Brussels, 13/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - The Parliament's Committee on the Environment and Public Health invites the October plenary session to request more guarantees for consumer health when it takes a stance, in second reading, on the proposal aimed at authorising the use of two new sweeteners - aspartame-acesulfame and sucralose - in foodstuffs. We recall that the Commission submitted a proposal to this end aimed at amending Directive 94/35/EC establishing the conditions for using authorised sweeteners in foodstuffs.
Approving their rapporteur, Anne Ferreira (PES, France), members of the parliamentary committee recommend that the plenary make its latest requirements known, namely:
1. Commission obligation to send them a report on the state of progress of reassessing all additives and especially aspartame-acesulfame and scuralose, within two years from the date when the directive takes effect. In support of this requirement, MEPs note that, despite the go-ahead given by the scientific committee on food, consulted by the Commission, aspartame would, according to some scientists, be likely to cause brain tumours. Acesulfame, which is one of the ingredients of this product, could have carcinogenic effects, and the combination of these two sweeteners would be considered more problematical still. On the other hand, there are few indications for now on whether sucralose is harmful.
2. Refusal to grant the Commission the prerogative to decide whether a substance is a sweetener or not. MEPs consider that this prerogative can only be granted once all the framework legislation is amended (the Commission plans to submit a legislative proposal along these lines.
3) Request for the products that do not conform to the amended directive not to remain on the market 24 months after the legislation takes effect. This is to avoid abusive use of transitional exemptions (the Council provided for the possibility of their being sold until stocks ran out).