ISSN 0378-6986 Official Journal C93 Volume 26 of the European Communities 7 April 1983
English edition Information and Notices
Contents I Information
European Parliament
'Written Questions with answer:
No 835/82 by Mr Roger-Gerard Schwartzenberg to the Commission
Subject: Obstacles to trade created by German insurance companies 1
Supplementary answer to Written Question No 835/82 1
No 1343/82 by Mr Corentin Calvez to the Commission Subject: Television satellites 2 No 1402/82 by Mr Dieter Rogalla to the Commission Subject: Entry into the United Kingdom 3
No 1416/82 by Mr Fernand Herman to the Commission Subject: Telephone charges in the Community 3
No 1446/82 by Mr Pol Marck to the Commission Subject: Intervention agencies 3
No 1508/82 by Mr Rudolf Schieler to the Commission Subject: Uniform legal safeguards in the European Community 4
No 1550/82 by Mr Otto Habsburg to the Commission Subject: Ratification of the Convention on the Law of the Sea 4
No 1566/82 by Mrs Marijke Van Hemeldonck to the Commission Subject: Bill tabled in Greece for the creation of a national pharmacological institute 5
No 1579/82 by Mr Alan Tyrrell to the Commission Subject: Imbalance in the nationalities of the stagiaires at the Commission 5
No 1588/82 by Mr Karel De Gucht to the Commission Subject: Secondment of Community officials to national administrations 6
No 1591/82 by Mr Dieter Rogalla to the Commission Subject: Coal imports 7
2 (Continued overleaf) Contents (continued) No 1598/82 by Mrs Anne-Marie Lizin to the Commission Subject: Request for food aid for Vietnam
No 1607/82 by Mrs Sylvie Le Roux to the Commission Subject: Refund component in the sale of agricultural products . .
No 1642/82 by Mr James Provan to the Commission Subject: Co-responsibility levy in the milk sector 9
No 1664/82 by Mr Luc Beyer de Ryke to the Commission Subject: Cereal substitutes 10
No 1665/82 by Mr Luc Beyer de Ryke to the Commission Subject: Cereal substitutes 10
No 1667/82 by Mr Luc Beyer de Ryke to the Commission Subject: Cereal substitutes 11
No 1674/82 by Mr Mark Clinton to the Commission Subject: Measures to aid beef production 12
No 1680/82 by Mrs Hanna Walz to the Commission Subject: Rome declaration on hunger 13
No 1685/82 by Mrs Beate Weber to the Commission Subject: Formaldehyde 13
No 1687/82 by Mrs Marijke Van Hemeldonck to the Commission Subject: Disposal of used motor oil and its re-use as fuel 14
No 1692/82 by Mrs Ien van den Heuvel to the Commission Subject: Conditions faced by refugees from El Salvador in Honduras 15
No 1704/82 by Mr Hendrik Louwes to the Commission Subject: Common measures pursuant to Council Regulation (EEC) No 355/77 to improve the conditions under which bovine animals and swine are slaughtered and processed 16
No 1707/82 by Mr Hendrik Louwes to the Commission Subject: Obstacles to the transport of live animals and meat by road between Member States of the Community 16
No 1715/82 by Mr Hans-Gert Pottering to the Commission Subject: EEC food consignments to Poland 16
No 1716/82 by Mr Roberto Costanzo to the Commission Subject: Promotion of rural tourism 17
No 1717/82 by Mr Roberto Costanzo to the Commission Subject: Construction of cereals harvesting and processing facilities with EAGGF funds 18
No 1718/82 by Mr Dieter Rogalla to the Commission Subject: Employment of trainees in the Commission 18
No 1729/82 by Mrs Barbara Castle to the Commission Subject: The veal crate 19
No 1737/82 by Sir Fred Warner to the Commission Subject: Health insurance 19
No 1738/82 by Mr Pierre-Bernard Couste to the Commission Subject: Anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations 20
No 1744/82 by Mrs Barbara Castle to the Commission Subject: French import restrictions 20 Contents (continued) No 1760/82 by Mr Francis Wurtz to the Commission Subject: The education of young people 21
No 1763/82 by Mr Anthony Simpson to the Commission Subject: Free movement of teachers 21
No 1764/82 by Mr Reinhold Bocklet, Mr Pol Marck, Mr Joachim Dalsass, Mr Nicolas Estgen, Mr James Janssen van Raay, Mr Robert Jackson and Mr Ingo Friedrich to the Commission Subject: Beer supply contracts 22
No 1767/82 by Mrs Jacqueline Hoffmann to the Commission Subject: The effects of iron and steel production quotas on demand 25
No 1768/82 by Mrs Jacqueline Hoffmann to the Commission Subject: Development of the market in special steel 25
No 1770/82 by Mr Anthony Simpson to the Commission Subject: Advertisement of public works contracts in the Official Journal 26
No 1775/82 by Mr Allan Rogers to the Commission Subject: Milk exports from Ireland 26
No 1780/82 by Mr Basil de Ferranti to the Commission Subject: Postal delays in the Community 27
No 1790/82 by Mr Lucien Radoux to the Commission Subject: Drilling for oil 27
No 1804/82 by Mr Pol Marck to the Commission Subject: Customs duties on boiling chickens in Zaire 27
No 1807/82 by Mr Jens-Peter Bonde to the Commission Subject: Invocation of Article 235 as a legal basis 28
No 1808/82 by Mr Ernst Miiller-Hermann to the Commission Subject: International cooperation in the steel industry 28
No 1815/82 by Mr Jochen van Aerssen and Mr Karl von Wogau to the Council Subject: The Benelux model 28
No 1816/82 by Mr Jeremiah Cronin to the Commission Subject: EAGGF finance for tourism projects 2.9
No 1830/82 by Sir James Scott-Hopkins to the Commission Subject: Minerals received from South Africa 29
No 1834/82 by Sir James Scott-Hopkins to the Commission Subject: European agriculture 30
No 1838/82 by Mr Andrew Pearce to the Commission Subject: List of non-tariff barriers operated by Member States 31
No 1853/82 by Mr Ernest Glinne to the Commission Subject: European Regional Development Fund 31
No 1854/82 by Mr Ernest Glinne to the Commission Subject: Pollution caused by the titanium dioxide industry 31
No 1864/82 by Mr Pol Marck to the Commission Subject: Reduction of intervention prices 32
No 1871/82 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission Subject: ERDF aid for projects in the province of Antwerp 32
(Continued overleaf) Contents (continued) No 1872/82 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission Subject: ERDF aid for projects in the province of Limburg 33
No 1873/82 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission Subject: ERDF aid for projects in the province of East Flanders 33
No 1874/82 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission Subject: ERDF aid for projects in the province of West Flanders 33
No 1875/82 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke to the Commission Subject: ERDF aid for projects in the arrondissement of Halle-Vilvoorde 33
Joint answer to Written Questions Nos 1871/82, 1872/82, 1873/82, 1874/82 and 1875/82 34
No 1878/82 by Mr Jens-Peter Bonde to the Council Subject: Publication of opinion polls 34
No 1885/82 by Mr Roberto Costanzo to the Commission Subject: Situation in the dried fruit market 34
No 1893/82 by Mrs Jeanne Pauwelyn to the Commission Subject: International Cocoa Agreement 1980 35
No 1956/82 by Mr Michael Welsh to the Council Subject: Spierenburg Report 36
No 1985/82 by Mrs Anne-Marie Lizin to the Commission Subject: Relations between the EEC and Turkey: management of the information office in Turkey 36
No 1994/82 by Mr Pierre-Bernard Couste to the Commission Subject: Project for a canal to link the Rhine and Rhone 36
No 2003/82 by Mr Charles Delatte to the Commission Subject: Christmas butter sales 37
No 2005/82 by Mr Robert Battersby to the Commission Subject: Tourism 37 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/1
(Information)
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER
WRITTEN QUESTION No 835/82 review, taking special account of any information by Mr Roger-Gerard Schwartzenberg (S - F) supplied to it by Member States. to the Commission of the European Communities (S July 1982) The question put by the Honourable Member falls into the general context of the problem of standards including, therefore, German standards. This problem is currently Subject: Obstacles to trade created by German insurance being looked into by the Commission's departments. Its companies unusual nature stems from the fact that, in many cases, German insurance companies require certain industrial the standards have been drawn up by private institutions products to bear certificates stating that they conform to and do not in themselves have legally binding force. certain technical standards (DIN) before they can be marketed in the Federal Republic of Germany. Unless It is only where, as a result of action by the State, products products originating in other Member States meet these imported from other Member States have de jure or de requirements, their users cannot insure them. The facto to conform to German standards alone that such products in question are, in most cases, imported capital requirements or practices are to be assessed in the light of equipment. the EEC Treaty's provisions on the free movement of Does the Commission not consider that this practice goods (Articles 30 to 36). Such a situation could arise, for constitutes an ingenious but effective form of example, if the arrangements in force in Germany for camouflaged protectionism designed to give German preventing industrial accidents and the correspondings industry an advantage on the domestic market? insurance scheme were to have the practical effect of impeding access to the German market for goods from other Member States that did not meet the specific standards in force in Germany but did satisfy the safety Supplementary answer given by Mr Narjes requirements applicable in the country of manufacture. on behalf of the Commission (8 February 1983) In examining any cases involving trade barriers that were Further to its answer of 2 September 1982 (!), the brought to its notice, the Commission would take special Commission is now in a position to inform the account of the criteria laid down by the Court of Justice in Honourable Member of the findings of its research. its Judgment of 17 December 1981 in Case 272/80 (Biologische Producten). According to information received by the Commission, notably from the European Insurance Committee, it would appear that German insurance companies do not In that Judgment, the Court ruled that the authorities of impose any restrictions on the possibility of insuring the importing State are not entitled unnecessarily to. imported goods. In particular, it is reported that no require technical or chemical analyses or laboratory tests insurer established in the Federal Republic of Germany when the same analyses or tests have already been carried requires industrial products to bear certificates stating out in another Member State and their results are that they conform to certain technical standards. The available to those authorities and may at their request be Commission will, however, keep this situation under placed at their disposal. No C 93/2 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
The Commission would also draw attention to its Approving this resolution, Parliament recorded its proposal of 19 August 1980 for a Council Decision laying agreement on the encouragement to be given to the 'plans down a procedure for the provision of information in the to establish a European television broadcasting channel' field of technical standards and regulations (2). The and on the question of participation in the 'related exchange of information and the coordination and discussions and decisions'. The resolution also calls on cooperation between the Commission and the Member the Commission to submit a report on the media, and this States provided for as part of that procedure are designed report is now virtually complete. In another connection, to make a major contribution to forestalling the erection the Commission is preparing a memorandum on the of technical barriers to trade. implications for the functioning of the common market, notably from the point of view of the right of Lastly, if agreements between firms or concerted practices establishment and provision of services, of developments were to hinder the marketing of products imported from in the field of radio and television, with special reference other Member States on the ground that such products to satellite and cable television. did not meet the standards applicable in the country of importation, including standards drawn up by private Apart from measures taken in a strictly Community institutions, the Commission would have to assess the context, various other initiatives have been launched: facts in the light of Article 85 of the EEC Treaty.
If the Honourable Member possesses any specific — the Eurikon experiments by the European information on cases involving import barriers in the Broadcasting Union (EBU): five weeks of Federal Republic of Germany that can be attributed to experimental television broadcasts by satellite practice with regard to standards, the Commission will, involving 16 EBU stations; once it has been notified thereof, be certain to take the appropriate action. — a meeting on the possibilities of establishing European cooperation in the audiovisual sector which was held (>) OJ No C266, 11. 10. 1982. in Paris in July 1982 at the instigation of the French (2) OJ No C 253, 1. 10. 1980, p. 2 and Doc. COM(80) 400. Government and to which a number of European countries were invited (Federal Republic of Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands). Three working parties have been set up to make preparations for an enlarged conference involving the Member States of the Council for Cultural Cooperation of the Council of Europe; WRITTEN QUESTION No 1343/82 by Mr Corentin Calvez (L-F) — in September 1982 the Committee of Experts on to the Commission of the European Communities media policy of the Council of Europe adopted a (IS October 1982) report on the possibility of finalizing a legal instrument in the field of direct television broadcasting by satellite (DBS); Subject: Television satellites — an agreement between France, Belgium and Can the Commission report on the discussions which Switzerland provides for joint broadcasts, over a have taken place in recent months on the announcement six-month period commencing January 1983, of three of real European cooperation in the audiovisual hours a day of French-language television sector? programmes, to be distributed free of charge via the OIS-2 satellite to the European cable networks. It is possible that the agreements may subsequently be extended and broadened to take in the Answer given by Mr Natali French-speaking countries of North America and on behalf of the Commission Africa; (9 February 1983) — 'European' initiatives have also been proposed by the national television bodies, both public and private. European cooperation in the audiovisual sector is evident at several levels involving various bodies, particularly in anticipation of the use of direct television broadcasting by The Commission is closely following this wide range of satellites, due to go into orbit from 1985/86. initiatives being taken outside the framework of the Community and will take them into account in its report As far as the Community is concerned, attention should on the media to the European Parliament. be drawn to the debate in the European Parliament which (>) OJ NoC 87, 5. 4. 1982. concluded on 12 March 1982 with the approval of the resolution on radio and television broadcasting in the European Community (!). 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/3
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1402/82 Answer given by Mr Narjes by Mr Dieter Rogalla (S - D) on behalf of the Commission to the Commission of the European Communities (17 February 1983) (20 October 1982) 1. The Commission does not at present have information about the telephone charges and tariffs in the Subject: Entry into the United Kingdom Member States in the detail required by the Honourable Member. 1. Does the Commission share my view that the attached form given to travellers entering the United These charges depend on national tariff policies and are Kingdom restricts the right of residence and thus violates therefore frequently changing. The Commission cannot the principle of free movement enshrined in Article 3 (c) of see what immediate purpose would be served by keeping the EEC Treaty? track of all the tariff changes which are constantly occurring in the various Member States. 2. What steps does the Commission intend to take in this matter? 2. As a general rule, international calls within the Community are subject to the international tariffs and charges fixed bilaterally or multilaterally by the telecommunications authorities of the countries Answer given by Mr Narjes concerned. on behalf of the Commission (15 February 1983) 3. The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member that it would be desirable to put an end to the abrupt changes in telephone charges at borders between The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to Member States. It considers the harmonization of certain its answer to Written Question No 1095/82 by Mr charges, particularly for new telematic services, of great Pottering (*). importance for building up the infrastructure and (') OJ NoC 80, 23. 3. 1983. organizing the new Community-wide services.
