WRITTEN QUESTION P-0428/00 by Pietro-Paolo Mennea (ELDR) to the Commission. Inclusion of a symbol on medicine packages showing which medicaments contain banned substances.
24. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 303 E/191 (2000/C 303 E/218) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0415/00 by Torben Lund (PSE) to the Commission (23 February 2000) Subject: Copyright On the basis of the Berne Convention and Council Directive 93/98/EEC (1) harmonising the term of protection of copyright and certain related rights will the Commission please state: 1. To what extent the lawful reproduction of an original work, regardless of the method used to reproduce it, influences the term of protection enjoyed by the work under EU rules? 2. Whether the lawful reproduction of a work, regardless of the method used, means that other reproductions may be made against the interests of the rightholder before the end of the term of protection enjoyed by the work under EU rules? (1) OJ L 290, 24. 11. 1993, p. 9. Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission (10 April 2000) Council Directive 93/98/EC harmonising the term of protection of copyright and certain related rights not only defines the Community terms for each category of works or subject matter protected, but also specifies the event which gives rise to the start of this term in each specific case. In fact, in order to fulfil the task of completing a true internal market within which there is free movement of goods and services protected by intellectual property rights, total harmonisation has been achieved, with all the factors which may affect the terms of protection being taken into consideration. The lawful reproduction of a work is a normal act of exploitation which has no influence on the term of protection. It is difficult to imagine a situation in which the lawful reproduction of a work could lead to other reproductions being made against the interests of the rightholder, as such reproductions should also be subject to the rightholderís authorisation or fall into one of the categories of legally authorised use. In any case, a situation of this nature does not in any way affect the term of protection. (2000/C 303 E/219) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0428/00 by Pietro-Paolo Mennea (ELDR) to the Commission (11 February 2000) Subject: Inclusion of a symbol on medicine packages showing which medicaments contain banned substances Sport has an important role in society and may now be considered as an integral part of the culture of all Community countries: ü taking into consideration that it has an educational, cultural and recreational function recognised in the Amsterdam Treaty; ü it is important in safeguarding the health of athletes who practise various kinds of sport; ü it has been demonstrated that drug abuse has serious immediate and long-term consequences for the health and physical integrity of people, including sportsmen; ü the serious damaging effects vary according to the category of drugs used and other variables, such as the dose, the duration of treatment, the combining of different kinds of drugs and the presence of diseases which may aggravate the toxic effects; ü in general the risks inherent in taking such drugs are underestimated; C 303 E/192 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 24. 10. 2000 ü a young athlete may be the final link in a chain of abuse and unlawful, even criminal, practices which often go undetected and unpunished; ü in view of the fact that most sportsmen do not know enough about the specific properties of medicaments; and ü that the Union must be at the forefront of the fight against doping. Can the Commission say whether, in compliance with EEC directives and European drug legislation, it intends to oblige the pharmaceutical industries to include a symbol on the packaging of newly introduced drugs and clear warnings in the enclosed leaflets telling both doctors and sportsmen which drugs contain banned substances? Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (8 March 2000) As stated in the Community support plan to combat doping in sport (1)í the Commission feels that stepping up the supply of information on medicines is a highly important factor in the fight against the use of drugs in sport. Article 12 of Council Directive 92/27/EEC of 31 March 1992 on the labelling of medicinal products for human use (2) provides the Commission with scope for formulating certain special warnings for certain categories of medicinal product. Moreover, Article 2 of that same directive provides that the outer packaging (of medicines) may include symbols or pictograms designed to clarify certain items of information concerning a medicine, and which is useful for health education, to the exclusion of any element of a promotional nature. As part of this, in order to provide further information on medicines containing active substances classified as drugs, the Commission put this matter on the agenda of the next meeting of the pharmaceuticals committee, which will be held on 22-23March 2000. The Member States and the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products are represented on this. The Commission has drawn up a questionnaire enabling an inventory to be made of what has already been introduced at national level in certain Member States. The aim is to put forward harmonised entries on both the labelling and package leaflets for the summary of product medicines that are intended to inform patients, and on the wording of characteristics intended to provide information for professional healthcare providers. (1) COM(1999) 643 final ü Communication from the Commission to the Council, Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 1 December 1999. (2) OJ L 113, 30. 4. 1992. (2000/C 303 E/220) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0437/00 by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission (11 February 2000) Subject: Legal possibilities for Parliament to downgrade or halt political contact with a Member State Bearing in mind my Amendment No 1 to resolution B5-0101/2000 on the current situation in Austria, can the Commission inform me what possibilities exist, consistent with Parliamentís obligations under the Treaty on European Union, for Parliament to downgrade or halt altogether contacts at political level with a European Union Member State? Could the Commission address this question separately and specifically in relation to the following: access and entry into any of Parliamentís premises; diplomatic and protocol contacts between the President and the other Members acting in a representative capacity on behalf of Parliament; participation in the conciliation procedure; representation by a Member Stateís political representatives during that stateís Presidency of the European Union; participation by political representatives of a Member State not holding