Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-03-12-Speech-2-293"
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"en.20020312.12.2-293"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, the consumption of vitamins and other food supplements by our society is a genuine trend rather than a fashion. The market that this generates is huge. The considerable lobbying that has been carried out on this issue is proof of this, if it were needed.
Let us turn directly to the main question which is niggling a number of my fellow Members who oppose this directive and that is should we legislate? I have no hesitation in saying ‘no’ and I have at least three reasons for this.
First of all, the proposal for a directive provides a specific response to a reality, namely the lack of an internal market, which has damaging repercussions both for the economic actors in this sector and for consumers. By way of example, it is currently virtually impossible for a vitamin manufacturer based in the UK to export and place his products on the market in Belgium or in France, for instance.
Secondly, it is useful, even so, to recall the two major battles waged at first reading regarding the inclusion of substances with psychological effects – fibres and plant extracts, in particular – and the essential labelling standards to enable consumers to make an informed choice. Parliament made its view heard.
I would add, and this is my third point, that no high-quality food supplement, regardless of its ingredients, will be banned under this directive. I stress the point that we must stop brandishing the prospect of bans and of a Europe that castrates. Manufacturers will have three and a half years, depending on our vote, to submit their dossier and prove that their products which are not currently listed in the Annex are safe, and if a ban has to be imposed eventually, it would therefore be placed on doubtful substances. Anyhow this is the least of our problems, as far as I am concerned.
Since I am speaking of the purely health-related aspect of this matter, I would also like us to stop saying that vitamin abuse poses no danger. This is wrong, simply wrong! We must say that excessive consumption of all fat-soluble vitamins such as A, K, E and D are problematic, and, to give another example, excess vitamin A has known harmful teratogenic effects and can result in foetus malformation. We can allow political opposition to this directive therefore, but in no case can we allow scientific falsehoods to go unchallenged.
To sum up, and for all the aforementioned reasons, we are dealing with flexible and balanced legislation which takes into account the interests of consumers, manufacturers and distributors and which lays a basis for the harmonisation that is necessary in this sector. The majority of my colleagues in the Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party will vote in favour of this very good report by Mrs Müller and I too would like to congratulate her."@en1
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