WRITTEN QUESTION No. 930/98 by Concepció FERRER to the Commission. Payments made for measures in favour of small and medium- sized enterprises
C 354/40 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 19. 11. 98 (98/C 354/74) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0923/98 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (26 March 1998) Subject: Packaging of áfetaí cheese Under the Greek Food and Drink Code, the traditional and widely consumed áfetaí cheese must be packed and transported only in wooden barrels or metal containers. However, the number of instances is increasing in which feta is instead sold in plastic containers both on the domestic market and as exports to other countries, particularly to Member States of the Union. Apart from the breach of the Code, there is also the issue of the effective protection of consumers and public health. Moreover, the unlawful use of plastic containers adversely affects producers of wooden barrels, a traditional craft which had been encouraged and given hope for the future by the Code. Can the Commission investigate this matter and consider whether the use of plastic containers for selling feta also constitutes a breach of Community consumer law and policy and, if so, can the Commission help to enforce the above provisions of the Greek Food and Drink Code by making representations to the Greek Government? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (13 May 1998) The name áfetaí has been registered in the Community as a protected designation of origin under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 of 12 June 1996 on the registration of geographical indications and designations of origin under the procedure laid down in Article 17 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 (1). Registration means that the Community has endorsed the binding specifications laid down for feta cheese by Greek ministerial decree No 313025 of 11 January 1994. Under Article 3(6) of that decree, feta cheese must be sold in either wooden barrels, metal containers, or materials suitable for coming into contact with foodstuffs. Accordingly, the Commission cannot object to the plastic containers referred to by the Honourable Member as long as they meet the criteria laid down by the framework Directive 97/48/EC of 29 July 1997 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs (2) and Commission Directive 96/11/EC of 5 March 1996 amending Directive 90/128/EEC relating to plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs (3). (1) OJ L 148, 21. 6. 1996. (2) OJ L 222, 12. 8. 1997. (3) OJ L 61, 12. 3. 1996. (98/C 354/75) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0930/98 by Concepcio· Ferrer (PPE) to the Commission (26 March 1998) Subject: Payments made for measures in favour of small and medium-sized enterprises At the end of 1997, only ECU 140 million of the ECU 910 million set aside for the Community SME initiative had actually been paid out. Can the Commission say whether these figures are accurate? Can the Commission explain the reasons for this disparity between commitments and payments? What measures will the Commission take to remedy the disparity between commitments and payments made in connection with Community measures for small and medium- sized enterprises? Can the Commission list the amounts paid to each Member State for each of the measures designed to favour small and medium-sized enterprises?