91997E3936

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3936/97 by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission (12 December 1997)

Subject: Food hygiene

Now that the Commission has reorganized responsibility for food safety in response to Parliament's pressure after the BSE crisis, does it not agree that it is time for the long-awaited proposal for a Framework Directive on Food Hygiene to be drawn up? If so, when does the Commission intend to submit it?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (27 January 1998)

The Commission wishes to remind the Honourable Member of the existence of Council Directive 93/43/EEC of 14 June 1993 on the hygiene of foodstuffs ((OJ L 175, 19.7.1993. )). Article 1(1) of this Directive 'lays down the general rules of hygiene for foodstuffs'.

In accordance with Article 1(2) of the Directive in question, the Commission is looking into ways and means of making this Directive and the more specific rules which apply to some categories of foodstuffs more coherent. This work should be completed in the course of 1998.