progress  on  the  Unfair  Commercial  Practices 
Directive and the draft law on enforcement cooperation between national consumer pro-
tection authorities.  It will also seek to significantly advance work on the forthcoming 
Framework Directive on Services, regarded as a key measure to complete the Internal 
Market.

Safety first – new rules for products

The General Product Safety Directive comes into force improving 
consumer protection

The  revised  General  Product  Safety  Directive,  adopted  in  2001,  is  applicable  from 
15 January 2004.  It sets safety requirements for consumer products such as sports and 
playground equipment, childcare articles, lighters and most household products such as 
textiles and furniture.

The  Commission  receives  around  150  notifications  of  dangerous  products  annually, 
most often in association with the risk of choking and suffocation, electric shocks and 
fires.  The category of products most often notified is toys, followed by electrical appli-
ances and products.   The directive will significantly improve the safety of consumers 
by making clear that the manufacturers have to ensure they place safe products on the 
market.

“For  the  first  time,  manufacturers  have  a  legal  obligation  to  inform  authorities  if  a 
product is unsafe.  These products can then be recalled and taken off the market.  Also 
for the first time, the Commission can initiate recalls and provisional bans to assure the 
same level of protection for the entire EU.  This is very good news for consumers,” said 
Commissioner Byrne.

Manufacturers and distributors will now be legally obliged to inform the authorities if 
they conclude that a product they supply is dangerous.  They will then have to work with 
the authorities in tracing dangerous products and taking them off the market.  If neces-
sary, companies may be required to organise a product recall.

Consumer Voice

January 2004

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January 2004

The EU will have reinforced powers to order a recall or an emergency ban of dangerous 
products.  The Commission can also for the first time act on its own initiative to suspend 
a product. 

Under the new directive, products subject to an emergency ban can no longer be exported 
from the EU to third countries.  The new directive also requires that, as a general rule, 
the public should have access to the information on product safety gathered by Member 
States and the Commission.

The  new  law  also  strengthens  the  EU  rapid  alert  system  for  dangerous  products 
(RAPEX). The Commission is to be immediately informed of any product that poses 
a serious risk, following which it will alert all Member States.  The possibility of link-
ing third countries to the RAPEX system is also foreseen, with Romania and Bulgaria 
already expressing an interest in joining.

Clarifying the rules

The EU’s rules on product safety are a mixture of laws applying to specific products or 
sectors and general laws applying to all products.  The revised directive clarifies the rela-
tionship between its general rules on product safety and product or sector specific laws.  
Detailed guidance on how the directive relates to the Toys Directive, the Directive on 
Equipment with Voltage Limits, the Directive on Personal Protective Equipment and the 
Cosmetics  Directive  is  available  at:  http://europa.eu.int/comm/consumers/cons_safe/
prod_safe/gpsd/guidance_gpsd_en.pdf 

The revised directive further clarifies that products which “migrate” from professional 
to consumer use – for example, power tools primarily intended for builders that become 
available for sale or rent to consumers in DIY shops – are covered by its rules, as are 
products supplied to or used by consumers as part of a service.

More effective use of standards

Compliance costs for businesses should fall as the revised directive makes more effec-
tive use of standards from standardisation bodies such as CEN and CENELEC.  Products 
complying with certain Europe-wide standards will be deemed to meet safety require-
ments in all Member States.  An initial list of these standards will be published later this 
year.  It is likely to include standards relating to childcare products such as cradles, cots 
and baby-soothers. 
Further  information:  http://europa.eu.int/comm/consumers/cons_safe/prod_safe/gpsd/
revisedGPSD_en.htm 

EU acts against avian influenza
The  EU  is  participating  in  international  efforts  to  contain  the 
outbreak  of  avian  influenza  in  Asia.    It  has  also  suspended 
imports of Asian poultry as a precautionary measure.

A European Union animal health expert has gone to Vietnam, the country so far worst 
hit by the outbreak, to help control the disease there.  The EU expert is being dispatched 
in response to a call by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN Food and Agri-
culture Organization (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) for 
international assistance in tackling the spread of the disease across Asia.  He will work 
with the Vietnamese authorities as part of a WHO lead team and provide advice on how 
to eradicate the disease in the country’s poultry farms.  

Consumer Voice

(Events cont. )

24-25 May 

Committee on Veterinary Medicinal 
Products (CVMP). Veterinary Mutual 
Recognition Facilitation Group (VMRFG) 
- Regulatory, Cork

26-27 May 

Meeting of Heads of Medicinal Products 
Agencies/Heads of Veterinary Medicinal 
Products Agencies, Dublin

1-2 June 

Health Council, Luxembourg

13-16 June 

4th European Conference on Promoting 
Workplace Health - “Networking 
Workplace Health in Europe”, Dublin

16-18 June 

12th European Social Services Conference 
“Delivering Quality and Access to Social 
Care and Health in an Enlarged Europe”, 
Dublin

17-18 June 

Tobacco Control Conference, University of 
Limerick

17-18 June 

Breastfeeding Promotion in Europe 
Conference, Dublin

   News in brief : Food Safety

8 January - The European Commission increases 
advance payments for the eradication of avian 
influenza in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany 
in 2003.

19 December 2003 - The European Commission 
adopts an amendment to the transmissible spongiform 
encephalopathy (TSE) Regulation easing the 
heightened level of testing for TSEs in sheep and goats 
in the EU.

