WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1199/98 by José VALVERDE LÓPEZ to the Commission. Vitamin consumption in the European Union
22. 12. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 402/91 Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (2 June 1998) The projects carried out in 1995 were of a purely national nature, with only one party involved. In contrast, for 1996 and 1997, the projects were selected according to the eligibility criteria set out in the applicantsí guide, requiring the participation of at least three countries and two establishments per country in every project. The projects accepted, although fewer in number, thus provide better quality through having a greater number of partners, thereby enhancing cooperation and creating genuine European networks. The Commission wishes to draw attention to Article 5 (implementation and selection procedure) of Parliament and Council Decision No 819/95/EC of 14 March 1995 establishing the Community action programme Socratesí (1), which stipulates that áthe Member States shall take the necessary steps to coordinate and organise the implementation of this programme at national level, in particular by providing for the appropriate structures and mechanisms at national levelí, and that árequests for financial assistance for projects in actions considered to be centralised in Chapter II (Action 2. ) shall be submitted by the project coordinators to the structures designated by the Member States. Those structures shall forward the approved requests to the Commission for a final decision,. í. At the meeting of the national agencies for Comenius actions 2 and 3, held in Brussels on 5 and 6 November 1997, the Commission drew the agenciesí attention to the fact that few projects involving the children of gypsy people had been presented by the national agencies in 1997; the Commission stressed that, particularly in view of the opening up of the programme to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CCEE), whose gypsy population is estimated at close to six million, these children should not be marginalised and that, having regard to the size of the gypsy population in those countries, it will be possible to establish a greater number of partnerships with the aim of boosting the education of gypsy children. (1) OJ L 87, 20. 4. 1995. (98/C 402/117) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1199/98 by JosØ Valverde López (PPE) to the Commission (24 April 1998) Subject: Vitamin consumption in the European Union It appears that the Commission is preparing a legislative initiative concerning harmonization of the legal status of vitamins. It would be useful if information could be provided regarding total vitamin consumption within the EU (per inhabitant and per year). Has the Commission any reports indicating a vitamin deficiency within the population or any health problem relating to vitamin consumption within the EU? Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (19 May 1998) Sources of consumed vitamins are foods naturally containing vitamins, foods to which vitamins have been added and vitamin supplements. The Commission does not have precise information on total per capita yearly consumption of vitamins in the Community and doubts that such information exists. National surveys on nutrient intakes provide data on intakes of vitamins. On the basis of these surveys and using national criteria, which often differ from one Member State to the other, indications as to adequacy or deficiency of vitamin intakes in the population have been obtained. Such information is included in a report produced by a working group in the framework of scientific cooperation on questions relating to food between the Commission and the Member States. A copy of this report is forwarded directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliamentís Secretariat