FW: LAST CHANCE TO SAVE VITAMINS IN EUROPE

[Guest guest]

LAST CHANCE TO SAVE VITAMINS IN EUROPE

 

 

Dear Enews Subscriber

 

I promised I wouldn't write to you about political issues unless a) they were

important and b) there's something you can do that will make a difference. There

is something important that you can do today that will help to prevent the

banning of many safe supplements.

 

The EU Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Directive is due to come into force at

the end of July. This will mean that many forms of vitamins and minerals will be

removed from stores (5 forms of calcium, 12 forms of magnesium, 12 forms of

selenium, 20 forms of zinc and 10 forms of boron, for example). It also means

that, in due course, higher dose supplements may also be banned.

 

Meanwhile, on 12 July, the European Court of Justice will make a decision about

whether or not this legislation is just and can proceed. At a first hearing the

Advocate general said that, in his opinion: " The Directive infringes the

principle of proportionality because basic principles of Community law, such as

the requirements of legal protection, of legal certainty and of sound

administration, have not been properly taken into account. The Directive is,

therefore, invalid. " The issue here is that we believe that any form of a

vitamin or mineral should be freely sold, unless

it is harmful. The current legislation says that no form of vitamin or

mineral can be sold unless proven, by means of a very extensive and

expensive dossier of information used for new drugs, that it is safe.

 

We think this level of bureaucratic control (no doubt orchestrated by

pharmaceutical interests) is disproportionate to the actual risk. There have

even been mutterings from Tony Blair that he may think the same as he recently

admitted that the Supplements Directive was " wholly out of proportion to the

risks run " . This shift in position has only been achieved thanks to millions of

letters and actions taken by people such as you.

 

While the signs are good, a positive outcome is by no means guaranteed. We must

get MPs and MEPs actively putting on pressure NOW to make sure this legislation,

in its current form, doesn't go ahead. Every letter they receive makes a

difference. So, I urge you to WRITE NOW to your MP and MEP explaining:

 

1. Why you take vitamin and mineral supplements.

 

2. That despite promises from Government Ministers, more than 200

ingredients and thousands of products will become illegal in July this year

as the result of the list of 'permitted ingredients' coming into force.

 

3. That thousands more products will be lost in the future as maximum

permitted levels are set.

 

4. That Government Ministers have adopted a 'wait and see' policy that is

unacceptable and are doing nothing to force the European Commission to sort out

the problem.

 

5. That only a 'national derogation' (right to opt out of the legislation) can

save our supplements; and

 

6. Asking them to write to the Government Minister and the European

Commission demanding that the legislation be changed to ensure that the UKdoes

not lose safe and popular products.

 

Please write to your MP at this address:

 

(name) MP

House of Commons

London SW1A 0AA

 

You can find the name of your MP by calling 020 7219 4272 or visiting

www.locata.co.uk/commons

 

Please write to your MEP at this address:

 

(name) MEP

The European Parliament

Rue Wiertz

1047 Brussels

Belgium

 

You can find the name of your MEP by calling 020 7227 4300 or visiting

www.europarl.org.uk/uk_meps/

 

Please do this today as we must maximise pressure now to protect our rightto

choose safe supplements.

 

Wishing you the best of health,

 

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Patrick Holford

 

www.patrickholford.com - 100% health for life

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