WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3592/97 by Yves VERWAERDE to the Commission. Result of the 1989-1995 Impact Programme
C 158/160 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 5. 98 (98/C 158/213) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3592/97 by Yves Verwaerde (PPE) to the Commission (13 November 1997) Subject: Result of the 1989-1995 Impact Programme Would the Commission supply me with the results of the Impact Programme, the plan of action for setting up an information services market and for enhancing the competitiveness of the European information services industry. Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (18 December 1997) A final evaluation report on a programme for the establishment of an internal information services market (1) has been established by independent external experts. The report entitled áfinal evaluation report of the EC Impact programmeí summarises the results of the programme implementation and was submitted to the Parliament and the Council, together with a Commission communication (2). (1) OJ L 377, 31. 12. 1991 › In accordance with article 6 of the Council Decision 91/691/EEC of 12 December 1991. (2) COM(96 273. (98/C 158/214) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3599/97 by Gianni Tamino (V) to the Commission (13 November 1997) Subject: Dissemination of information in the context of projects for certified quality beef It was only in the last few days that the information disseminated at the first European conference on European quality beefí (held in Venice in April 1997) came to the attention of the author of this question. During the conference press releases printed on headed paper with images of the European flag and the words áfinanced with a contribution from the European Communityí were distributed, with titles such as Why meat is an essential foodí and studies signed by a J. D. Maxwell entitled The vegetarian diet as a risk factor in tuberculosis in the United Kingdomí. Does the Commission know about these press releases and does it agree with the subject matter? Is the Commission aware that to define meat as áan essential foodí is banned by a number of rules introduced by the AEEP/EASA (European Advertising Standards Alliance) and that common sense dictates that if such a claim were true, it would mean death for about ten million people in the EU countries and hundreds of millions of people worldwide? On the contrary, research carried out by the WHO and the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food (the latter published in the Financial Times on 15 September 1997) maintain that it has been proved that excessive consumption of meat is ádangerousí and may lead to cardiovascular diseases and cancer. When will the Commission fund an information campaign to promote a diet in which animal proteins are reduced or eliminated, thereby encouraging European food producers who are moving in this direction? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (18 December 1997) The Commission made a financial contribution to the European Beef Congress at Venice but bears no responsibility for the contributions of the scientists invited. The Commission takes the view that the wide availability of products of animal and plant origin ought to enable individuals to select a healthy, balanced and diversified diet covering their particular nutritional needs