WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1459/99 by Glyn FORD Brewery ties
29. 1. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 27 E/77 Bags used to pack re-sterilised medical devices are meant to guarantee the quality of the devices to be reused, so ensuring an appropriate level of protection of the patient and are therefore accessories to medical devices. Containers for waste, albeit contaminated medical device waste, have not the intended purpose to protect the characteristics of the disposed devices, and are therefore not accessories to medical devices. 3. Manufacturers may only put the CE marking, foreseen by Directive 93/42/EEC, on medical devices. As disposal containers are neither medical devices nor accessories to medical devices they may not bear the above-mentioned marking. However this does not mean that they could not bear other markings or labels. (2000/C 27 E/094) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1459/99 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission (1 September 1999) Subject: Brewery ties Does the Commission have any plans to review the possibility for regulating the system of brewery ties which still applies in the UK? Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission (10 September 1999) The Commission has this year adopted three individual exemption decisions for the national brewers, Bass, S&N and Whitbread. The brewers notified their leases because the current block exemption regulation concerning exclusive purchasing agreements, while containing special provisions for beer-supply agree- ments, did not cover the British beer delivery contracts as the beer tie did not come within the ambit of the regulation. The individual exemptions mentioned are valid in the case of Bass and S&N until the end of 2002 and for Whitbread until the end of 2008. The Commission has no plans to propose any specific regulation for the beer sector. The current block exemption regulation will expire by the end of 1999. It is the Commissionís firm intention to replace this regulation and other regulations concerning vertical agreements with one, wide ranging and general block exemption regulation that will not contain sector-specific provisions. In July 1999 the Commission sent for consultation to Member States a draft block exemption regulation and draft guidelines. After the consultation of Member States these draft texts will be published for consultation of third parties. (2000/C 27 E/095) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1460/99 by Richard Corbett (PSE) to the Commission (1 September 1999) Subject: Proposed amendments to the Recreational Craft Directive 94/25/EC to include exhaust and sound emission requirements laid down in the European Commission document Doc. III 76032/97-EN, revision 6 dated 9. 12. 1998 Does the Commission agree that these amendments to Directive 94/25/EC (1) are retrospective in that the definitions given for ámajor engine modificationí will encompass all existing craft that replace or refurbish their engines for áwear and tearí reasons? Do not the amendments therefore place an undue cost burden on small businesses in the engine and boat building industries, (estimated costs of £15 000 per engine/installation)? Would the Commission state what