4. Given its limited resources, the Commission cannot at present see its way to making proposals to the Council for aligning telephone charges within the Community. It has, however, contacted the CEPI working group concerned and is following its work on harmonization in this field with great interest. WRITTEN QUESTION No 1416/82 by Mr Fernand Herman (PPE - B) It should be pointed out, however, that in negotiations to the Commission of the European Communities with the national telecommunications authorities of the (20 October 1982) Member States on the Euronet-Diane information network, the Commission has succeeded in having a tariff adopted which is unrelated to distance. Subject: Telephone charges in the Community
1. Can the Commission give details of telephone charges and tariffs (distance scales, day and night rates) in the Member States of the Community?
2. Are overseas or inland rates applicable to transfrontier calls within the Community?
3. Does the Commission not feel that, in cases where WRITTEN QUESTION No 1446/82 inland rates have not been applied to date, particularly for by Mr Pol Marck (PPE - B) calls made at night or on public holidays, it would be in to the Commission of the European Communities the interests of the internal development of the Community to work towards standardized telephone (29 October 1982) charges within the Community, so that they no longer change abruptly at national borders? Subject: Intervention agencies 4. What does the Commission intend to do, e.g. submitting proposals to the Council, to work towards The French National Assembly has just approved a draft uniform telephone charges within the Community? law setting up intervention offices. No C 93/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
Does the Commission consider that the provisions of this interests of uniform legal safeguards in the Member States law are in accordance with the provisions of the common of the European Community, to repeal the provisions agricultural policy and do not represent an infringement allowing house searches to be conducted in France of the rules of competition within the Community? without a court order on the mere suspicion of currency smuggling?
In France, a special unit of the French customs — the Answer given by Mr Dalsager 'Douane volante' - is expressly allowed to conduct such on behalf of the Commission searches. (10 February 1983)
Answer given by Mr Narjes The Commission considers that the Law setting up on behalf of the Commission intervention offices in the agricultural sector and providing for the organization of markets gives rise to no (18 February 1983) comment as far as the actual principle of setting up such offices is concerned. As it is an outline law relating to Even if it were shown that the legal situation differs from numerous products, the Commission will be able to give one Member State to another, the Commission can see no an opinion on its various aspects only when it has studied legal basis in the EEC Treaty permitting an the implementing decrees and the manner in which the approximation of the powers in question. law is applied to the various sectors concerned.
The Commission considers, however, that Article 23 of the law - which imposes the obligation for wine products to transit through previously approved cellars - is, in its very principle, contrary to the rules on the common organization of the market in wine products. Such a provision is liable to affect the marketing of wine WRITTEN QUESTION No 1550/82 products and to restrict the volume of imports. by Mr Otto Habsburg (PPE - D) For these reasons the Commission has decided to open a to the Commission of the European Communities procedure against France under Article 169 of the EEC (15 November 1982) Treaty.
Moreover, Article 15, which provides for an extension of Subject: Ratification of the Convention on the Law of the rules governing producers' groups in the fruit and the Sea vegetables sector, cannot be applied in conformity with Community law until the Council has adopted the On what grounds did the Commission apply to sign the proposal from the Commission amending Regulation draft Convention on the Law of the Sea in December? (EEC) No 1035/72 (M, allowing the Member States, under certain conditions, to extend production and Does the Commission not fear that the signature of a marketing rules to non-organized producers. document which adversely affects European interests will (') OJNo C281, 4. 11. 1981, p. 5. weaken the Community's negotiating position on the economic use of the seabed?
Is the Commission not aware that in its present form the draft Convention on the Law of the Sea could lead to a world-wide raw materials monopoly, to the detriment of the industrialized States, in particular Europe and Japan?
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1508/82 Answer given by Mr Narjes by Mr Rudolf Schieler (S - D) on behalf of the Commission to the Commission of the European Communities (14 February 1983) (18 November 1982)
In its communication to the Council of October 1982 the Subject: Uniform legal safeguards in the European Commission stated that despite reservations regarding Community Part XI of the Convention, which lays down rules for the exploration and economic exploitation of the seabed, it Is the Commission prepared to use its powers to bring was recommending that the Member States sign the influence to bear on the French Government, in the Convention. This would ensure the adoption of a 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/5 uniform Community position on matters which either fall their economies, provided that they comply with the within its exclusive jurisdiction or are of common concern obligations imposed by the Treaties and Community - as is the case with the necessary improvements to law. Part XI.
The signing of the Convention will make it possible for the Community to participate in the proceedings of the Preparatory Commission as an observer. The extent to which the Preparatory Commission can make the rules governing economic exploitation of the seabed acceptable to the industrialized countries will determine the WRITTEN QUESTION No 1579/82 Community's final verdict on the Convention. by Mr Alan Tyrrell (ED - GB) to the Commission of the European Communities The Commission's standpoint was put by Mr Narjes and (18 November 1982) Mr Andriessen in the course of Parliament's two debates on the subject in November and December 1982. Subject: Imbalance in the nationalities of the stagiaires at the Commission
The information supplied by the Commission in its answer to Written Question No 875/82 (') shows that there is a considerable imbalance in the number of posts occupied by stagiaires of the different nationalities of the European Community.
Belgium is, for example, grossly over-represented, with 115 stagiaires when compared to the United Kingdom, WRITTEN QUESTION No 1566/82 whose population is over 5 times larger, whose total is by Mrs Marijke Van Hemeldonck (S - B) 93. to the Commission of the European Communities What steps does the Commission intend to take in order (IS November 1982) to redress this imbalance? (•) OJNoC 262, 6. 10. 1982, p. 14. Subject: Bill tabled in Greece for the creation of a national pharmacological institute Answer given by Mr Thorn on behalf of the Commission Is the Commission acquainted with the contents of this bill? Do such institutes exist in other Member States? (10 February 1983)
If so, are there any differences in their statutes and The Commission budget set aside for the organization of functions? What steps does the Commission intend to in-service training for young university graduates allows take to achieve uniformity in the functioning of these the Commission to offer some 440 paid traineeships per institutions within the European Community? year; there tend to be about 3 000 candidates from Member States, applicant countries and non-Community countries.
Answer given by Mr Andriessen Candidates are selected on the basis of their on behalf of the Commission qualifications, preference being given to those with good degree results and those who have completed or begun (16 February 1983) studies on European integration; an attempt is also made to preserve a certain geographical balance.
The Commission is aware of the bill in question and has The main reason why the number of trainees from the informed the Greek authorities of its concern with regard United Kingdom is disproportionately low is that during to the compatibility of some of the measures proposed the reference period a large number of candidates with the provisions of the EEC Treaty, and in particular withdrew for professional, personal, family or even Articles 30 to 37 and 92 et seq. material reasons (grant too low).
The Commission has no knowledge of any similar As regards the imbalance between the number of British arrangements in the other Member States, which are, of and Belgian trainees the Honourable Member is reminded course, free to adopt rules governing specific sectors of that young Belgians often accepted a traineeship without No C 93/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83 pay since they have the material advantage of being able Answer given by Mr Burke to live at home. This is the main reason for the higher on behalf of the Commission number of trainees from Belgium than from other (17 February 1983) countries.
The Commission is already in touch with the Management and Personnel Office in London in an 1. The tasks and activities of a Commission official detached to a national administration are agreed between attempt to find a way of improving this situation. the two administrations, and the official is reminded of his duty to observe the greatest discretion concerning his knowledge of Commission policies, facts and information not already made public. The Commission is satisfied that the detachment of its officials to administrations in the Member States is not incompatible with their rights and obligations under Title II of the Staff WRITTEN QUESTION No 1588/82 Regulations. by Mr Karel De Gucht (L - B) to the Commission of the European Communities 2. The Commission will send direct to the (10 November 1982) Honourable Member and to the Secretariat General of the European Parliament the statistical information and other details requested under this point. Subject: Secondment of Community officials to national administrations 3. So far as the Commission is concerned, the system of exchanges rests on the decisions of the Commission of The Commission decision of 24 May 1976 introduced a 24 May 1976, and subsequent decisions modifying the system for the exchange of officials between the arrangements in the light of experience; individual cases Commission and the Member States' civil services with a are agreed by exchange of letters, normally between the view to increasing staff mobility. Article 152 of the Director-General for Personnel and Administration and general budget for 1982 (Section III - Commission) his counterparts in the Member States. provides for some 315 000 ECU for this purpose, 75 000 ECU of which is intended to cover the reimbursement of supplementary expenses incurred by Community officials The daily allowances paid by the Commission to national (remark to Item 1521). officials placed at its disposition are Bfrs 1 612,50 in Brussels and Bfrs 1 507,50 in Luxembourg; the Can the Commission give details of the procedures corresponding allowances paid to Commission officials governing the secondment of officials to national are fixed, case by case, by the Director-General for administrations and answer the following questions in Personnel and Administration and may not exceed the particular: rate fixed in the Staff Regulations or by the appointing authority for missions of long duration to the place 1. Are the duties of a Community official seconded to a concerned. national administration compatible with the rights and obligations set out in Title II of the Staff Regulations of officials of the European The Commission reimburses the cost of a return visit each Communities, in particular the obligation to remain month to the official's place of permanent posting if he indepenent? has family responsibilities there, and every three months in other cases. The travel costs of national officials at the 2. As a two-way exchange of officials is provided for, beginning and end of their stay at the Commission are how many Community officials have been seconded paid by the Member State concerned. to national administrations and how many national officials seconded to the Commission since 1976 and for what periods? Which Member States were able to Commission officials receive no allowances from the benefit from this arrangement? Member States, save for the reimbursement of expenses if they are sent on mission, according to the national 3. What institutional arrangements have been made and rules. applied for this exchange system? How and at what level are these secondment agreements between the Commission and the national authorities concluded? 4. In the light of experience of the working of the What mission allowances and travel expenses are system, and in order to avoid the possibility that the paid by the Commission: do Community officials nature of the exchange scheme, essentially conceived as a receive these in addition to allowances granted by the means of training, information and career development, national administrations? is not distorted by political considerations, the Commission has declined to detach officials 4. In how many cases were Community officials to the private offices of national ministers; seconded to the private office of a national so as to avoid misunderstandings, the Commission minister? has sought assurances that the officials 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/7 concerned would be employed in administrative and other important categories and grades of coal, departments, and would not have political broken down by country of origin? appointments.
2. Which Member States operate within the ECSC subject to different rights and obligations from the founder members of the ECSC and therefore contribute less to the financing of the latter?
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1591/82 3. What trend is to be noted in the quantities of coal by Mr Dieter Rogalla (S - D) imported by these Member States compared with those of the founder ECSC States? to the Commission of the European Communities (18 November 1982) 4. j In the Commission's view, is there a possibility of causing undue effects in coal imports if these countries are Subject: Coal imports also made subject to the ECSC coal policy and system of finance, and does it consider that such a course of action 1. What is the Commission's current view of the trend would be appropriate if Community energy policy is to be in Community imports of power-station coal, boiler coal even more coal-based than before?
