WRITTEN QUESTION No. 877/98 by Gunilla CARLSSON to the Commission. Warning on Swedish snuff
9. 10. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 310/143 (98/C 310/193) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0875/98 by Florus Wijsenbeek (ELDR) to the Commission (26 March 1998) Subject: Confiscation of driving licences and vehicle registration certificates in Italy Is the Commission aware that in Italy Netherlands hauliers who commit road-traffic offences often have their driving licences and registration certificates confiscated for longer than one month, making it impossible for them to work as drivers? Does the Commission consider such treatment as acceptable in cases where fines cannot be paid on the spot? Will the Commission exert pressure on the Italian authorities in order to secure a uniform › and at all events accelerated › procedure for the return of confiscated documents? If so, how? If not, why not? Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (29 May 1998) The Commission is conducting a detailed investigation of the problem raised by the Honourable Member and will inform him of the outcome as soon as possible. (98/C 310/194) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0877/98 by Gunilla Carlsson (PPE) to the Commission (26 March 1998) Subject: Warning on Swedish snuff My Written Question E-3530/97 (1) concerned the fact that EU Directive 92/41/EEC (2) stipulates that packets of Swedish snuff must be marked with the words Causes cancerí. There is no scientific basis to that claim. Instead, several research findings indicate that no link whatever can be proved. To require a particular product to be marked with a warning which is actually erroneous, seriously undermines confidence in the EU. The Commissionís answer of 20 January deals in essence only with the size of the warning, not the fact that directives based on erroneous information undermine confidence in the EU. Would the Commission, therefore, say whether it will take the initiative to amend the text of the Directive concerned? (1) OJ C 174, 8. 6. 1998, p. 73. (2) OJ L 158, 11. 6. 1992, p. 30. Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (4 May 1998) The legal texts governing labelling of tobacco products (Council Directive 89/622/EEC (1) as amended by Council Directive 92/41/EEC of 15 May 1992 amending Directive 89/622/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning the labelling of tobacco products (2)) were adopted by the Council on the basis of available scientific evidence, specifically cited in the recitals to those texts. No subsequent evidence has been presented to the Commission showing that tobacco products do not represent a threat to human health. (1) OJ L 359, 8. 12. 1989. (2) OJ L 158, 11. 6. 1992