European Committee, 14 Jan 2003

Meeting date: Tuesday, January 14, 2003

Official Report 209KB pdf

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Convener's Report

I understand that we now have a date for the visit by the Greek ambassador. Members will recall that we had to postpone his visit as he was recalled to Athens. I believe that the visit will be on 30 January. Perhaps the clerk could tell us more about the programme for that day.

You are correct: the ambassador has agreed to come up on Thursday 30 January. The public meeting, when he will brief the committee on the Greek presidency's proposals, will take place between 12 and 1 o'clock in committee room 1. I will ensure that everyone has details about the programme. I hope that members will be able to attend the briefing.

I ask colleagues to note that information in their diaries. We will keep committee members posted if there are any changes but, at the moment, that is the time at which we anticipate the meeting will be held.

The second issue is a letter from Douglas Robison on two EC directives that affect herbal medicines. I understand that he has also formally petitioned the Parliament, but that the Public Petitions Committee has not yet discussed the petition. In anticipation of that discussion, we may wish to consider the European Committee's position on the matter. I would be happy if a committee member produced a short report for the committee. Does Helen Eadie, who is a member of the Public Petitions Committee, have further information?

Yes. If the committee agrees, I will volunteer to produce a report. I would be happy to do so, because the issue interests me and I have read a lot about it. I believe that I told colleagues that the issue was in the pipeline.

Okay.

I have had meetings with a number of interested bodies—that is the best way to describe them. As convener of the cross-party group on autistic spectrum disorder, I am aware that the directives have a major effect on certain, as yet unapproved, treatments that parents are using at home to mitigate the effects of the disorder. The circumstances affect an awful lot of people and the directives could be extremely dangerous.

I have also had meetings with representatives of the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on ME and with a couple of retailers. The concerns of the retailers who have written to me and whom I have met have little or nothing to do with their businesses. In a strange way, they appear to be more driven by the fact that they know that people who desperately need some of the supplements that are targeted by the directives will simply not be able to get access to them and that the quality of life of those people will diminish as a result. We need to examine the issue, treat it as a high priority and reach an opinion.

The committee has agreed to proceed in the way that I suggested. Perhaps Helen Eadie could liaise with you.

I am more than happy to assist Helen on those issues.

I am happy to do that. Both Lloyd and I were at this morning's meeting of the Public Petitions Committee when a petition on autism was discussed, for which I had a lot of sympathy.