Answer given by Mr Davignon on behalf of the Commission (28 January 1983)
1. The trend in the Community's coal imports from non-Community countries, broken down by country of origin, was as follows in the period 1980 to 1982:
(in million tonnes)
1982 1980 1981 (estimates)
USA 28,3 35,7 34,5 Canada 0,6 1,4 1,4 Australia 7,8 7,6 8,5 South Africa 19,7 19,1 16,5 Poland 13,6 4,2 6,5 USSR 2,7 0,7 1,0 Others 1,7 1,7 0,4 Total 74,4 70,4 68,8
Of which: Coking coal 24,4 23,4 23,0 Steam coal 45,0 43,0 42,6 Anthracite 5,0 4,0 3,2
By and large, total coal consumption in the Community has held steady, but imports from non-Community countries have slipped back. 2. All the Member States have signed the Treaties establishing the ECSC, the EEC and Euratom respectively and therefore have the same rights and obligations. However, it should be brought to the Honourable Member's attention that - under the Treaties establishing the ECSC, the EEC and Euratom - coal import policy is the exclusive responsibility of the Member States. The financing of the ECSC, which is assured principally by'charging a levy on coal and steel production, is borne by the coal and steel producers, not by the Member States. No C 93/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
3. For the Honourable Member's information, recent trends in the Community's coal imports, broken down by country of destination, have been as follows:
(in million tonnes)
1982 1980 1981 (estimates)
Belgium 7,3 7,2 7,5 Denmark 9,1 8,7 6,5 Federal Republic of Germany 7,3 8,1 8,5 France 22,6 20,1 16,3 Greece 0,5 0,3 1,5 Ireland 0,9 0,8 0,9 Italy 14,3 15,5 18,3 Luxembourg 0,2 0,2 0,2 Netherlands 5,0 5,4 5,7 United Kingdom 7,2 4,1 3,4 EUR-10 74,4 70,4 68,8
4. One of the main elements of the energy strategy pursued by all Community Member States is to use more coal to replace oil. In order to achieve this, the Community may in future be forced to fall back on coal from non-Community countries to an ever-increasing extent.
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1598/82 appropriate to resume the aid in question at the present by Mrs Anne-Marie Lizin (S - B) time. However, the Commission continues to keep a close watch on developments both in Vietnam and in the region to the Commission of the European Communities in general. (18 November 1982) (') OJ NoC 88, 21. 4. 1981. (2) OJ NoC 82, 1.4. 1982. (3) OJ No C 225, 30. 8. 1982. Subject: Request for food aid for Vietnam (4) Ibid.
What are the Commission's reasons for refusing to grant food aid to Vietnam? Does the Commission intend to review its position?
Answer given by Mr Pisani on behalf of the Commission WRITTEN QUESTION No 1607/82 (18 February 1983) by Mrs Sylvie Le Roux (COM - F) to the Commission of the European Communities The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to (18 November 1982) the answers to the following Written Questions:
No 1326/80 by Mr Glinne (J), Subject: Refund component in the sale of agricultural No 1329/81 by Mr Denis (2), products No 1967/81 by Mr Lomas (3), No 55/82 by Mr Couste (4). Can the Commission state, with regard to the most important agricultural products, what has been the trend Since there has been no improvement in the situation in followed in recent years by the refund component in the the meantime, the Commission does not consider it price of the product? 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/9
Answer given by Mr Dalsager 1979 1980 1981 on behalf of the Commission (2 February 1983) Cereals 40% 29% 21 % Beef and veal 38 % 46 % 44 % Milk products 48 % 48 % 34 % One of the common agricultural policy's basic aims, under the EEC Treaty, is to stabilize markets and, In terms of the value of the production concerned, the therefore, prices on the Community market. Because of figures were as follows: the level of Community prices and the erratic movement of prices on world markets, the Community has to grant 1979 1980 export refunds, which are financed by the EAGGF, 1981 Guarantee Section, and charge levies on imports and, in Cereals 7% 6% 6% some cases, exports; the levies, which accrue as of right to Beef and veal 2% 4% 4% the Community, and the refunds vary considerably, Milk products 10% 13 % 8 % ' reflecting fluctuations in world market prices.
Sugar is a case in point: the refund of 300 ECU/tonne payable towards the middle of 1979 was down to zero by April 1980 and was subsequently replaced by an export WRITTEN QUESTION No 1642/82 levy, which reached 200 ECU/tonne towards the end of that year; a refund was later reintroduced, rising to by Mr James Provan (ED - GB) 390 ECU/tonne in the autumn of 1982. to the Commission of the European Communities (23 November 1982) Accordingly, the share of the value of agricultural exports which is accounted for by refunds also varies considerably and does not necessarily always give a true picture of the Subject: Co-responsibility levy in the milk sector way in which the common agricultural policy operates. Will the Commission give details of all funds raised from the linear co-responsibility levy in the milk sector by The table below gives the percentage share in recent Member State and the regional breakdown of those years: figures?
Answer given by Mr Dalsager on behalf of the Commission (4 February 1983)
The Honourable Member is referred to the following table which shows the revenue from the co-responsibility levy, broken down by Member State. The Commission is unable to provide a regional breakdown of the figures.
(million ECU)
1977 1978 1979 1980 1981
B 0,9 6,5 3,6 8,0 16,9 DK 1,6 10,6 5,3 11,5 25,6 D 7,6 46,6 25,5 58,2 118,8 F 5,0 34,4 20,6 53,4 114,9 GR IRL 1,1 7,1 4,7 12,2 23,5 IT — 5,8 8,2 11,5 25,0 token L 0,6 0,3 0,6 1,2 entry NL 4,0 21,6 12,3 29,2 64,3 UK 3,9 22,9 13,7 38,3 88,3 Total 24,1 156,1 94,2 222,9 478,5 NoC 93/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1664/82 As regards the price relationship between substitutes and by Mr Luc Beyer de Ryke (L - B) Community cereals, the Commission would point out to the Honourable Member that in its annual price to the Commission of the European Communities proposals it pursues a particularly cautious policy where (29 November 1982) cereal prices are concerned, given the advisability of improving price relativities and aligning Community prices on those of our competitors. Whilst the narrowing Subject: Cereal substitutes of the price gap between imported and Community products has been intentional, it has not in the In a number of explanatory memoranda issued to justify Commission's opinion been enough to ensure a sufficient the increases in import levies and the actual or envisaged degree of competition. The Commission will quota restrictions applying to products falling under consequently work to narrow the price gap still further headings No 23.02 and No 23.03 of the CCT (cereal and to stabilize imports of cereal substitutes. bran and gluten-feed) the Commission states that imports of these products depress the prices of the same or similar commodities produced by the European food industries.
The market prices, quoted by such unbiased organizations as the arbitration boards, indicate that in Belgium the price of wheat bran has risen from 69,7 % of the market price of common wheat in 1977/78 to 85,6 % in 1980/81. In France the proportion has risen from WRITTEN QUESTION No 1665/82 67,7 % in 1970 to 73,1 % in 1981. by Mr Luc Beyer de Ryke (L - B) In the Federal Republic of Germany the figure has risen to the Commission of the European Communities from 64,4 % in 1977/78 to 72,5 % in December 1981, (29 November 1982) while in the United Kingdom the price of wheat bran has remained at approximately 87,5 % of the price of wheat since 1977. The prices of maize gluten-feed expressed as a Subject: Cereal substitutes percentage of maize prices are as follows: in Belgium, 71,2% in 1977/78 and 83,7% in 1980/81. In the United Kingdom the average figure has remained almost At the beginning of the present harvesting year the unchanged at 87 % since 1977. In the meantime, as a Commission adopted a policy of increasing import levies result of the CAP, grain prices have regularly while introducing or envisaging quota restrictions on increased. imports of certain commodities commonly used in the production of animal feed. Is the Commission prepared to admit that, when it claims that imports of wheat bran and maize gluten-feed depress According to a study by Professor Zeddies of the the prices of the same products originating in Europe, it is University of Hohenheim (FRG), under the conditions using a false argument to justify its policy in respect of prevailing at present, the measures taken and those these two commodities which are extensively used in envisaged for cereal substitutes will substantially increase animal feed, or that it has allowed itself to be misled by the cost of stock-farming in Germany. The immediate undertakings producing these commodities and effect of this would be a serious drop in the incomes of defending their interests or by other pressure groups? those engaged in stock-farming, whose income per unit of work is already considerably lower than that of those engaged in other types of farming. Moreover, the constraints are very much greater, in view of the care Answer given by Mr Dalsager which must be given to live animals. What is true for on behalf of the Commission German stock-farmers is obviously true in varying degrees for their counterparts elsewhere in the (16 February 1983) Community, in particular in those areas where intensive breeding is carried out with large numbers of livestock. The Commission's basic position is that cereal substitutes Ultimately, it will be necessary for the increased costs of such as bran or maize gluten-feed are taking the place of stock-farming to be reflected in higher retail prices. Community cereals in animal feed and that such competition is made possible by very low or zero-rated Can the Commission give statistics to show the effect on import charges which bear no relationship to the feed the revenue of breeders and on retail prices of the value of the imports in question. Proof of this can be seen measures taken or envisaged? in the sharp increase in imports of cereal substitutes and the corresponding rise in exports of Community Can the Commission explain why its concern to ensure an cereals. acceptable revenue for the farming population has in fact 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/11 been limited to cereal growers alone, and, what is more between the Community production for cereals and the serious, at the expense of stock-farmers? import of cereal substitutes, as foreseen in the mandate of 30 May 1980 and the Guidelines for European Agriculture ('). Can the Commission guarantee that the increase in the price of livestock products caused by measures affecting For the marketing year 1983/84 in the cereals sector, the cereal substitutes, together with that arising from the Commission has not only proposed a further element of annual increase in the price of feed grain, will not lead to a price reduction to bring Community prices more into line drop in their consumption, thereby causing fresh grain with its main competitors but has also applied the surpluses? principle of co-responsibility decided on by the Council in the 1982/83 package. The resultant effect of these proposals is a lower price increase for Community cereal producers than is proposed for the majority of livestock Answer given by Mr Dalsager producers. on behalf of the Commission (>) Doc. COM(81) 608 final. (1 February 1983)
The Commission's policy with regard to the import of 'cereal substitutes' has taken account, inter alia, of the objective to limit the increase (not reduce) in the import of certain products in this sector at low or zero tariff levels after a period of sensational growth. For example, imports of manioc have increased from 1,7 million tonnes in 1973 to 6,7 million tonnes in 1981 while imports of corn gluten-feed have risen from 0 tonnes to 2,8 million tonnes over the same period. Imports of all cereal WRITTEN QUESTION No 1667/82 substitutes have soared from 6,1 million tonnes to 16,5 by Mr Luc Beyer de Ryke (L — B) million tonnes in the period 1974/75 to 1981/82. to the Commission of the European Communities (29 November 1982) The Council has endorsed this policy through its agreement to voluntary restraint agreements with Thailand and Indonesia concerning the import of manioc Subject: Cereal substitutes into the Community as well as establishing quantitative limits at favourable duty rates for all other suppliers. In addition, the Council has adjusted the levy on brans in In carrying out its mandate of 30 May 1980, the order to bring it more into line with that applicable to Commission stated that it wished to follow a policy of other cereals. aligning the price of European cereals on world market prices. According to the Commission, one of the advantages of such a policy would be to make the price of As these measures have only been recently applied, it is cereals more competitive than hitherto with the price of not yet possible to quantify the effect in terms of price or other commodities used in animal feed, referred to by the quantity of products utilized in animal feed. Recent Commission as cereal substitutes. increases in the prices of manioc are expected to be temporary in nature, falling away in the first half of 1983. Furthermore the favourable evolution of revenues for pig Given present developments on international markets, producers in 1982 in the Community should be noted, does the Commission consider that the fixing of pigmeat representing almost 45 % of the total European farm prices for the 1982/83 season fulfils the consumption of meat in the Community and being the aims of the CAP as enunciated by the Commission? major sector for consumption of manioc in animal feed: revenues are expected to rise by about 25 to 30 % while In particular, can it indicate for barley and maize the the cost of animal feed has, on average, risen by about average import levy which reflects the difference between 80 %. Community and world prices?
At the same time the Commission is continuing its action Can it also indicate to what extent it considers that a in the internal market with a view to bringing domestic successful policy of price alignment will compensate for cereal prices in the Community, over the longer term, measures to increase the price of substitute products by more into line with those of its main competitors. In this increasing the import levies or imposing quota manner, the Commission is looking for a balanced policy restrictions? NoC 93/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
Answer given by Mr Dalsager The alignment of the common prices for cereals on those on behalf of the Commission obtained by cereal-growers in the USA is not a new (4 February 1983) policy. Between 1977/78 and 1981/82 the difference between the intervention price and the price paid to 1. The Commission would point out to the US producers was reduced from 58 to 33 % in the case of Honourable Member that its agricultural price proposals common wheat, from 54,9 to 36,4 % in the case of barley take into account a number of factors, among which and from 55,4 to 45,5 % in the case of maize. This support for farm incomes ranks high. In the case of cereal narrowing of the gap may be attributed to three main producers, however, the Commission takes an extra causes: (1) the cautious policy on common prices; (2) the factor into consideration: the alignment of the common rise in production costs in the USA; (3) the appreciation prices on world market prices for cereals. The of the dollar in relation to the ECU. Commission is aware, however, that comparisons with world market prices would not be practical in every case. As requested by the Honourable Member, the The Commission is therefore of the opinion that Commission is pleased to supply the following table Community prices should be aligned on those applied by showing the average import levies on barley and maize for its main competitors. To assess the gap between the prices the marketingyears from 1978/79 to 1981/82, although in question, the Commission considers that the prices these figures are a less significant reflection of the obtained by cereal-growers in the United States may be differences between Community prices and the prices of taken as a point of reference. its competitors.
