WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1617/99 by Gary TITLEY The forthcoming Directive on Metrology
C 27 E/150 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 29. 1. 2000 The Commission is not aware of the use of precursors of nandrolone, an anabolic steroid, in processed foodstuffs. Council Directive 96/22/EC of 29 April 1996, concerning the prohibition on the use in stockfarming of certain substances having a hormonal or thyrostatic action and of β-agonists, and repealing Directives 81/ 602/EEC, 88/146/EEC and 88/299/EEC (2) prohibits the administering to a farm or aquaculture animal, by any means whatsoever, of substances having androgenic action, such as nandrolone. If residues of nandrolone are found in foodstuffs, the foodstuffs must be removed immediately from the market and destroyed. (1) OJ L 33, 8. 2. 1979. (2) OJ L 125, 23. 5. 1996. (2000/C 27 E/183) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1612/99 by Hanja Maij-Weggen (PPE-DE) to the Commission (15 September 1999) Subject: Child labour Can the Commission state which European countries have still not ratified the ILO Convention on protection against extreme forms of child labour? Can it state which ACP countries have still not done so? What action will it take to speed up the ratification process? Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission (27 October 1999) The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention concerning the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour (Convention 182) has to date been ratified by one Member State of the ILO, namely the Republic of Seychelles. It should be noted that the Convention has not come into force yet. This will occur only twelve months after the Director-General of the ILO has registered the first two ratifications. The Commission, for its part, strongly supports the principles underlying the Convention and hopes for widespread ratification. The Commission is continuing to fund several projects throughout the world, particularly in developing countries, that are aimed at improving childrenís lot. These projects involve supporting measures geared to providing legal protection, enabling children to go back to school or making society aware of childrenís rights. Since 1997, projects of this kind have been financed in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Togo, Nepal and Ghana. (2000/C 27 E/184) WRITTEN QUESTION P-1617/99 by Gary Titley (PSE) to the Commission (7 September 1999) Subject: The forthcoming Directive on Metrology I understand that the Commission is currently preparing a new directive on metrology. France is the only EU Member State that insists that all measuring instruments, such as distance measurers, must be approved by a national authority, in this case the Directions rØgionales de líindustrie, de la recherche et de líenvironnement (DRIRE). To gain approval, companies need an office and warehouse in France which DRIRE inspectors can visit in order to inspect each instrument individually