Karin Scheele, draftsman of the opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. − (DE) Madam President, may I add my congratulations to the many that have already been expressed to the rapporteurs. I have rarely experienced such a non-confrontational debate in this House on a proposal providing for greater protection of consumers as well as for benefits to businesses.

I drafted the opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety on the Schaldemose report. The Committee rejected the Commission’s proposal for a decision because we do not know to this day why it opted for that particular instrument rather than proposing legally binding rules on such an important matter. Let me nevertheless express my thanks and best wishes to the rapporteur from the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. There was also a great deal of scepticism about the broad application of the method known as the ‘new approach’, because it means that the conformity of goods is attested by the manufacturers themselves, and the new approach also weakens market surveillance by reversing the burden of proof. We therefore very strongly advocate the compromise whereby the new approach is only to be applied on the basis of a case-by-case assessment.