197? /79 1979/80 1980/81 1981/82 Barley Maize Barley Maize Barley Maize Barley Maize
August 98,57 92,75 60,19 78,78 65,77 70,55 55,81 59,45 September 103,22 94,96 60,57 80,27 64,80 73,68 69,77 81,43 October 105,08 98,29 60,60 79,71 56,08 75,66 74,97 89,05 November 104,66 95,27 63,16 81,88 35,98 64,64 75,39 97,14 December 105,74 94,87 67,71 87,93 32,20 61,68 73,19 101,52 January 110,75 96,12 70,93 96,70 30,69 56,90 68,62 93,01 February 114,23 96,47 73,49 96,97 25,68 59,15 64,16 95,10 March 110,09 95,36 70,50 92,95 38,43 61,37 67,32 92,67 April 106,58 94,34 76,72 92,03 54,67 63,38 76,15 87,08 May 101,37 89,58 86,65 95,94 60,76 .61,29 84,99 95,45 June 91,66 84,10 87,56 97,97 71,58 61,91 83,73 97,79 July 72,71 79,39 79,63 91,64 70,01 59,29 96,36 98,72
2. For several years now the Commission for its part cereal substitutes so that no measures which are not has advocated, and the Council has pursued, a cautious strictly necessary are adopted or remain in force. policy on cereal price increases. The policy on the alignment of cereal prices, which is in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the 'Memorandum to complement the Commission's report on the mandate of 30 May 1980', has also been followed in 1982/83 and the Commission intends to pursue it further in 1983/84. In the medium term, given the trend in cereal prices in the United States, these policies should make Community cereals more competitive both in the feedingstuffs sector and on export markets. WRITTEN QUESTION No 1674/82 by Mr Mark Clinton (PPE - IRL) to the Commission of the European Communities (29 November 1982)
Subject: Measures to aid beef production
Lastly, the Commission would assure the Honourable Is the Commission aware of the difficulties arising in the Member that it will keep a watch on the trend in prices for operation of the measures to improve beef production in 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/13
Ireland and Northern Ireland where many calves are from the results of deliberations during the colloquy traded across the border and where calves originating in or the views expressed by the Commission Northern Ireland are not eligible for the premium when representative at the colloquy? reared in Ireland and vice versa? 2. Did the Commission representative also disown the wording of the declaration after it had been read out? Would the Commission therefore consider operating the Does the Commission intend to press for scheme on a 32 county basis? rectification?
3. What overall importance does the Commission attach to the 'Rome Declaration on Hunger' in the Answer given by Mr Dalsager context of the North-South dialogue? on behalf of the Commission (10 February 1983) Answer given by Mr Pisani The difficulties in controlling animals crossing the land on behalf of the Commission boundary between Northern Ireland and Ireland are (17 February 1983) recognized. The Commission is familiar with the Rome Declaration, The Commission, due to the fact that two different which was drawn up at the close of a seminar organized administrations implement the calf premium scheme, by the FAO on the occasion of the World Food does not intend at present to propose the granting of the Conference of 16 October 1982. calf premium scheme in any eligible Member State other than the one in which the calf was born. This declaration draws public attention to the serious food situation in certain developing countries and thus The Commission is, however, willing to examine all complements efforts by the Member States and suggestions which would solve the problem raised by the international organizations to achieve greater Honourable Member and which would ensure that calves solidarity. can benefit from the calf premium, even if they move from Ireland to Northern Ireland or vice versa before they At the invitation of the FAO this seminar brought reach the age of six months. together a number of people who had been personally chosen because of their expert knowledge rather than in their general capacity as representatives of countries, international organizations or parliamentary assemblies.
The Commission recently described its position on the WRITTEN QUESTION No 1680/82 development problems of the Third World, and particularly its food problems, in a 'Memorandum on the by Mrs Hanna Walz (PPE - D) Community's development policy' (J). If the Honourable to the Commission of the European Communities Member compares these two documents, she will be able (29 November 1982) to judge to what extent the two approaches differ one from the other.
H COM(82) 640 final. Subject: Rome declaration on hunger
At the World Food Conference held by the FAO on 16 October this year, the former Secretary-General of Unctad, Raul Prebisch, read out the text of the 'Rome Declaration on Hunger' previously drawn up at a two-day colloquy attended by well-known politicians and experts including a representative of the Commission. It has been WRITTEN QUESTION No 1685/82 claimed that, in a number of essential respects, the official by Mrs Beate Weber (S-D) wording of the declaration is at variance with what was agreed during the colloquy itself, which has prompted a to the Commission of the European Communities number of participants to disown the text of the (29 November 1982) declaration. This is said to be particularly true in the matters of food aid and price incentives for landowners in developing countries. Subject: Formaldehyde
1. What, in the Commission's view, are the main For some time a number of prominent scientists have respects in which the text of the declaration differs suspected formaldehyde of having carcinogenic No C 93 /14 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
properties. 500 000 tonnes of formaldehyde are the basis of the Scientific Committee's opinion and, in produced every year in the Federal Republic of Germany view of the data on the exposure levels of workers which alone. have now been collected, the level of priority to be attributed to formaldehyde will be reviewed as It is used to produce amongst other things: necessary.
— medicaments (throat sprays, pessaries, toothpaste), 3. Under Council Directive 76/769/EEC (J), the Commission can, as required and at any time, propose — household commodities (cleaning products, ink, Community provisions concerning the restriction on the indian ink, felt pens, shoe polish, washing-up liquid, disinfectants), use or even the prohibition of certain dangerous substances and preparations. — cosmetics (bath salts and lotions, shampoos, skin cleansers and creams, foot sprays). Such action has not yet been contemplated in the case of formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is already known to cause allergies and (») OJ No L 262, 27. 9. 1976. skin disorders.
1. Is the Commission aware of the dangers of formaldehyde?
2. Does the Commission intend to carry out appropriate research or take part in research projects, particularly WRITTEN QUESTION No 1687/82 concerning the health hazards faced by workers by Mrs Marijke Van Hemeldonck (S - B) employed in the production of formaldehyde? to the Commission of the European Communities 3. Is the Commission prepared to impose restrictions on (29 November 1982) the use of formaldehyde in the Member States on the basis of the scientific findings already available? Subject: Disposal of used motor oil and its re-use as fuel
Answer given by Mr Narjes Can the Commission provide an estimate of the quantity on behalf of the Commission of used motor oil which motorists in the Member States of (11 February 1983) the European Community pour into drains or into the soil every year?
1. The Commission is keeping an attentive eye on the What assessment does the Commission make of the harm problem of formaldehyde. It is aware that, under certain done to the environment by the disposal of waste oil in circumstances, this substance may present risks for this way, such as the damage caused to water-purification man. plants?
At a joint WHO (World Health Organization)-EEC Is the Commission aware of the French Government's meeting, held in Frankfurt from 12 to 15 October 1982, plans to call a halt to this uneconomic and emphasis was laid on the part played by products environmentally harmful practice? associated with formaldehyde (e.g. urea-formaldehyde foam and dust from sheets of reconstituted wood) which Do regulations or plans to recycle motor oil already exist could be held responsible for potentialization or allergic in other Member States of the European Community? reactions. If so, where? The Scientific Advisory Committee on the Toxicity and Will the Commission take steps to encourage such Ecotoxicity of Chemical Compounds has been consulted recycling in the framework of the European Community on specific problems concerning formaldehyde and its environmental action programme? advice will also be sought in regard to the general aspect of formaldehyde toxicity in man. If so, what measures will the Commission propose to prevent the problem merely being shifted from one of 2. Formaldehyde is not listed among the 11 priority water and land pollution to one of air pollution? substances of Annex I to the Council Directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to chemical, physical and biological agents at work, in Answer given by Mr Narjes respect of which substances the Council has requested the on behalf of the Commission Commission to submit proposals for specific (17 February 1983) Directives.
The Commission is not currently pursuing any research More than two million tonnes of waste oil are produced concerning the exposure of workers to formaldehyde. On every year in the Member States. This figure includes both 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/15 used motor oil and oil used by industry as lubricants. The — food distribution is totally inadequate, Commission has no detailed figures, either on the quantity of used motor oil or on the amount of oil poured — there is a chronic shortage of medical supplies, into drains or into the soil every year. Uncontrolled disposal of waste oil can cause substantial damage to the — there is malnutrition on a large scale, environment and it is for this reason that the Commission — the Honduran army intimidates and maltreates the began its work on its environmental policy and the refugees in many ways. implementation of the first action programme on the environment (1973) with a Directive on waste oils which was adopted on 16 June 1975 (1). This Directive The author of the question would point out that her provides, inter alia, that waste and oils must be disposed findings concur with those set out in a detailed report on of without harm to the environment. In particular, the situation of the refugees from El Salvador in Member States must prohibit any processing of waste oils Honduras produced by the Inter-Church Committee for causing air pollution which exceeds the level prescribed Refugees in September 1982 (see annex). by existing provisions. This Directive has now been transformed into national law by most Member States. On the basis of the author's findings, is the Commission prepared to: The Commission is aware of the French legislation to which the Honourable Member refers and of the — take steps to prompt the Government of Honduras to importance which the French Government places on the sign the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol on the optimal re-use of waste oil. status of refugees;
Within the framework of its environmental policy the — urge the Government of Honduras to uphold and Commission accords a high priority to the problems of guarantee the rights and freedoms of the refugees in waste oil and the recycling of waste oils; all the more so accordance with the aforementioned Convention and since waste oil is a valuable and important secondary raw Protocol; material which allows considerable saving of energy, raw — conduct an investigation into the distribution of food materials and foreign exchange. and medicine in the camps generally and in Colomoncaqua in particular; The Commission is at present examining possibilities of completing Community legislation in this area in — conduct an inquiry into the distribution of food aid particular with a view to environment aspects. provided by the Community; (•) OJ NoL 194, 25. 7. 1975, p. 23. — give consideration to the results of such investigations and to the author's findings when taking a decision on whether to provide financial aid for Honduras in the context of Community aid to Central America?
Answer given by Mr Pisani WRITTEN QUESTION No 1692/82 on behalf of the Commission (10 February 1983) by Mrs Ien van den Heuvel (S - NL) to the Commission of the European Communities (29 November 1982) Steps of the kind referred to in the question have been taken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which, acting in Subject: Conditions faced by refugees from El Salvador conjunction with the Community, has asked the in Honduras Honduras Government to sign the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol on refugees. The Government has promised to give close attention to the request but has not On 7 October the author of the question sent you a report yet given a definitive answer. It has accepted, however, concerning a visit which she made as Member of the the permanent presence of UNHCR personnel in the European Parliament on 30 September and 1 October to camps and transit centres, which is most important from the Colomoncaqua refugee camp in Honduras where the standpoint of protecting the refugees. 6 039 refugees from El Salvador are living. As stated in the report: When it received reports of the current distribution of — the refugees are not allowed to leave the camp, food aid being hampered, the Commission raised the matter with the UNHCR, which is responsible for the aid — doctors and other workers are only allowed to spend a operation in question. It would appear that there are limited number of hours tending the refugees, indeed difficulties from time to time, but they are resolved No C 93/16 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83 each time the UNHCR brings them to the notice of the WRITTEN QUESTION No 1707/82 military authorities. by Mr Hendrik Louwes (L - NL) to the Commission of the European Communities In view of the foregoing, the Commission does not consider at the moment that it need modify its attitude as (2 December 1982) regards financial and technical assistance to Honduras. Nevertheless, it is following developments there Subject: Obstacles to the transport of live animals and closely. meat by road between Member States of the Community
1. Article 6(1) of Directive 64/432/EEC (>) stipulates that 'marketing channels and all means of transport available for use shall be taken into account in determining which frontier posts shall be used'. Does this mean that:
— the ports of Igoumenitsa and Patras must be opened WRITTEN QUESTION No 1704/82 for shipments of live animals for delivery to Greece, by Mr Hendrik Louwes (L - NL) and that to the Commission of the European Communities — the ban on transport of live animals by road in transit (2 December 1982) through Yugoslavia and Austria should be lifted?
2. When does the Commission envisage that the Subject: Common measures pursuant to Council abovementioned obstacles to intra-Community trade will Regulation (EEC) No 355/77 (') to improve be removed? the conditions under which bovine animals and (>) OJ No 121, 29. 7. 1964, p. 1977/64. swine are slaughtered and processed
On what grounds did the Commission approve various Answer given by Mr Dalsager national programmes (e.g. those of Denmark and the on behalf of the Commission Netherlands) for modernizing the slaughtering and • (10 February 1983) processing of bovine animals and swine, which require minimum capacities and which put medium-sized meat wholesalers at a competitive disadvantage? As soon as the Commission was informed that the ports of Igoumenitsa and Patras had been closed for shipments of (•) OJ NoL 51, 23. 2. 1977, p. 1. live animals, it took the matter up with the Greek authorities and asked for an explanation.
The Commission so far has no information available to Answer given by Mr Dalsager the effect that Yugoslavia has prohibited the transport of on behalf of the Commission live animals by road through its territory.
