§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what implications the agreement at the Edinburgh summit about the dropping by the Commission of proposals for a number of measures have for the proposed directive on dietary supplements; and if he will make a statement;
624W(2) what steps he took at the recent Agriculture Council to seek the support of Ministers in other member Governments for his position on the forthcoming European directive on dietary supplements.
§ Mr. SoamesAt the Edinburgh European Council the Commission presented the first fruits of its review of a range of Community legislation. The Commission's list will be subject to further discussion. Dietary supplements were not considered at the December Agriculture Council. Discussion, if and when it takes place, would be, as for other food matters, in the Internal Market Council.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the implications of the preliminary ruling of the European Court given on 28 October, published in theOfficial Journal on 21 November, on the meaning of medicinal product for the proposed directive on dietary supplements; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SoamesThe Commission has put forward no proposal on dietary supplements. The ruling of the European Court in case C219/91 has the effect of applying the law relating to medicinal products to products which are described as having prophylactic or therapeutic properties, even if they are generally regarded as foodstuffs and have no known effect in the light of the current state of scientific knowledge. The ruling may narrow the scope of a proposal on dietary supplements should the Commission choose to make one.