WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4021/97 by Panayotis LAMBRIAS to the Commission. Sale of unsafe foodstuffs in supermarkets
C 196/60 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22. 6. 98 (98/C 196/83) WRITTEN QUESTION E-4021/97 by Panayotis Lambrias (PPE) to the Commission (14 January 1998) Subject: Sale of unsafe foodstuffs in supermarkets According to recent studies by consumer protection organizations and statements made by the government agency for quality control of food in Greece, an urgent problem has arisen in the public health sector owing to the sale of adulterated, spoiled and contaminated foodstuffs covering the entire range of foodstuffs from drinking water and olive oil to meat, cooked pork meats and packaged products. The problem is aggravated by responsibility for foodstuffs being divided between 8 ministries and around 50 directorates, as a single food monitoring body has yet to be set up. Will the Commission say what it intends to do to ensure compliance with Community legislation on foodstuffs in Greece, and uphold the right to health of Greek citizens? Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (19 February 1998) Directive 89/397/EEC on the official control of foodstuffs (1) requires Member States to inspect and control foodstuffs effectively at the most appropriate stage from production to distribution and trade. Included in the concept of control within this Directive is a requirement for the inspection of food businesses and the sampling, examination and analysis of foodstuffs, to ensure that the supply of foodstuffs to the European consumer complies with national and European foodstuffs legislation. Article 5 of Directive 93/99/EEC on the subject of additional measures concerning the official control of foodstuffs (2) requests the Commission to monitor and evaluate the equivalence and effectiveness of the official food control systems operated by the authorities of Member States. To this end an initial mission was made to Greece as well as to other Member States by the Commission during 1996 and 1997. The mission to Greece indicated that improvements in communication and co-ordination between the authorities in Greece would enhance the overall effectiveness of the system for the official control of foodstuffs. This and other points were brought to the attention of the Greek authorities in the assessment report from the Commission. Further visits are planned in 1998 to Greece and the other Member States to assess progress. (1) OJ L 186, 30. 6. 1989. (2) OJ L 290, 24. 11. 1993. (98/C 196/84) WRITTEN QUESTION E-4022/97 by Panayotis Lambrias (PPE) to the Commission (14 January 1998) Subject: Combating the narcotic substance Ecstasy At the recent European Parliament conference of 27 and 28 November 1997 on synthetic narcotic substances, papers were given and research presented highlighting the grave danger to our young people from the use of the substance Ecstasyí. This substance, as well as other synthetic narcotic substances, is being produced in large quantities in factories within the European Union, is sold very cheaply and is accessible to very young people, while its use has a devastating effect on the physical and mental health and development of young people. Will the Commission say what measures it intends to take to stop the operation of illegal Ecstasy factories in the European Union and to promote widespread information campaigns warning young people against the dangers of using this substance?