(11 February 1983) Informed of the introduction of bans of this kind by the Austrian authorities, the Commission has asked them for further details in this connection. The purpose of Regulation (EEC) No 355/77 is to encourage the restructuring or rationalization of undertakings engaged in the treatment, processing and marketing of agricultural products and thus improve the position of agricultural holdings.
If the granting of Community aid is to confer sufficient WRITTEN QUESTION No 1715/82 and lasting benefit on the producers and basic agricultural by Mr Hans-Gert Pottering (PPE - D) goods, investment aid must primarily be directed towards to the Commission of the European Communities high-performance undertakings which have very low processing costs, are highly competitive both inside and (2 December 1982) outside the Community and supply the consumer at relatively low prices. As such restructuring takes place it is Subject: EEC food consignments to Poland possible that marketing channels may be shortened. 'Die Welt' reports on 10 November 1982 that German journalists in Poland have been attempting to find out 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/17 where the European Community's food aid, especially its Butter sales to Poland are at present effected on normal consignments of buter, is ending up, i.e. whether it is market terms and no special measure is applied to that reaching the Polish people. The report claims that even country. Furthermore, the sale of agricultural products to after intensive inquiry the journalists were unable to Poland at prices below those normally charged was ascertain where the food had gone. Deputy Prime decided on following the events of December 1981. Minister Mieczyslaw Rakowski was unable to give any satisfactory reply to questions on the matter. However, The food aid granted by the Community to the the Polish weekly 'Polityka' (editor in chief: Mr population of Poland is sent to the country by Rakowski) did answer, as reported in 'Die Welt' on 10 non-governmental charitable organizations which November 1982: 'The West Germans ought to be pleased cooperate closely with the Polish church in distributing that we buy their butter, we are saving them the high cost the aid. One of the main conditions which the of keeping it in cold stores. Anyway, how we Poles use the Community attaches to the granting of the aid is that the butter is our business, we are paying for it.' The article in consignments should be distributed to those in need 'Polityka' failed to mention that the butter involved had without government intervention. In addition, the been sold by the EEC at a cut price, and bought with the packaging is marked in Polish to show that the aid of loans which in turn had been in part guaranteed by consignments are gifts from the EEC. Western European governments. The Commission shares the opinion expressed by the Honourable Member as to the importance of parcels sent Will the Commission therefore state: by individuals and will draw the attention of the governments of other Member States to the example set by the German authorities, which bear the cost of postal 1. What action it is taking to ensure that food charges for individual parcels. consignments to Poland can be recognized by the Polish people as aid from the European Community? Is the packaging of the butter marked clearly to that effect?
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1716/82 2. Is it satisfied that none of the Community's food aid by Mr Roberto Costanzo (PPE -1) to the courageous European Polish people is ending up in the Soviet Union or with the Polish or Russian to the Commission of the European Communities armed forces in Poland? (2 December 1982)
3. Does it share the view held by the author of this Subject: Promotion of rural tourism question that the best guarantee that aid reaches the people is to channel it through the church in Poland, — Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No and is it conducting its food aid to Poland 2615/80 (*) which in Article 4 (4) provides for the accordingly? If not, will it do so in future? promotion of rural tourism, — considering that the bodies in Italy responsible for 4. Does it agree that the dispatch of parcels from citizens promotion, publicity and development of tourist of the European Community to the Polish people is an facilities submitted in due time a full programme outstanding contribution to pan-European which was subsequently approved by the competent solidarity, and will it recommend all governments in offices of the Community, the Community to exempt such parcels from postage charges, as has been done in the Federal Republic of the Commission of the Communities is asked: Germany? — whether it is aware that the Italian bodies, having submitted all the documentation required to the national government institutions and the Commission of the Communities, have for more than a year been Answer given by Mr Haferkamp operating that part of the programme falling within on behalf of the Commission their competence; (7 February 1983) — whether it is aware that the said bodies have not as yet received any advance of the appropriations committed for the financing of the programme as provided in the Regulation; The Honourable Member refers in his question to the purchases made by the Polish authorities and the food aid — whether it does not believe itself in a position to pay granted by the Community to the population of Poland. It the Community's financial contribution directly to the is necessary to distinguish between the two. bodies authorized to implement the programmes, No C 93/18 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
especially in cases such as those covered in Regulation which agricultural products are processed and (EEC) No 2615/80, where financial contributions marketed (*) stipulates that projects to be financed must are the sole responsibility of the Community? form part of sectoral programmes which the Member States should submit to the Commission for approval. (») OJ No L 271, 15. 10. 1980, p. 1. Under Article 12 (1) of the said Regulation, any derogations from this rule applied until 31 December 1980 at the latest. The programmes approved for the Answer given by Mr Giolitti cereals sector in Italy do not cover the sector as a whole or on behalf of the Commission all the regions in that country. Projects not included in the (1 February 1983) programmes have not therefore qualified for aid.
(•) OJ NoL 51, 23. 2. 1977, p. 1. The Commission is aware that some of the bodies responsible for promoting tourism have, for some time now, been operating the part of the programme falling within their competence.
The Commission has paid over to the Italian treasury an advance of 30 % of the sum committed for the first annual instalment towards the 'enlargement' programme and considers that the Italian authorities should, without WRITTEN QUESTION No 1718/82 delay, make the payments relating to the operations by Mr Dieter Rogalla (S - D) already begun, such as those referred to by the to the Commission of the European Communities Honourable Member. If the Italian Government so decides, the Commission is quite prepared to pay the (2 December 1982) Community contribution direct to the bodies concerned, in accordance with Article 6 (1) of Regulation (EEC) No 2615/80. Subject; Employment of trainees in the Commission
1. How does the Commission, in the light of around 25 years' experience, assess the temporary employment of trainees (stagiaires)?
2. How many of these 'stagiaires' have become officials or other servants of the Communities?
3. Are such 'stagiaires' predominantly drawn from WRITTEN QUESTION No 1717/82 certain nationalities or do they represent an even mix of by Mr Roberto Costanzo (PPE -1) nationalities, and what is their impact as 'ambassadors' of the Community idea on their return? to the Commission of the European Communities
(2 December 1982) 4. Do these 'stagiaires' enjoy adequate terms and conditions of employment and does the evolution of their salaries follow the method of adjustment applicable to the Subject: Construction of cereals harvesting and remuneration of officials? processing facilities with EAGGF funds
Can the EEC Commission explain the reasons which do Answer given by Mr Thorn not allow the construction projects for cereals harvesting on behalf of the Commission and processing facilities, submitted by Italian agricultural (10 February 1983) producers' organizations, to be financed under the guidance section of the EAGGF? 1. The Commission has been organizing traineeships for university graduates since 1960. In so doing it has pursued three main aims: Answer given by Mr Dalsager — to spread the European integration idea, on behalf of the Commission (4 February 1983) — to provide practical knowledge of the Commission's working methods,
Article 10(a) of Regulation (EEC) No 355/77 on — to prepare trainees for work in international 'common measures' to improve the conditions under organizations. 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/19
Experience has been beneficial, and the number of Answer given by Mr Dalsager applicants has increased consistently, reaching about on behalf of the Commission 3 000 in 1982 for some 440 available places. (15 February 1983)
2. The Commission does not have statistics on the number of former trainees who are now officials or other The Commission, which has long been active in the field servants of the European Communities. However, a of animal welfare in both a legislative and investigative number of former trainees (the exact figure is not known) way, has to-date proposed the introduction of animal are known to have opted for careers in the Community, to welfare regulations in areas which can cause barriers to have taken open competitions, to have become assistants free trade or distortion of competition. The Commission to Members of the European Parliament or to have gained endeavours to ensure by this means that the measures for places in European organizations and associations and in the protection of animals in the different Member States other international institutions. are uniform.
3. As regards the geographical breakdown of trainees, Following extensive work within the Community on the the Honourable Member is referred to the answers given welfare of calves and of veal calves in particular, the work to Written Question Nos 875/81 (») and 1579/82 (2) by on housing and rearing systems for calves was summarized in a scientific seminar conducted under the Mr Tyrrell. auspices of the Commission in 1981.
As for the multiplier effect of former trainees, the These useful preliminary steps having been taken the Commission would draw the Honourable Member's Commission will continue to gather research information attention to the fact that former trainees have formed an to create the necessary scientific basis for the formulation association at their own initiative, with regional offshoots of calf management standards. in all Member States, applicant countries and non-Community countries playing an active part in the realization of the European ideal.
4. The Commission increases the grant paid to trainees at regular intervals to take account of the rise in the cost of living.
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1737/82 Adjustments will likewise be made in 1983. by Sir Fred Warner (ED - GB) (») OJ No C 202, 6. 10. 1982. to the Commission of the European Communities (2) See page 5 of this Official Journal. (10 December 1982)
Subject: Health insurance
Is the Commission aware of the regulation of the Joint Committee of Public Health Insurance Offices in the Federal Republic of Germany, dated 3 February 1982, which requires foreign students wishing to register at a WRITTEN QUESTION No 1729/82 German university to take out a special students' policy by Mrs Barbara Castle (S - GB) costing approximately DM 55 a month? to the Commission of the European Communities Will the Commission ensure that Community Certificate (2 December 1982) E 111 is accepted by the German Federal and Lander authorities for this purpose?
Subject: The veal crate
Would the Commission agree that the practice of rearing Answer given by Mr Richard veal calves in small wooden crates as is current practice on behalf of the Commission constitutes cruelty to these animals and would the (7 February 1983) Commission therefore take steps to outlaw this method, encouraging an alternative method of production which would be more humanely acceptable such as penning in 1. The Commission is aware of the position taken by groups of 20 on straw in covered yards? the German authorities. A provision of German law No C 93/20 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
specifically requires all students (whether German or undertakings accused of dumping, and the countries foreign) to be insured in their own right prior to accused of granting subsidies? registration at a German institution of higher (>) OJNo C275, 18. 10. 1982, p. 14. education. (2) OJ No L 339, 31. 12. 1979, p. 1.
2. The form E 111 entitles insured nationals of other Member States to obtain emergency medical treatment free of charge during a temporary stay in the Federal Answer given by Mr Haferkamp Republic of Germany. Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 on behalf of the Commission which provides for the application of social security schemes to employed and self-employed persons and to (21 February 1983) their families moving within the Community, contains a provision which prevents double insurance. This As explained in reply to Written Question No 698/81 by Regulation does not, however, cover students as such and Mrs Lizin(1), it is not the Commission's practice to recourse cannot therefore be had to it to avoid the publicize details of contacts with Community industries, obligations under German law, which may mean for or of any complaint subsequently received, unless a some insuring twice against the same risk. decision has been made to open an investigation. If the complaint contains sufficient evidence to justify the 3. Nevertheless, the Commission recognizes the initiation of an investigation, a notice of the initiation is considerable burden that this requirement places upon published in the Official Journal. If it does not contain students, in return for little or no additional benefit, at a sufficient evidence, the complainant is so informed and is time when they are least likely to be in a position to meet then free, if he chooses, to submit an amended complaint the extra financial obligation imposed. The matter has, for further consideration. therefore, been taken up with the German authorities, at the highest level, with a view to bringing this situation to a (*) OJ No C 283, 5. 11. 1981. satisfactory end.
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1744/82 by Mrs Barbara Castle (S - GB) to the Commission of the European Communities WRITTEN QUESTION No 1738/82 (10 December 1982) by Mr Pierre-Bernard Couste (DEP - F) to the Commission of the European Communities (10 December 1982) Subject: French import restrictions
Would the Commission please itemize the additi'onal Subject: Anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations requirements for customs documentation in French, origin labelling of all goods and routing of specified In its answer to Written Question No 786/82 ('), the products through named customs stations and other Commission describes the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy administrative import restrictions now being demanded investigations which it has opened since 1 January by the French authorities. Did these have the prior 1976. approval of the Commission?
Accepting that a complaint is not necessarily investigated, could the Commission also specify the number of complaints lodged by operators since 1 January 1976 Answer given by Mr Narjes pursuant to Article 5 of Regulation (EEC) No on behalf of the Commission 2 3017/79 ( ) and the Regulations previously in force and (10 February 1983) calling for the application of the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy provisions embodied in those Regulations? Additional requirements for customs documentation in Could the Commission list dumping and subsidy French arise from the circular adopted by the French complaints separately and specify the nationality of the authorities on 20 October 1982 amending the circular of 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/21
14 March 1977 concerning the Law of 31 December 1975 education in each Member State of the European on the use of French. Community, broken down as follows:
The circular states: how many young people aged 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 were in 'The use of French is obligatory in all transactions, proposed transactions and imports concerning any — lower secondary (full-time), goods and services. It is clear from the very general terms used in Article 1 of the Law to define the scope — higher secondary (full-time), of that Article that the use of French is obligatory, not — secondary technical education (full-time), only for the full text of any documents used in the transactions (contracts, labels, catalogues, — apprenticeship and sandwich courses (part-time), prospectuses, order forms, delivery instructions, guarantees, directions for use, insurance certificates, — higher education, transport documents, certificates of quality, etc.), but also in any markings used in labelling and on the in the years: 1975-76; 1978-79; 1980-81; goods themselves, as well as in written or verbal 1981-82? advertisements.'
