WRITTEN QUESTION E-1314/00 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Degree of harmfulness of vegetable fats.
C 81 E/26 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 13. 3. 2001 Reply (29 September 2000) The Council would inform the Honourable Member that the granting or refusal of a visa is a matter for which responsibility lies exclusively with the Member States. The procedure and possible remedies where a Member Stateís diplomatic or consular representation refuses to examine an application or to issue a visa are governed by the national law of that Member State. The Council is not authorised to take a position on a matter which does not fall within the scope of the powers conferred upon it by the Treaties. (2001/C 81 E/029) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1314/00 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission (27 April 2000) Subject: Degree of harmfulness of vegetable fats As a result of the recent adoption of the directive on cocoa, certain vegetable fats may now be used in the production of chocolate, in place of the 5 % cocoa butter that has hitherto been used. As regards Italy, Parliamentís vote has legalised what was previously ü under a 1976 law ü considered fraud. This begs the following question: is the above Italian law based on scientifically unsound data, or does the text adopted in Strasbourg perhaps offer sounder scientific assurances, in health protection terms, concerning the use of the following vegetable fats: shea butter, ilipØ butter, kokum butter, shorea butter, palm oil (or butter) and mango oil (or butter)? In Europe, these products are used to produce margarine, soap, animal feed and candles and as excipients in ointments and creams. They clearly have many uses, albeit not including food production. In order, therefore, to prevent undue speculation and to reassure consumers, can the Commission confirm the following: 1. whether it is certain that these products do not damage human health? 2. whether it has received assurances from its scientific bodies that these fats are not harmful? 3. failing this, whether it would be prepared to commission a specific scientific study into the safety of these tropical products for food production purposes? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (29 June 2000) Article 14 of Council Directive 73/241/EEC of 24 July 1973 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to cocoa and chocolate products intended for human consumption (1) states that the Directive áshall not affect the provisions of national laws at present authorising or prohibiting the addition of vegetable fats other than cocoa-butterí. On this basis seven Member States have authorised the addition of vegetable fats other than cocoa-butter while eight Member States have prohibited it. 13. 3. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 81 E/27 The new Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 2000 offers all Community manufacturers the option of adding 5 % vegetable fats other than cocoa-butter, but it limits this option to the following fats: illipe butter, palm oil, sal butter, Shea butter, kakum grugi and mango nut. These vegetable fats are also commonly used in the manufacture of many other food products. It must be stressed that the traders themselves are primarily responsible for food safety. They must ensure that the product they place on the market poses no risk to consumer health. The competent authorities for their part are responsible for vetting how the manufacturers comply with their responsibilities, through the operation of national monitoring and inspection systems. Up to now the Commission has not been informed of any such health concerns; if the Commission were to be informed of evidence of a risk to human health from vegetal fat used in food products (which would probably not be limited to chocolate products) it could consult the Scientific Committee. (1) OJ L 228, 16. 8. 1973. (2001/C 81 E/030) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1333/00 by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission (4 May 2000) Subject: Commissionersí cabinets Further to its reply to Written Question E-0254/00 (1), will the Commission indicate the individual salaries of members of each cabinet and the tax rates paid? (1) OJ C 374 E, 28. 12. 2000, p. 46. Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (30 June 2000) A table indicating, by grades, the distribution of staff (officials and temporary agents) in the current Commissionís cabinets is being sent directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliamentís Secretariat. As the Honourable Member will understand, for reasons of data protection it is legally not possible to publish the exact amount of salary in connection with the name of specific officials. All Cabinet staff are paid in accordance with the salary scale of the Staff Regulations (officials or other servants). Full details of remuneration (including allowances, taxes and pensions) were provided in the the Commissionís answer to Written Question E-2360/99 from Mr. Casaca (1) in January of this year. That answer includes a reference to a list of examples sent directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliamentís Secretariat. Further information on the different allowances can be obtained from the Commissionís answer in December last to Written Question E-2045/99 from Mr Titford (2). As in the case of all officials and other servants of the European Institutions, the basic salary of the members of the cabinets is subject to a progressive tax. The maximum marginal tax rate is 45 %, and a temporary contribution of 5,83 % of a part of the salary is also levied. The social security contributions which personnel are obliged to pay under the Staff Regulations are for pension: 8,25 % of the basic salary, illness: 1,7 % of the basic salary, accident: 0,1 % of the basic salary, and unemployment (for the temporary personnel): 0,4 % of the basic salary. (1) OJ C 303 E, 24. 10. 2000, p. 53. (2) OJ C 219 E, 1. 8. 2000, p. 76