WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3710/97 by Phillip WHITEHEAD to the Commission. Animals and cosmetic testing
C 174/106 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 8. 6. 98 (98/C 174/164) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3710/97 by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission (19 November 1997) Subject: Animals and cosmetic testing Would the Commission consider giving the Eco-label a cruelty free dimension? Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (15 January 1998) The Community eco-label award scheme, established by Council Regulation (EEC) No 880/92 on a Community eco-label award scheme (1) does not provide for the establishment of criteria specifically aimed at animal welfare. However, an eco-label may not be awarded to products which do not comply with Community legislation applicable to animal testing such as Directive 86/609/EEC on the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes (2). So far the problem has been purely hypothetical, given that eco-labelling criteria have not been established for product groups, such as cosmetics. In the Commission proposal (3) to revise Regulation (EEC) No 880/92 there are no specific animal testing protection requirements. (1) OJ L 99, 11. 4. 1992. (2) OJ L 358, 18. 12. 1986. (3) COM(96) 603 final. (98/C 174/165) WRITTEN QUESTION P-3714/97 by Luciano Vecchi (PSE) to the Commission (12 November 1997) Subject: Obstacles to the free movement of doctors in the United Kingdom Various Community citizens whose medical or surgical degrees are in order, are certified qualified to practise medicine or have a medical specialization have been the victims of blatant discrimination by the UK authorities as regards access to the medical profession. In particular, in many cases doctors trained in other Community countries are required to have the MRCP certificate, which can be obtained only in the UK following two yearsí general practice, in order to have access to professional or training activities, when it is not necessary in other European countries. This situation clearly conflicts with the principles of freedom of movement for workers and the horizontal and vertical directives on access to the regulated professions. 1. Is the Commission aware of this discrimination? 2. Has the Commission taken or will it take action against the UK authorities to resolve these problems? 3. What recourse is open to Community citizens who are discriminated against by these rules? Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (6 January 1998) 1. and 2. Since the Commission does not have the information necessary to investigate the problem raised, it regrets that it is at present unable to give an answer. It therefore requests the Honourable Member to provide further particulars