As regards indications of origin on goods, the only measure now in force in France is Decree No 79-790 of Answer given by Mr Burke 29 August 1979 laying down an administrative regulation on behalf of the Commission in respect of the application of the Law of 1 August 1905 (31 January 1983) on fraud and forgery involving goods or services with regard to the marks of origin to be affixed to certain textiles and clothing. The Commission informs the Honourable Member that on account of the differences in national education As regards the routing of specified products through systems and terminology relating to different types of named customs stations, the only French measure now programmes and schools, comparable statistics for the being challenged by the Commission is a decree of Member States can only be given by level of education; a 21 October 1982 amending the list of customs offices and detailed breakdown, as requested, is not available. their powers, under which video recording equipment listed under subheading 92.11 B of the Common Customs A broad range of information on enrolment in schools Tariff may be imported only via the Poitiers office. and universities is contained in the SOEC publication, 'Education and Training 1970/71 - 1977/78' (Eurostat These French measures have never had the prior approval 1980) and updated figures for the main series up to of the Commission. 1980/81 are contained in the 'Education and Training statistics No 2-1982'. Information on apprenticeship and The question of indications of origin, as a result of work experience training schemes is not included as infringement proceeds initiated by the Commission, has satisfactory data are lacking. Figures for the 1981/82 now been brought before the Court of Justice. school year are not yet available.
On 9 November 1982, the Commission initiated infringement proceedings, which are still in progress, against the French authorities in respect of the use of French and the restriction of customs stations.
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1763/82 by Mr Anthony Simpson (ED - GB) to the Commission of the European Communities
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1760/82 (10 December 1982) by Mr Francis Wurtz (COM - F) to the Commission of the European Communities Subject: Free movement of teachers (10 December 1982) It is clearly in the interests of European integration and progress towards an 'ever closer union', that nationals of Subject: The education of young people all Member States should be able to work as teachers in schools and educational establishments in other Member Could the Commission give detailed statistics as regards States, particularly in the fields of language teaching and the number of young people following public and private European studies. NoC 93/22 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
What steps is the Commission taking, or does it propose (b) What legal evidence can the Commission present to take, to ensure the free movement of teachers to demonstrate that this measure is absolutely throughout the Community, in particular with regard to necessary? the mutual recognition of teaching diplomas and qualifications? If no steps have been, or are being, taken, (c) Can the Commission produce the studies and why not? surveys on which its views are based?
Answer given by Mr Richard 2. Is the Commission aware that the individual arrangements it proposes are so at variance with on behalf of the Commission economic reality that they would totally undermine (16 February 1983) beer supply contracts in the Community which, as the Commission recognizes, are a vital marketing The Commission shares the view of the Honourable instrument of small and medium-sized Member that the interests of European union would be undertakings? served by free movement in the school teaching professions. So far as the private sector is concerned, free 3. In particular is the Commission aware that given movement of teachers is already provided for under publicans' financing requirements its proposal for the Regulation (EEC) No 1612/68 (J) based on Article 48 of borrower to be able to terminate the supply contract the EEC Treaty. This Regulation does not, however, prematurely at the end of the fifth year will mean that cover the public sector, which is by far the more the beer supply contract will effectively cease to substantial. function as a means of setting up or expanding a business? Although the need to promote freedom of movement for teachers is not explicitly mentioned in the Education Action Programme approved by the Council and 4. (a) Why does the Commission no longer wish to Ministers of Education meeting within the Council in enable the contracting parties to make February 1976, some preparatory work is being non-alcoholic beverages in addition to beer the undertaken to examine ways of enabling teachers to basis of a loan in order to meet fully the practise their profession in a Member State other than borrowers' financing requirements? their own. One aspect of the question concerns the mutual recognition of diplomas and periods of study (b) Has the Commission sufficient evidence that the abroad; this is currently being studied by a sub-group of inclusion of non-alcoholic beverages in beer the Education Committee. supply contracts has a substantial effect as regards cartel law on intra-Community trade? (') OJ No L 257, 13. 10. 1968.
5. What are the Commission's reasons for:
(a) excluding bottled beer from the exemption in one WRITTEN QUESTION No 1764/82 of its drafts; by Mr Reinhold Bocklet (EPP-D), Mr Pol Marck (EPP-B), Mr Joachim Dalsass (EPP-I), Mr Nicolas (b) maintaining the exemption for bottled beer in a Estgen (EPP — L), Mr James Janssen van Raay different working document but excluding what (EPP-NL), Mr Robert Jackson (ED-GB), Mr Ingo it refers to as special beers and Friedrich (EPP-D) to the Commission of the European Communities (c) excluding bottled beer from the exemption once again after all in its most recently published (10 December 1982) draft? Subject: Beer supply contracts (d) Has the Commission borne in mind that many For some time the Commission has been seeking not to breweries and a large number of publicans only extend Regulation No 67/67/EEC (*) on general sell bottled beer? exemptions for exclusive dealership agreements for beer supply contracts and to replace this by a complicated 6. (a) Given the Commission's apparent indecisiveness system of individual arrangements. as regards market and sectoral aspects of the brewing industry, is it wise to intervene in this 1. (a) What arguments can the Commission advance way in the generally recognized practice of beer for not extending the General Exemption supply contracts which has stood the test of Regulation No 67/67/EEC as it relates to time? exclusive dealership agreements for beer supply contracts which has stood the test of time and (b) Is there not a danger that an arrangement which replacing this by complicated individual ignores the special features of this sector will arrangements? make general exemptions practically meaningless 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 93/23
with the result that the doubts as to the law will qualify for exemption under Article 85 (3) from the ban firstly lead to non-compliance with the general on restrictive practices. exemption regulation and also to a flood of individual applications which in turn will put an unacceptable burden on the administration? In view of the number of brewery agreements in the Community - estimated at about 250 000 - the problems of competition law and policy associated with 7. Must there not also be considerable legal uncertainty this kind of agreement can be solved only by means of a as regards beer supply contracts concluded before the fresh regulation. The regulation would maintain the new regulation came into force because the drafts block exemption for brewery agreements, but hastily submitted shortly before the expiry on 31 nevertheless contain appropriate provisions in order December 1982 of Regulation No 67/67/EEC gradually to liberalize the national markets. Regulation contain provisional arrangements which are totally No 67/67/EEC cannot achieve this because it is aimed unsatisfactory from the point of view both of good primarily at cross-border distribution agreements. law generally and of the more technical aspects?
8. Why does the Commission only want to extend the It was only in 1977, in the Concordia case, that the Court present arrangements by six months rather than an held that Regulation No 67/67/EEC was applicable to entire year which would allow adequate time for national exclusive purchasing agreements, and in discussion of the questions involved? particular to networks of brewery agreements; the Commission's administrative practice had previously (') OJ No 57, 25. 3. 1967, p. 849/67. been based on the view that it was not (2). There is no provision whatsoever in the regulation dealing with the problems specific to exclusive purchasing agreements, and it is difficult to see it as having stood the test of time as a tool for dealing with them. If Regulation No Answer given by Mr Andriessen 67/67/EEC were to be extended for several years, as the on behalf of the Commission Honourable Members recommend, the markets of the Member States would continue to be segregated from one (25 February 1983) another. Such a position would be incompatible with the common market, and in order to prevent it from taking hold the Commission has proposed that the duration of exclusive purchasing agreements be limited to three or 1 (a) The Commission's intention to make new five years. In the case of brewery agreements a more arrangements for the exemption of brewery agreements is generous arrangement is proposed, which would depart based on considerations of competition law and from this general rule. The maximum duration of these competition policy. According to the case law developed agreements, which are mainly long-term, would be by the Court of Justice, agreements by which a publican 10 years. enters into a long-term obligation to take his supplies of beer and other drinks only from a particular brewer or wholesaler are caught by the prohibition laid down in Article 85 (1), because they invariably form part of an (b) The Commission's findings as to the state of extensive network of similar agreements established by a competition on the Community market in beer are based brewer or drinks wholesaler within the territory of an mainly on the results of an inquiry into the industry which individual Member State. The combined effect of the was carried out between 1969 and 1971 in the six old existing networks of agreements is to immobilize Member States, and extended to Denmark, Ireland and competitive structures within the national markets the United Kingdom in 1974 and 1975; the information affected and to partition off these markets, because they assembled at that time was subsequently brought up to make it much more difficult for suppliers from other date in 1978 and 1979 by a survey based on requests for Member States to distribute their products through the information. These findings have been corroborated in a established public houses, cafes and so on. The degree of number of complaints and other reports which the compartmentalization varies from one country to Commission has received from the brewing industry, the another, but in most Member States it is substantial. In manufacturers of other drinks, drinks wholesalers, and the Federal Republic of Germany, in France and in the caterers and publicans, and by the response from the Benelux countries between 50 and 60 % of publicans and firms and associations of firms concerned to the draft the like are tied to one brewer or drinks wholesaler, and in regulations published in July 1982. the United Kingdom this figure rises to about 80 %. In the other Member States brewery agreements are of only minor, if any, economic importance. The Commission is seeking to loosen the exclusive purchasing obligations (c) The Commission has made all significant papers now applied, to the extent necessary to allow them to available to Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs NoC 93/24 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
Committee, which is currently looking at the whole Commission has reason to believe that in general, firms problem of the block exemption for exclusive distribution will avoid these risks and will adapt their agreements to and exclusive purchasing agreements. the new rules. It therefore does not expect a flood of individual applications. Should it prove mistaken here it would have to make greater use of the possibility 2 and 6 (a) The new regulation must seek first of all to provided for in Article 15 (6) of Regulation No 17, which ensure that the block exemption will apply only to allows it to reject unjustified applications for exemption brewery agreements which satisfy the tests for exemption after a preliminary examination, thus withdrawing their set out in Article 85 (3). Where that provision permits the immunity from fines. changing customs on the Community drinks market must then be taken into consideration. The rules the Commission is proposing do limit the duration of agreements and the type of goods to which an exclusive purchasing obligation may apply, but they maintain the 7. The Commission too believes it is essential that principle of a block exemption for the existing networks firms be given a sufficiently long period to adapt their of agreements, and the Commission does not believe that agreements to the new legal position. It does not however they endanger the continued existence of the brewery share the Honourable Members' view that the agreement as a vital marketing instrument for the brewing transitional arrangements proposed - which are very industry. The Commission is considering, however, generous in comparison with earlier block exemption whether a special arrangement would be appropriate in regulations - are unsuitable either technically or from the case of small and medium-sized breweries and for the point of view of concern for the rule of law. The drinks wholesalers. benefit of Regulation No 67/67/EEC can continue to be allowed in respect of old agreements only for a restricted period of time, since firms which conclude agreements only after the new regulation has entered into force would 3 and 4 (a) The publican's entitlement to early otherwise be discriminated against and unfairly restricted termination of the agreement and his freedom to obtain in terms of competition. The Commission will be supplies of certain beers and other drinks otherwise than reformulating the relevant provision, however, and will from the other party to the agreement are both among the consider once again whether it meets the legitimate disputed points in the drafts so far discussed. The interests of all concerned. associations representing the brewing industry and beer wholesalers have opposed the Commission's proposals. The other economic and commercial circles concerned, particularly the manufacturers of other drinks both soft and alcoholic, the caterers and publicans, and the 8. The Commission extended Regulation No consumer organizations, want even greater liberalization 3 .67/67/EEC up to 30 June 1983 ( ) in order to be able to of the market in such products. The Commission is give more detailed consideration to a number of questions seeking to achieve a solution which will improve the which have been brought to its notice only following conditions for effective competition and unimpeded trade publication of the draft of the new regulations, and to between States, and will at the same time achieve a pursue and conclude its current consultations with the balance between the divergent commercial interests in Member States, the European Parliament and the this area. Economic and Social Committee without the pressure of deadlines. The objectives, the structure and the essential content of the new regulation have been under discussion 4 (b) Yes. with all concerned for several years. The arguments involved are well known both to the Commission and to the other parties in the debate. Under these circumstances 5. In the Commission's view publicans must be able to it does not appear reasonable to postpone the adoption of exercise some degree of freedom of choice, even if a a regulation even further. limited one, in purchasing supplies of beer. The drafts referred to by the Honourable Members are all aimed at (') Judgment in Case 23/67 Brasserie de Haecht I/1967/ECR opening up the national beer markets while at the same 407, 414 and 415; Judgment in Case 47/76 Con cordia/1977/ECR 65, 91. time avoiding any differentiation between the firms (2) Decision of 19 December 1974, Goodyear Italiana, OJ No affected which is objectively unjustified or excessive. It is L38,12. 2. 1975,p. 10; Fifth Report on Competition Policy legitimate for the Commission to discuss various options (1975), points 98 ff. with the commercial circles involved before committing (3) Regulation (EEC) No 3577/82 of 23 December 1982, itself. OJNo L 373, 31. 12. 1982.
