WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4071/97 by Phillip WHITEHEAD to the Commission. Nutritional labelling
16. 6. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 187/119 Is the use of this phosphoric acid ester permitted under European legislation? Is it in accordance with the code of good agricultural practice to spray this agent from an aircraft not only onto olive trees but also onto the people of the village of Orgiva › men, women, children and infants › as well as any tourists incidentally present? What action will the European Commission take to put a stop to abuses of this kind? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (2 February 1998) Dimethoate is an insecticidal active substance which was authorized for use in plant protection products in most Member States before the implementation date (25 July 1993) of Directive 91/414/EEC of 15 July 1991 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market (1), and therefore can continue to be authorized by Member States in accordance with the provisions of Article 8(3) and (4) of that Directive. Directive 91/414/EEC provides that, in granting the authorization for such a plant protection product, the Member State must have established that the product, having regard to all normal conditions under which it may be used, has no harmful effect on human or animal health, directly or indirectly. Moreover, this Directive provides, in Article 3, that plant protection products must be used properly. Proper use includes compliance with the above mentioned safety conditions of use and also with the application of the principles of good plant protection practice. The facts mentioned by the Honourable Member seem to indicate a practice which is not in accordance with the above mentioned provisions. The Commission will ask further information of the Spanish authorities on these facts as well as on the measures taken to ensure that the above mentioned provisions are adequately in case of spraying from aircraft. (1) OJ L 230, 19. 8. 1991. (98/C 187/184) WRITTEN QUESTION E-4070/97 by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission (14 January 1998) Subject: Nutritional labelling Does the Commission agree that future EU food policy › for example the possible framework directive taking the Green Paper forward › must acknowledge the importance of nutrition and the need for consumers to have access to a healthy and nutritious diet? (98/C 187/185) WRITTEN QUESTION E-4072/97 by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission (14 January 1998) Subject: Nutritional labelling Does the Commission also agree that at present, inconsistent and confusing nutritional content claims like álightí and álow fatí make it difficult for consumers to be able to trust the validity of such claims, whereas these claims could be useful to consumers if they were more tightly controlled? Is the Commission planning to consider the control of these types of claims as part of the forthcoming nutrition labelling review?