WRITTEN QUESTION E-2342/99 by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission. 1998 Football World Cup Finals.
8. 8. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 225 E/109 (2000/C 225 E/111) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2342/99 by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission (13 December 1999) Subject: 1998 Football World Cup Finals Which European Commission officials were given World Cup tickets at the time of that event, and were those officials involved in assessing the fine subsequently imposed by the Commission on the football authorities? Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (5 January 2000) No-one involved in the instruction of the case, from the responsible member of the Commission to the rapporteurs of the case in the Competition Directorate general, was given tickets by the comitØ français díorganisation de la coupe du monde de football 1998 (CFO) or the national football federations. (2000/C 225 E/112) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2343/99 by Robert Evans (PSE) to the Commission (13 December 1999) Subject: Aflatoxin fungus Would the Commission inform me of recent actin taken by the Commission concerning permissible levels of aflatoxin fungus and Brazil nuts? I have been approached about the possible impact of this action on forest people in the Amazon region. I would like further information on the scientific basis for this action and any assistance that the EU is giving to producers. Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission (19 January 2000) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1525/98 of 16 July 1998 amending Regulation (EC) No 194/97 of 31 January 1997 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs (1) establishes maximum limits for aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin total for groundnuts, nuts, including brazil nuts, dried fruit, cereals and derived products of these commodities and for aflatoxin M1 in milk. For nuts, including brazil nuts, and processed products thereof intended for direct human consumption or as an ingredient in foodstuffs, maximum limits are at the level of 4 microgram per kilogram (µg/kg) aflatoxin total and 2 µg/kg aflatoxin B1. Sorting techniques and other possible physical treatments which reduce the aflatoxin content can be carried out on unprocessed nuts to obtain the final consumer product. Taking these techniques into account, higher maximum limits have been established for nuts, including brazil nuts (10 µg/kg aflatoxin total and 5 µg/kg aflatoxin B1) to be subjected to sorting or other physical treatment, before their human consumption or their use as an ingredient in foodstuffs. that time the Committee concluded for aflatoxins: The scientific committee for food (SCF) expressed on 23 September 1994 an opinion on aflatoxins, ochratoxin A and patulin (2). At Aflatoxins are it is generally felt that there is no threshold dose genotoxic carcinogens. For this type of carcinogen, below which no tumour formation would occur. In other words, only a zero level of exposure will result in no riskí. It agreed with the recent evaluations of the International agency for research on cancer (IARC) (1993) with respect to the carcinogenicity and genotoxicity of the aflatoxins. From the many reports on risk assessment, it can be concluded that even very low levels of exposure to aflatoxins, i. e. 1 nanogram per kilogram (ng/kg) body weight per day or less contribute to the risk of liver cancer