6 (b) Failure to observe the future block exemption regulation would make a large number of brewery agreements null and void in civil law, and would not therefore be in the interests of the parties. The 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 93/25
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1767/82 Flexibility has been built into the quota system so that by Mrs Jacqueline Hoffmann (COM — F) steel makers may deal with specific situations, should any arise. to the Commission of the European Communities
(10 December 1982) Apart from the possibility of exchanging, handing over or buying quotas as referred to by the Honourable Member, upper tolerances are accepted under certain conditions Subject: The effects of iron and steel production quotas and quota adaptations may be granted for new on demand investments and where smaller companies are likely to experience difficulties owing to the severe cutbacks Some steel undertakings whose plants have become more imposed. competitive as a result of modernization, investment and/or technical productivity adjustments are now being Experience acquired in implementing the quota system forced to 'buy quotas' within the Community so as to has shown that sudden, unforeseen shifts in demand for maintain adequate levels of production. iron and steel products occur. In order to avoid this drawback and lay down quotas which are better adapted However, it seems that some undertakings are having to actual movements on the market, the Commission difficulty at present in finding these additional quotas in recently amended the method of laying down abatement European markets and this poses a direct and immediate rates in the instrument on the production quota threat to employment. system (')• (') Decision No 87/83/ECSC, 12.1.1983, OJ No L 13, Does the Commission consider it reasonable that 15. 1.1983. undertakings which could benefit from additional outlets and hence from the possibility of increased output should be penalized in this way by a rigid system of quotas which limits output to the detriment of employment and clearly prevents iron and steel production adapting properly to trends in demand? Does it not agree that the system of production quotas actually restricts demand?
Answer given by Mr Davignon on behalf of the Commission WRITTEN QUESTION No 1768/82 (IS February 1983) by Mrs Jacqueline Hoffmann (COM - F) to the Commission of the European Communities The restrictions on production imposed by the quota (10 December 1982) system do not prevent proper matching of production to changes in demand, nor do they push down demand for steel products. Subject: Development of the market in special steel
Indeed, the individual quotas are laid down when two Is the Commission in a position to assess the development successive phases have been completed i.e., after of demand for iron and steel products in the Community forseeable demand and the corresponding production and in each Member State? have been established and as a function of the distribution of this production among the companies involved. If so, can it supply figures for the development of the The overall level of market requirements and the market in special steel in each Member State of the production cutbacks consequently needed in order to Community over the last five years? match supply to these requirements are covered by estimates which the Commission makes after consulting all of the interested circles. Answer given by Mr Davignon Within the reliability limits of the market estimates, on behalf of the Commission overall production is thus sufficient to balance supply (15 February 1983) against demand and is not likely to affect demand.
Production potential is therefore distributed fairly among Shifts in the apparent consumption of special steels during the steel makers, thus requiring them all to make the same the four-year-period from 1976 to 1980 - (EC 9) are as cutbacks in relation to a common reference. follows: No C 93/26 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
EEC + 1,4% public works contracts, but that study has not yet been Federal Republic of Germany + 1,3 % completed. Morever, since the Directives in question impose no obligation on the Member States to provide Italy + 3,1 % statistics on the contracts awarded, the Commission has France + 0,8 % no recent, reliable information on the participation of United Kingdom - 7,8 % firms from other Member States in the various types of Benelux +15,6 % contracts and the number of contracts which they are awarded. In 1980 consumption throughout the Community of all grades of finished and semi-finished special steel products It is therefore not possible to answer the Honourable was about 15 million tonnes. Member's first question.
Any attempt to answer the second question before the results of the study are available and have been examined would be as premature as the judgements implied in the questions themselves appear to be hasty and debatable.
The benefits which a contracting authority can expect to derive from Community-wide invitations to tender are far WRITTEN QUESTION No 1770/82 greater than the small amount of work and expenditure by Mr Anthony Simpson (ED-GB) involved in the publication of contract notices. to the Commission of the European Communities (10 December 1982)
Subject: Advertisement of public works contracts in the Official Journal WRITTEN QUESTION No 1775/82 by Mr Allan Rogers (S - GB) The Commission has appointed consultants to review the effects of Council Directives 71 /305/EEC (') and to the Commission of the European Communities 72/277/EEC (2) which provide that public bodies in (10 December 1982) Member States must advertise in the Official Journal of the European Communities all public works contracts with a value of over one million ECU. Subject: Milk exports from Ireland
Experience has shown that this provision has failed to 1. Will the Commission give the volume of milk achieve the aim of the Directives, namely to open up these produced in Ireland? contracts to Community-wide competition, and is merely an unnecessary burden upon public authorities. 2. Will the Commission give the volume of milk exported from Ireland? 1. Can the Commission state what percentage of public works contracts advertised in the Official Journal (a) result in tenders from and (b) are awarded to 3. Will the Commission give the volume of milk tenderers from another Member State. exported to the UK from Ireland?
2. Does the Commission agree that the present 4. Will the Commission give the volume of milk- threshold should be substantially increased so that it exported to the UK from Ireland as a percentage of the covers only contracts of major importance which are total UK milk production? appropriate for Community-wide tendering?
(') OJ No L 185, 16. 8. 1971, p. 5. (2) OJ No L 176, 3. 8. 1972, p. 12. Answer given by Mr Dalsager on behalf of the Commission (10 February 1983)
Answer given by Mr Davignon on behalf of the Commission 1. According to the data available to the Commission, Ireland produced 4 802 000 tonnes of milk in 1981. (17 February 1983)
2. It is estimated that Irish exports of milk products in It is true that the Commission appointed consultants to 1981 were the equivalent of two million tonnes of milk. make a study of the effects the Directives have had on This included 10 637 tonnes of milk as such. 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/27
3. It is estimated that Irish exports of milk products to It appears that this drilling will be partly financed by the the United Kingdom in 1981 were the equivalent of one Community. million tonnes of milk. This included 10 637 tonnes of milk as such. Could the Commission confirm whether or not this is true, and if it is, could it say what the Community's 4. Expressed in terms of milk equivalent, Irish exports financial participation is? of milk products to the United Kingdom in 1981 represented about 6 % of UK milk production. Irish exports of milk to the United Kingdom in 1981 Answer given by Mr Davignon represented less than 0,1 % of UK milk production. on behalf of the Commission (16 February 1983)
The Commission has been informed of the announcements in the specialized press concerning exploratory drilling by the French oil industry in the Golfe du Lion in the Mediterranean.
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1780/82 According to these sources, the French Government is by Mr Basil de Ferranti (ED - GB) financing part of this exploration, through the Fonds de to the Commission of the European Communities Soutien des Hydrocarbures. (10 December 1982) The Commission has so far received no request for financial support for this exploration programme. On this subject, it should be remembered that the Subject: Postal delays in the Community Commission, endorsed by Parliament, proposed in 1975 Delays in the delivery of mail between Member States that a Community mechanism supporting oil and gas obviously add to business costs and frustrate exploration should be introduced; the Council, however, intra-Community trade. did not adopt the proposal.
Will the Commission, therefore, prepare a short report on average delays in the delivery of letters across each internal frontier between Member States and assess the cost involved? WRITTEN QUESTION No 1804/82 byMrPolMarck(PPE-B) Answer given by Mr Narjes to the Commission of the European Communities on behalf of the Commission (17 December 1982) (16 February 1983) Subject: Customs duties on boiling chickens in Zaire The Commission does not at present have the information necessary to prepare a report on the average The Government of Zaire has suddenly increased the delays in the delivery of mail between Member States or to customs duties on boiling chickens by 12 %, practically evaluate the cost these delays entail. closing the door to imports.
According to information received, duty-free imports are however allowed for the experimental centre run by the Ziarian State. These imports are said to come from Israel.
Does the Commission believe that such a policy is WRITTEN QUESTION No 1790/82 compatible with the letter and spirit of the Lom6 by Mr Lucien Radoux (S - B) Convention? to the Commission of the European Communities (17 December 1982) Answer given by Mr Pisani on behalf of the Commission (11 February 1983) Subject: Drilling for oil
The Total Group has announced that the French oil Presidential Decree No 82/038 of 5 November 1982 company is about to embark on exploratory drilling to raised customs duties on boiling fowl from 5 to 10 %, the south of Marseilles. with a minimum charge of Z 12/kg. No C 93/28 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
The presidential agro-industrial estate at N'sele was WRITTEN QUESTION No 1808/82 initially exempt from duties but since December 1982 it by Mr Ernst Miiller-Hermann (PPE - D) too has been required to pay all duties. to the Commission of the European Communities (17 December 1982) The Commission has no information on whether the imports temporarily admitted free of duties came from Israel. Subject: International cooperation in the steel industry
Two steelmakers, Cockerill in Belgium and Klockner in Germany, have concluded a mutually beneficial cooperation agreement to the effect that Klockner transfers its full rolled steel output to the Belgian firm, in return for which Cockerill hands over additional output of 20 000 tonnes per month of hot-rolled wide strip steel. Both parties can thus make more efficient use of their modern plant. WRITTEN QUESTION No 1807/82 by Mr Jens-Peter Bonde (CDI - DK) Does not this agreement offer an ideal example of international cooperation to safeguard lasting to the Commission of the European Communities employment? Is it not an attempt to reach a European (17 December 1982) solution to the steel crisis, in the spirit of the ECSC and the EEC Treaties, promising better productivity and ability to compete in international markets for the steel Subject: Invocation of Article 235 as a legal basis industry than a progressive return to national solutions at the price of high subsidies? Does the Commission intend to encourage further European solutions of this type? Will the Commission publish a list of proposals where Article 235 of the EEC Treaty was originally quoted as the legal basis by the Commission, but did not appear in the proposals in their final form? Answer given by Mr Andriessen on behalf of the Commission Will the Commission also provide a list of all current (22 February 1983) proposals citing Article 235 of the EEC Treaty and not yet adopted by the Council? The steel companies Cockerill-Sambre SA and Klockner-Werke AG have notified the Commission of an agreement to exchange products. The Commission is at present examining the agreement in the light of the Answer given by Mr Thorn competition rules laid down in the ECSC Treaty and the on behalf of the Commission restructuring plans which the two companies have (16 February 1983) submitted to it.
Because details of changes made to the legal basis in the course of the adoption procedure were not stored on computer before 1 January 1980, the search carried out in response to the Honourable Member's request was only able to cover proposals transmitted to the Council from that date onwards. WRITTEN QUESTION No 1815/82 Between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 1981 there by Mr Jochen van Aerssen and Mr Karl von Wogau was not a single case where an act adopted on a proposal (PPE-D) based on Article 235 of the EEC Treaty was not iself also to the Council of the European Communities based on that Article. (17 December 1982) A computer listing, updated to 1 January 1983, of all the proposals based on Article 235 of the Treaty which are Subject: The Benelux model still pending before the Council is being sent direct to the Honourable Member and Parliament's Secretariat. After the last Benelux summit the participants announced that they no longer wished to be presented with faits accomplis by the larger Member States. They would 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/29 therefore be consulting exclusively among themselves on tourism projects which have been financed by the EAGGF important issues in respect of the USA and the Eastern in each of the Member States to date (')? Bloc for example. (J) Bulletin of the European Communities Supplement 4/82 p. 8. They would also do everything in their power to remove completely the remaining frontier barriers between their countries, which are already less than those between the other Member States. Answer given by Mr Dalsager on behalf of the Commission (16 February 1983) What steps will the Council, as a collegiate body, be taking to meet the Benelux countries' justified criticism of the behaviour of the larger countries and to follow the Benelux example in respect of frontiers. Article 10 (2) of Directive 75/268/EEC (J) provides for Community aid to farm tourism investment in mountain areas and other less-favoured areas suitable for the Answer development of a tourist industry as part of a development plan. The Commission has no detailed (4 March 1983) information since this investment forms part of a development plan and is thus included in the overall application for reimbursement from the EAGGF. At all 1. With regard to the Community's efforts to remove events, the number of cases eligible for EAGGF aid is very barriers at intra-Community frontiers, the Council would low since the farm tourism investment must form part of refer to its reply to Written Question No 1783/82 put by the development plan and the amount qualifying for aid is 1 Mr Miiller-Hermann ( ). limited to a maximum of 13 786 ECU. (») OJNoL 128, 19. 5. 1975, p. 1. 2. The Benelux authorities have not raised within the Council any questions of the type referred to by the Honourable Members. (') OJNoC 80, 23. 3. 1983.
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1830/82 by Sir James Scott-Hopkins (ED - GB) WRITTEN QUESTION No 1816/82 to the Commission of the European Communities by Mr Jeremiah Cronin (DEP-IRL) (10 January 1983) to the Commission of the European Communities (17 December 1982) Subject: Minerals received from South Africa
Subject: EAGGF finance for tourism projects What proportion of (1) copper, (2) manganese, (3) gold used by European Community manufacturing industries Will the Commission indicate the nature and number of is received from South Africa?
