Brussels, 20/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - In the context of inter-institutional dialogue, Commissioner Margot Wallström (Environment) and Commissioner David Byrne (Health and Consumer Protection) made a joint presentation of the Commission's work 2003 work programme to the Parliamentary committee for the environment, health and consumer protection.
Mr Byrne pointed out that numerous legislative proposals had been adopted in the field of food safety, such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). He also declared that what counted was implementation, and gave assurances that the Commission would ensure that around the EUR 300 million allocated for 2003 would be used effectively, adding that the year 2003 "was just one year in a multi-annual action programme. He welcomed the enormous progress achieved since publication of the White Paper on food safety and announced that in order to complete the legislative arsenal that was "essentially already in place", proposals were being prepared on Member States' responsibilities involving inspections, application measures/sanctions (before the end of the year) and dealing with complaints. 2003 would also be the year of initiatives with regard to food additives and food hygiene, as well as the first anniversary of EFSA, "whose management committee has not yet been appointed, but which should be fully operational by next autumn or at the beginning of 2003 by the latest". The Commissioner announced that efforts were being continued in the field of phytosanitary health, with strengthened legislation on pesticide residues present in food, proposals on phytosanitary products, draft proposals on foot and mouth disease (before the summer), animal welfare and animal protection during transit.
Mr Byrne pointed out that the public health safety programme (2003-2008) should include new structures for dealing with health threats, by implementing a system that was easy for consumers to understand, that increased monitoring of infectious diseases including threats linked to bio-terrorism. A centre for contagious diseases will be up and running by 2005. In the fight against smoking, the Commissioner announced the entry into force of new warnings on cigarette packets and a three-year anti-smoking campaign, which would receive funding of EUR 18 million.
In putting on his consumer protection hat, David Byrne explained that the 2002-2006 action programme aimed to deal with the worries of consumers in all relevant sector policies, the guarantee of high level protection and better representation for consumers in the decision-making process. The Commissioner promised that a draft budget proposal for implementing this programme would be presented this year, as well as an initiative in the realm of safety services.
The Commissioner explained that Union enlargement represented a "double challenge" in terms of assistance to candidate countries for applying the Community Acquis and strengthening the different structures, which needed an intensification of contacts between the Commission and these countries to better define their needs and subsequently integrate them into the programmes. "It's important that these countries fully respect the acquis, in the interest of the enlarged Union", he added.
Margot Wallström explained that in the context of the environment, "the chapter has been concluded with nine candidate countries and the acquis covered until 1999", with the bulk of the work focusing on implementation. This would involve a huge amount of work on behalf of the candidate countries, she added. "We're going to help them set up a funding and development strategy for their local and regional administrations", she explained. Other priorities outlined in the sphere of competence by the Commissioner include: 1) Follow-up to the 6th environmental action programme. Ms Wallström declared that there would be 156 actions taken over the next ten years according to a strict timetable requested by the Parliament, particularly for thematic strategies expected in 2005; 2) Researching ways in which to better apply the sustainable development strategy. The Commissioner confirmed the Commission's goal to provide an annual environmental report during the preparatory phase leading up to the synthesis report on the Cardiff Process for the European Council in the spring. "The concept of economic and social impact issue assessment will become the reality in our services and addressed by all directorate generals. 150 Commission proposals will be submitted within it every year", she explained, requesting MEPs to indicate to her the way in which they saw how this assessment procedure could go forward.
Commenting on the Roman Prodi reform proposals for improving legislation, Margot Wallström stressed that in the opinion of her services, more efforts should focus on improving existing legislation rather than on new proposals.
During the debate chaired by Caroline Jackson (EPP, United Kingdom), the Chairperson of the Parliamentary committee, contributions were dominated by the issues of legislative instruments and sustainable development.
Karl-Heinz Florenz brought up the voluntary agreement between German industry for reducing CO2 emissions and appealed for those who were already doing something, not to be penalised. Margot Wallström replied that the Commission acknowledged the results already achieved and was considering a Community system of emission rights exchanges based on the market, applicable to everybody and if possible, compatible with the German system. She did, however, express a preference for an obligatory system for "avoiding a situation where there were only sellers and no buyers". Dagmar Roth Behrendt (PES, Germany), wanted to know more about the democratic credential of the voluntary agreements, which suggested no Parliamentary input. Margot Wallström insisted on the importance of clearly knowing the criteria, which should be respected in these agreements and declared that, "I have prepared a document for identifying these criteria and the fields in which the voluntary agreements will be used". David Byrne added that in certain cases regulation would be needed (for pedestrian safety or food safety for example), whilst in other cases a directive would be more suitable or indeed a recommendation (such as the anti-smoking campaign aimed at youngsters). He explained that the voluntary agreements could exist side by side with legislation, particularly for speeding up the legislative process and acting more rapidly. Mr Byrne was keen to point out while underlining this mixed approach (mix of regulation and self-regulation) envisaged in the follow-up to the Green Paper on fair trade practices, that this was an approach in which the Parliament must absolutely be involved.
Replying to a number of questions on the possibility of social, health and environmental impact studies in view of revising pharmaceutical legislation or strategy on chemical products, Margot Wallström explained that the impact assessment would be applied to all Commission proposals in 2003 and that the Commission would provide technical guidelines before the end of the year. In the meantime, there would be a general communication on impact assessment with every Commissioner having their area of competency and the Secretariat General having the final word. David Byrne pointed out that there would be a new regulatory framework for chemical substances, with the draft regulatory framework forming part of an approach co-ordinated between his services and those of Commissioner Liikanen (Industry).
Questioned about the Community's sustainable development strategy for candidate countries and how it is presented at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Ms Wallström explained that, "it is important to ensure the follow-up to our external sustainable development strategy for adopting concrete measures in the different fields and implementing the results obtained at the Johannesburg Summit".