Strasbourg, 14/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - By giving its endorsement on Wednesday, at second reading, of the Council's common position relating to the directive on the safety of dietary supplements, the European Parliament has opened the way to formal adoption of the text, the aim of which is to harmonise national rules on the marketing of these products in the form of pills and capsules and the introduction of common safety rules for food supplements containing vitamins and minerals. Labels should also provide the consumer with detailed information about the vitamin and mineral content and daily use, including a warning about exceeding the intake as set out in the manufacturer's instructions.
On the basis of the recommendation by Emilia Müller (EPP-Ed, Germany), the Parliament adopted an amendment that provides for increasing the period for submitting safety dossiers to 36 months after the directive takes effect. This additional period was considered necessary for small companies to have the necessary time to conform to the directive.
Speaking at a press conference, Emilia Müller denounced the pressure that was upon herself and other MEPs before the vote. "Last night I received 206 e-mails", said Ms Müller, and MEPs were bombarded with letters and requests (all along the same lines) from the clients of a doctor, Dr Rath, who sells vitamins produced in the Netherlands at high prices. The vitamins are strongly dosed and the beneficial effects that Dr Rath claims (including a cure for cancer) have not been proven. "We do not wish to request, as some people claim, a ban on the use of vitamins (it would be absurd, Ms Müller said, as to do this we would have to be in every household), but we would draw your attention to the fact that people's fears are being played on, people who are often seriously ill and in a difficult economic situation". Pressure on the Parliament also took the form of a defamation campaign, with the diffusion of a video denouncing the European Commission's "corruption" and accusing the institutions of being "puppets" of the pharmaceuticals industry. The Chair of the EP's Committee on the Environment, Caroline Jackson (EPP-ED, United Kingdom) also protested against the pressure put on the Parliament. She called on its president to take the necessary measures. The College of Quaestors is already studying the matter.
In response to the vote, the European Commissioner responsible for health and consumer protection, David Byrne, said: "The aim of this legislation is to put consumer safety and informed consumer choice first, and to solve the problems manufacturers currently face in marketing their products due to diverging national rules. Thus consumers across Europe will have a wide range of safe products available from which to choose, which is not the case in quite a few member States today. The aim of the Directive is not to ban food supplements as some lobbies have misled consumers to believe. Some people find they need food supplements to compensate for their inadequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals. Labels must give them clear information about how to use and how not to use them. We also must make sure that the chemical substances used to produce vitamins and mineral supplements are safe and subject to independent scientific assessment".