Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-07-07-Speech-1-166"
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". −
Mr President, I want to begin by thanking the Commission, Commissioner Vassiliou and her always helpful staff, the Slovenian Presidency, the Council of Ministers, my fellow rapporteurs, Avril Doyle and Mojca Drčar Murko, and of course the shadow rapporteurs from all the parties for excellent cooperation over the years we have worked on these matters.
I am glad that we have now settled on a compromise which brings simplification for the industry and at the same time strengthens consumer protection in a number of areas. Previously, for example, allergy sufferers were not even mentioned in the legislation. They will be if we approve the compromise tomorrow; it will then be easier in future to take account of how allergy sufferers are affected by additives.
I am also proud that we from Parliament have secured three crucial changes to the new rules. The first relates to so-called azo dyes. These are found, for example, in soft drinks and sweets, despite the fact that it has been shown scientifically that certain azo dyes can render children hyperactive. It was therefore important to me and to Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety to get these substances banned. We did not succeed in this because the Member States are strongly opposed to both a ban and special labelling. Despite this opposition we did at least get a commitment that food containing these azo dye substances would be accompanied by a clear warning text.
The second change relates to the environmental effect of additives. An example of the potential of additives to affect the environment is the sweetener sucralose. Sucralose has been found to pass straight through the body and is not treated in our sewage systems. If the compromise is adopted, it will be clear that we have to take the environment into account when we make decisions on additives.
The third change relates to nanotechnology. Under the compromise, if an additive which has already been approved is altered by nanotechnology, it must be counted as a new additive and must be subjected to a new approval procedure.
As regards the regulation on the common authorisation procedure, firstly I welcome the fact that we are now to get such a common procedure. Secondly, it was important to ensure that EFSA is given sufficient time for its evaluations of various substances.
The Greens have tabled an amendment to ban azo dyes, which thus goes against the compromise with the Council on additives. By doing so they put at risk all the improvements mentioned, including a special warning text for azo dyes. I would like to have seen a ban, but it is not possible to get it accepted by the Council of Ministers. I am therefore minded to vote against a ban, since otherwise we risk not getting either a ban or a warning text, which would really not be in the interests of children.
Finally I urge all Members here in the Chamber to support the compromise tomorrow and vote against all other amendments."@en1
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