The UK Government suffered a humiliating defeat last night when it was
defeated in a vote triggered by the campaign run by Consumers for Health
Choice to seek a better deal for the UK under the terms of the Food
Supplements Directive. The BBC's report of the debate is below. Further
analysis will follow shortly.
CHC needs additional resources to continue its campaign with a further
vote on 3rd July in the House of Commons. Details of CHC can be found at:
www.healthchoice.org.uk
and donations be sent by cheque or wire. Full
details of bank account on request.
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BBC 1st July 2003
Government defeat on vitamin limits
A European Union directive that critics said would see hundreds of vitamin
pills taken off sale in the UK should be blocked, says the House of Lords.
Peers defeated the government by 132 to 79 as they urged ministers to
revoke the new directive, which harmonises European rules on vitamin
sales. The defeat came despite a government minister warning that failing
to implement the measure would be a "serious breach" of the UK's treaty
obligations.
The vote will not stop the UK implementing the Food Supplements Directive,
which is due to come into force in 2005. The Tories claimed the plans,
which include putting limits on recommended daily dosage, were a syndrome
of "a nanny state".
Health food manufacturers say the proposals will make them foot
significant bills - but the European Commission says their predictions are
wrong. The rising demand for health food products in recent years is shown
by the industry's total annual turnover, which is estimated to be �860m.
The Food Standards Agency last month warned that people who take large
doses of vitamins risk permanently damaging their health.
Limits
The European Commission proposed the new directive, which was approved by
the European Parliament last year, partly to combat problems with trade
barriers. It is due to be implemented by the end of July this year and
would establish lists of vitamins and minerals which could be used in food
supplements.
Ahead of Monday's debate, Conservative's shadow health minister Earl Howe
criticised the concessions the government made in the directive deal. "The
result of this is that some hundreds of popular products will no longer be
available on the shelves of Holland & Barrett and elsewhere," said Lord
Howe.
"For six years they have pretended that this would not happen - now they
admit that it will, and that the EU rules that we are being forced to
adopt will run completely counter to this country's approach on such
matters, which has always been to licence products for sale provided they
are safe. "In other words, the right of consumers to exercise choice in
buying health foods is to be curtailed drastically, all in the cause of
European harmonisation."
'Brussels-bashing'?
His motion urged simpler rules to be used in regulations and for them to
be based on "sound science". But Health Minister Lord Warner said: "Simply
engaging in Brussels bashing on this directive is not going to help
British consumers and industry.
"The directive has been agreed and we are obliged to implement it."
Holland and Barrett are among retailers saying the changes will mean the
UK and other "liberal markets" losing out. It says manufacturers face
significant costs if the directive goes through as they will have to
reformulate many of their supplements.
A European Commission spokeswoman told BBC News Online the campaign
against the directive in the UK was very distorted. "The reality is that
none of the food supplements will be banned," she said. "All the figures
put forward by the food stores are just wrong."
'Best deal possible'
Under the directive, pills would be assessed on safety grounds, which was
in consumers' interest, the spokeswoman said. No supplement manufacturers
would be put out of business by the changes, she added.
A spokeswoman from the Food Standards Agency said the government would
take care to ensure the maximum limits allowed in pills were based on
scientific risk assessments. "While the directive does not deliver all
that we wanted, we do feel it is the best thing that could be achieved,"
she said.
The directive did allow EU states to continue, in some cases up until
2010, with forms of vitamins and minerals which were not on the new list,
she added.
With kind regards and all good wishes.
CJW
Christopher J Whitehouse
Managing Director
The Whitehouse Consultancy Ltd
Specialists in Public and Parliamentary Affairs
9 Old Queen Street
London SW1H 9JA
England
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7222 4179
Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7222 4192
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