WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3086/98 by Karin RIIS-JØRGENSEN Mutual recognition of organic product labelling
C 320/24 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 6. 11. 1999 Article 3 of Council Directive 90/313/EEC of 7 June 1990 (on the freedom of access to information on the environment) requires public authorities to ‘make available information relating to the environment to any natural or legal person at his request and without his having to prove an interest’. With only the facts mentioned by the Honourable Member to go on, the Commission cannot be categorical as to whether the Spanish authorities have responded inappropriately to a legitimate approach for information. (The only information that Member States are obliged to disclose automatically is the general information on the state of the environment which Article 7 states is to be supplied to the public ‘by such means as the periodic publication of descriptive reports’. ) (1) OJ L 229, 30. 8. 1980. (2) OJ C 259, 18. 8. 1998. (1999/C 320/032) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3086/98 by Karin Riis-Jørgensen (ELDR) to the Commission Subject: Mutual recognition of organic product labelling (16 October 1998) Further to my question to the Commission (P-0979/98) (1) and its answer concerning the mutual recognition of organic product labelling in the Community, will the Commission explain in greater detail how it in actual fact endeavours to ensure that trade in organic products can take place without dual inspection and in accordance with the internal market? Does it believe it is reasonable that certain Member States or regions should place such great emphasis on a series of supplementary requirements that a producer who has already obtained national approval must secure an additional approval, which is even subject to civil law in the relevant Member State, in order to be granted authorisation to export to the country/region in question? (1) OJ C 323, 21. 10. 1998, p. 101. Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (9 December 1998) Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 of 24 June 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs (1) provides that Member States shall set up an inspection system operated by one or more designated inspection authorities or by inspection bodies, which are authorised and supervised. Member States shall also ensure that an operator who complies with the provisions of this Regulation and pays his contribution to inspection expenses has access to the inspection system. In this way access to the market is ensured also for farmers who do not follow the supplementary requirements set by private marks. In addition, Member States may not, on grounds relating to the method of production, to the labelling or to the presentation of that method, prohibit or restrict the marketing of organic products which satisfy the production and inspection requirements in the Regulation. Authorities in Member States or regions may not impose additional requirements to those in Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 (organic crop products and foodstuffs essentially composed of organic crop products). The Commission has no indications that such requirements would be imposed as a condition to bring products covered by Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 on the market. (1) OJ L 198, 22. 7. 1991