   News in brief : Public Health

19 December 2003 - Commission adopts proposal for 
a Council Decision ratifying the Framework Convention 
on Tobacco Control.

16 December 2003 – The European Parliament gives 
second reading opinion on Human Tissues and Cells 
Directive.

January 2004

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Consumer Voice

  Health and Consumer Protection

  DG’s work plan for 2004

A total of 36 new legislative proposals and 
policy documents are planned for 2004 :

•  Uniform Principles for authorisation of 

microbial pesticides

•  Influenza preparedness and response plan

•  Report concerning electronic identification 

of bovine animals

•  Framework for food additives

•  Health Executive Agency Decision

•  Health Strategy Communication

•  Public Health  - Work plan 2004 

•  Seed sampling and testing under official 

supervision

•  General Plan for Food Crisis Management 

(Reg. 178/2002)

•  Setting up scientific committees in the field 

of public health (non food)

•  Consumer Policy - Annual Work Plan 2004

•  Participation of Bulgaria in the new 
framework on consumer policy 

•  Participation of Romania in the framework 

on consumer policy

•  Patient Mobility and Health Care 
Developments Communication

•  Novel Foods

•  Review of EU Consumer Protection Acquis

•  Directive on control of avian influenza

•  Nutrition labelling

•  Report on Tobacco Control in Europe

•  Code of conduct for e-commerce

•  Amendment of TSE Regulation  (999/2001)

•  Flavourings & food ingredients with 

flavouring properties for use in and on food

•  Networking of organisations (Reg. 178/

2002)

•  European Contract Law follow-up 

Communication

•  Amendment of Dir 95/2 on additives other 

than flavourings (nitrites/nitrates)

•  Adhesion of the Community to ‘The 

International Union for the Protection of 
New Varieties of Plants’ (UPOV)

•  Amending Regulation 2001/466 and Dir 

2002/32 (mycotoxins)

•  Certification system on the marketing of 

fruit plant propagating material

•  Technical process requirements for blood 

and blood components

•  Updating of Council Directive 69/465/EEC 

on control of potato cyst eelworm

•  Coordinated programme for the official 

control of feedstuffs for 2005

•  Amending the directive on the placing on 
the market of plant protection products

•  The protection of chicken kept for the 

production of meat

•  Coordinated programme for the official 

control of foodstuffs

•  Commission Regulation on microbiological 

criteria for foodstuffs

A threat to humans as well as animals

Avian influenza, so-called “bird flu”, is highly contagious amongst chickens and other 
birds but is usually difficult for humans to catch.  Nonetheless, a total of eight people 
have died of the disease during the current outbreak in Asia, six of them in Vietnam.  
The WHO has warned of the danger of the virus evolving into a highly dangerous strain 
of human influenza.  For the moment, though, contact with inflected birds is the only 
way for humans to catch the virus and so containing the disease in the animal population 
is the focus efforts by government and international organisations.  

Several Asian countries effected

Cases  of  avian  influenza  have  been  confirmed  in  Cambodia,  China,  Laos,  Indonesia, 
Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea and Vietnam. Imports of poultry from Thailand 
into the EU were suspended on 23 January following confirmation from the Thai author-
ities that the disease had been found there.  The EU does not import poultry from any of 
the other countries hit by the outbreak.

Commenting on the decision to suspend imports from Thailand, Commissioner David 
Byrne said this had to be done “given the seriousness of potential risk for Europe.”  He 
added, “We cannot take any risks with public health or animal health”.

Further  information  on  avian  influenza  and  animal  health:  http://europa.eu.int/comm/
food/animal/diseases/controlmeasures/avian_en.htm; 
Further  information  on  avian  influenza  and  human  health:  http://europa.eu.int/comm/
health/ph_threats/com/Influenza/avian_influenza_en.htm 

New Director-General for Health and Consumer 
Protection 

Robert  Madelin,  appointed  by  the  Commission  as  Director-
General for Health and Consumer Protection, takes up office on 
15 January. 

Previously  a  Director  in  the  Directorate-General  for  Trade 
(1997-2003), Mr. Madelin has worked on a range of issues 
including:  access  to  medicines,  agriculture,  biotechnology, 
corporate  responsibility,  global  governance,  intellectual 
property,  investment,  services,  food  and  product  standards, 
sustainable development, and relations with the Asia-Pacific. 
Prior  to  this,  he  was  Deputy  Head  of  Cabinet  to  Sir  Leon 
(now Lord) Brittan during his period as European Commis-
sion Vice-President.

Now  aged  46,  Mr.  Madelin  was  educated  in  England  at 
the Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe and at Magdalen College, Oxford. He 
joined the British Civil Service in 1979, serving mainly in London and Brussels, with 
shorter  periods  spent  in  Geneva  and  New  York,  and  studied  at  the  ‘Ecole  Nationale 
d’Administration’ in Paris.

Consumer Voice,  January 2004
The views expressed in Consumer Voice do not necessarily reflect the opinions of 
the European Commission.
Reproduction of articles is authorised, except for commercial purposes, provided 
that the source is mentioned.
Email: sanco-newsletter@cec.eu.int

Chief Editor: Marie-Paule Benassi. 
Editors: Iwona Pajak, Aoife White, Ben Duncan in cooperation with the EC Health 
and Consumer Protection DG. 
Layout: Deborah MacRate-Ockerman
website: 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/health_consumer/index_en.htm

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January 2004

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