Question for written answer E-000379-17
to the Commission
Rule 130
Tonino Picula (S&D)

The Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant, its fresh and powdered leaves, and crude stevia extracts are authorised for consumption and marketed in Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Paraguay, the United States, and elsewhere. According to estimates, 50 000 tonnes of stevia leaves are produced every year, and roughly 93 million consumers use stevia leaves and extracts and purified steviol glycoside on a daily basis.

In spite of research and the fact that it has been safely used for centuries in South America and for decades in, for example, Japan and the US, the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant is not in the Novel Food Catalogue. As a result of Croatia’s membership of the EU, many farmers have found that their products are impossible to sell and that continuing to grow stevia does not pay: these problems have been caused by the application of Regulation (EC) No 258/97 and the failure to include ‘raw stevia’ in the Novel Food Catalogue.

— Why is Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni not listed as an authorised novel foodstuff when its acceptability is scientifically proven and steviol glycosides, the sweeteners extracted from stevia leaves, are allowed on the EU market in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 1131/2011? — Can we expect a change in the status of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni in the light of the new Regulation EU No 2015/2283, which is to apply from the end of 2017?