WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1864/97 by Marianne THYSSEN to the Commission. Study of the impact of the proposal for a European Parliament and Council directive relating to cocoa and chocolate products intended for human consumption
C 45/114 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10. 2. 98 The first priority of the Directive is to prevent the production of packaging waste. It also aims to encourage reuse of packaging, recycling and others forms of recovery of packaging and hence the reduction of final disposal of packaging waste. Encouragement of reuse systems is a legitimate option which Member States may adopt, in conformity with the Treaty. The Commission does not share the Honourable Memberís negative views on the Directive, but considers that potential situations in which unjustified barriers to trade and national protectionism are created, should be dealt with on a case by case basis and would correspond to an inappropriate implementation of the Directive. The Commission will examine carefully all such situations which might occur. (1) OJ L 365, 31. 12. 1994. (98/C 45/143) WRITTEN QUESTION P-1864/97 by Marianne Thyssen (PPE) to the Commission (27 May 1997) Subject: Study of the impact of the proposal for a European Parliament and Council directive relating to cocoa and chocolate products intended for human consumption In its answer to my written question E-2838/96 (1) concerning the existence of an objective study of the impact of the Commission proposal for a directive on chocolate products on the working of the single market and the economic implications for the developing countries, the Commission states in paragraph 3 that it is carrying out a macroeconomic study into the impact on the economy of Cameroon of fluctuations in cocoa prices and of the revision of the European directive on the composition of chocolate. This study relating to Cameroon could subsequently be extended to include other countries, in particular the ACP states. The studyís conclusions were expected towards the end of 1996. Has the Commission already completed the above study and, if so, when can publication of the conclusions 1. be expected? 2. Can it indicate what the main conclusions of this study are? Does it plan, as heralded in its answer to my written question, to extend the study relating to Cameroon to 3. the other cocoa-producing ACP states? If so, when may the conclusions of such a study be expected? (1) OJ C 83, 14. 3. 1997, p. 77. Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (9 July 1997) The study the Commission referred to in its answer to written question No E-2838/96 was entrusted to outside experts. Thus far, only intermediate results have been obtained, and since these do not altogether correspond to the mandate given to the experts the Commission will be asking that the study be taken further. It is the Commission’s intention to provide a tool which will help substantially in arriving at the most accurate assessment possible of the impact of the proposal for a directive. Once it has examined the study, the Commission could extend its scope to other cocoa producing countries, chiefly in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP). The Commission is as yet unable to say when the conclusions will be published