Answer given by Mr Burke on behalf of the Commission (7 February 1983)
The Commission is not in possession of any information indicating the proportion of copper, manganese and gold used by Community manufacturing industries which comes from South Africa. However, the Honourable Member will find in the following tables data on Community imports of the products in question from non-member countries, in particular the Republic of South Africa. No C 93/30 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
1981
EEC imports South Africa's share of imports from from non-member of which from non-member countries South Africa countries 1 000 tonnes (metal content) %
Copper, 2 040 127 6,2 of which: ores 150 18 12,0 metal 1 813 106 5,8 . other (') 77 3 3,9
Manganese, 1 285 510 39,7 of which: ores 970 443 45,7 ferro-alloys 303 60 19,8 other (') 12 7 58,3
Gold (2): in tonnes (unwrought) 624 110 17,6 in 1 000 ECU 4 669 537 1 456 624 31,2
(') Chemical compounds, waste and scrap, ash and residues, etc. (2) Note that approximately 30 tonnes of unwrought non-monetary gold is imported from outside the Community by the United Kingdom; this amount is covered by statistical secrecy and could originate in the Republic of South Africa. Source: NIMEXE statistics and Eurostat raw materials balance sheets.
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1834/82 reform of European agriculture to take place'. The by Sir James Scott-Hopkins (ED - GB) finance available to the Guidance Section has risen from an annual 325 million ECU in 1973 to a five-year total of to the Commission of the European Communities 3 755 million ECU for the period 1980 to 1984. (10 January 1983) This increased availability of finance has enabled a significant widening of the scope of the common Subject: European agriculture agricultural structural policy to include not only aid towards on-farm investments, but the implementation of Does the European Commission agree that the current specific actions to solve the development problems of level of expenditure of the EAGGF on the Guidance certain less-favoured regions of the Community. In Section is woefully inadequate to enable any significant addition, there is a substantial emphasis on measures to structural reform of European agriculture to take place? improve conditions for the processing and marketing of What plans does the European Commission have to put agricultural products. forward to the European Parliament and the Council for a strategy to effect a fundamental structural reform of The results of structural policy, however, become European agriculture over the next five years? apparent only in the medium- to long-term even under conditions of normal economic growth. Since the initiation of the common agricultural structures policy in 1972, the general economic environment has not been Answer given by Mr Dalsager normal. In fact since 1974, the recession, growing on behalf of the Commission unemployment, high levels of inflation and interest rates, (16 February 1983) allied to budgetary difficulties in Member States have had the combined effect of altering the basic conditions The Commission does not agree with the Honourable underlying the implementation of this policy. Member when he states that the current level of expenditure under the EAGGF, Guidance Section, is The Commission submits, therefore, that it is the effects 'woefully inadequate to enable any significant structural of these various factors rather than the limitation in 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 93/31 available finance which are the principal determinants of trade between Member States, the Commission any lack of effectiveness of the common agricultural investigates such cases to see if appropriate infringement structures policy to-date. proceedings would be justified.
The Commission intends to submit proposals to the Council in 1983 to amend the agricultural structures policy so as to make it a more effective instrument for the solution of problems of agricultural structure in the current socio-economic situation. These proposals are likely to involve a further increase in expenditure by the WRITTEN QUESTION No 1853/82 EAGGF, Guidance Section. Irrespective of the size of this increased expenditure, however, it is not realistic to by Mr Ernest Glinne (S - B) expect a fundamental structural reform of European to the Commission of the European Communities agriculture over the relatively short period referred to by (10 January 1983) the Honourable Member.
Subject: European Regional Development Fund
The Commission has recently approved the third tranche of aid under the European Regional Development Fund (quota section) for 1982. Would the Commission answer the following question: WRITTEN QUESTION No 1838/82 What projects in the field of industry, craft industry and by Mr Andrew Pearce (ED - GB) services have been submitted by Wallonia? to the Commission of the European Communities (10 January 1983) Answer given by Mr Giolitti on behalf of the Commission Subject: List of non-tariff barriers operated by Member (9 February 1983) States In 1982 no projects in the field of industry, craft industry Will the Commission publish the list of non-tariff barriers or services were submitted by the Belgian Government in operated by Member States of the Community as respect of Wallonia. furnished to the GATT in the context of the current round of talks; will it indicate which of these non-tariff barriers apply to trade between the Member States?
Answer given by Mr Haferkamp WRITTEN QUESTION No 1854/82 on behalf of the Commission by Mr Ernest Glinne (S - B) (16 February 1983) to the Commission of the European Communities (10 January 1983) The Commission has not provided the GATT with a list of non-tariff barriers applied by Member States of the Community. It has limited itself, in this area, to Subject: Pollution caused by the titanium dioxide responding to the notifications of third countries about industry alleged Community and Member State barriers in the 1 context of work on the GATT Inventory of Non-Tariff Directive 78/176/EEC( ) required the Member States to Measures. Many of these allegations are in fact incorrect set up national programmes to achieve a gradual or out-of-date, or they concern measures e.g. standards reduction in pollution caused by wastes from the titanium which are quite legitimate. dioxide industry and to report on the progress made in this field by 1 July 1980. The Commission was then supposed to submit to the Council, within six months, The GATT Inventory is being updated at present and will proposals to harmonize these programmes. Would the be the subject of further work as part of the programme Commission answer the following questions: endorsed by the recent Ministerial meeting. As regards publication, it is not the intention of the Commission to 1. Which Member States forwarded to the Commission publish the information which is contained in the GATT the information requested before the deadline laid Inventory. In cases where measures are alleged to apply to down by Directive 78/176/EEC? No C 93/32 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
2. Was this information satisfactory? proposals for a 2,2 % reduction in intervention prices in the 1983/84 marketing year. 3. What measures, if any, did the Commission take with regard to Member States which failed to meet this 1. In drawing up these proposals, what account will the deadline in order to prevent them from also failing to Commission take of: observe the time limit contained in the proposal to extend the deadline laid down in the original (a) the losses suffered by dairy producers as a result of Directive? the belated fixing of prices for the 1982/83 marketing year; (») OJ No L 54, 25. 2. 1978, p. 19. (b) the enormous differences between the Member States as regards increases in surplus production? Answer given by Mr Narjes 2. Does the Commission not consider that the effect of on behalf of the Commission such a blanket measure will be to penalize those (11 February 1983) producers who have followed the Commission's recommendations in the matter of production 1. As required by Article 9 (3) of Directive increases? 78/176/EEC (»), between 3 July 1980 and 15 October 1981 the Commission duly received the national Answer given by Mr Dalsager programmes for the progressive reduction and eventual on behalf of the Commission elimination of pollution caused by waste from existing (16 February 1983) titanium dioxide plants.
2. On preliminary analysis of the programmes it 1. The Commission's intention, when submitting its found that the data supplied by the Member States were price proposals to the Council before the end of 1982, not identical, or even comparable; nor did they give was to ensure that the ensuing discussions could be exhaustive replies to Article 9 (2) of the Directive. All this completed in time to enable the deadline for the start of made it impossible for the Commission to reach a general the milk marketing year - 1 April 1983 - to be met. assessment of the programmes. 2. The aim of the Commission's proposal is a In an attempt to fulfil its obligations the Commission reduction in intervention prices applicable throughout asked the Member States for more details. To allow itself the Community; it could not contemplate, under this time to assess the national programmes in the light of that measure, different prices allowing for changes in the new information and to make the appropriate proposals production of each Member State in 1982, without to the Council, the Commission requested an extension of breaking price unity. the original deadline. It put a proposal to this effect to the Council on 20 July 1982 (2). The weather conditions in 1982 affected production in different ways in the various Community regions; 3. The Commission has taken no specific measures therefore, for a better assessment of the shares of the vis-a-vis those Member States late in submitting their Member States in the further build-up of surpluses, it pollution reduction programmes. It intends to send the would be more accurate to trace the average progress of Council a proposal for the harmonization of the national collections over several years - the effect of which would programmes soon. be to reduce the major differences referred to by the Honourable Member. (') OJ NoL 54, 25. 2. 1978. (2) OJ No C 196, 30. 7. 1982.
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1871/82 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke (CDI - B) to the Commission of the European Communities WRITTEN QUESTION No 1864/82 (10 January 1983) by MrPolMarck(PPE-B) to the Commission of the European Communities Subject: ERDF aid for projects in the province of (10 January 1983) Antwerp
What projects in the province of Antwerp received aid Subject: Reduction of intervention prices from the ERDF (a) in 1981, and A Commission press release of 4 November 1982 states that the Commission has decided to draw up a series of (b) in 1982? 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/33
Can the Commission provide the following details for (c) number of jobs created; each project: (d) amount of ERDF aid in Belgian francs? (a) nature and location; (b) total amount invested; (c) number of jobs created; WRITTEN QUESTION No 1874/82 (d) amount of ERDF aid in Belgian francs? by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke (CDI - B) to the Commission of the European Communities (10 January 1983)
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1872/82 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke (CDI - B) Subject: ERDF aid for projects in the province of West Flanders to the Commission of the European Communities (10 January 1983) What projects in the province of West Flanders received aid from the ERDF Subject: ERDF aid for projects in the province of (a) in 1981, and Limburg (b) in 1982? What projects in the province of Limburg received aid from the ERDF Can the Commission provide the following details for each project: (a) in 1981, and (b) in 1982? (a) nature and location; (b) total amount invested; Can the Commission provide the following details for each project: (c) number of jobs created;
(a) nature and location; (d) amount of ERDF aid in Belgian francs? (b) total amount invested; (c) number of jobs created;
(d) amount of ERDF aid in Belgian francs? WRITTEN QUESTION No 1875/82 by Mr Jack Vandemeulebroucke (CDI — B) to the Commission of the European Communities (10 January 1983) WRITTEN QUESTION No 1873/82 by Mr Jaak Vandemeulebroucke (CDI - B) to the Commission of the European Communities Subject: ERDF aid for projects in the arrondissement of Halle-Vilvoorde (10 January 1983) What projects in the arrondissement of Halle-Vilvoorde Subject: ERDF aid for projects in the province of East received aid from the ERDF Flanders (a) in 1981, and What projects in the province of East Flanders received (b) in 1982? aid from the ERDF
(a) in 1981, and Can the Commission provide the following details for each project: (b) in 1982? (a) nature and location; Can the Commission provide the following details for each project: (b) total amount invested;
(a) nature and location; (c) number of jobs created; (b) total amount invested; (d) amount of ERDF aid in Belgian francs? No C 93/34 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83
Joint answer given by Mr Giolitti on behalf of the Commission to Written Question Nos 1871/82, 1872/82, 1873/82, 1874/82 and 1875/82 (11 February 1983)
At the time of each allocation of grants from the ERDF, the Commission provides Parliament's Secretariat and the press with the details, including the location, of the projects which the Community is helping to finance. The Commission would suggest that the Honourable Member refers to those lists in conjunction with the following information:
'Arrondissements' Province Province Province of Province of Year of Halle and of Antwerp of Lirnburg East Flanders West Flanders Vilvoorde
1981 two industrial one industrial two industrial projects project projects one nine one two — infrastructure infrastructure infrastructure infrastructure project projects project projects
1982 five industrial five industrial one industrial one industrial projects projects project project one — infrastructure project Total eight projects 16 projects four projects three projects —
As most of the projects were submitted in the form of a global application, the amount of each investment and of the ERDF grant to each individual project cannot be specified. Total investment for the 31 projects amounts to Bfrs 4 355 187 134 and ERDF assistance amounts to Bfrs 429 722 267. The industrial projects assisted by the ERDF created 170 jobs in 1981 and 701 in 1982.
WRITTEN QUESTION No 1878/82 Answer by Mr Jens-Peter Bonde (CDI - DK) (4 March 1983) to the Council of the European Communities (10 January 1983) The Commission is responsible for supervising the functioning of its information offices in the Member States of the European Community.
Subject: Publication of opinion polls
The head of the EEC information office in Copenhagen has commissioned a survey with taxpayers' money but WRITTEN QUESTION No 1885/82 has published only those extracts of the survey which by Mr Roberto Costanzo (PPE -1) conform to the Commission's wishes as to the opinions held by the public. to the Commission of the European Communities (14 January 1983)
Will the Council of Ministers divest the Commission and Commission officials of the power to commission, Subject: Situation in the dried fruit market process, coordinate and publish opinion polls on European issues and, instead, entrust this work to Seeing that the dried fruit sector (almonds, walnuts, scientific institutions in the Member States? hazelnuts) in the Community is currently undergoing a 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/35 severe crisis because of the weakness of Community measures being taken in response to a purely incidental guarantees and since these crops are an important source drop in prices which did not reflect the real situation on of income and employment in Community regions the market. threatened by the phenomenon of people leaving the land, (') OJNoL 118, 20. 5. 1972, p. 1. does not the Commission consider that the time has come to propose, once and for all, measures designed to ensure the effective application of Community preference for all fruit and vegetable products, including dried fruit, by entering these products on the list of products that have a reference price?
Finally, does it not consider it essential that the reference WRITTEN QUESTION No 1893/82 price system be made truly operational by introducing by Mrs Jeanne Pauwelyn (L - B) more streamlined and efficient price control mechanisms to the Commission of the European Communities for all fruit and vegetables originating in third countries in order to trigger off immediately the compensatory (14 January 1983) measures provided for? Subject: International Cocoa Agreement 1980
Can the Commission state to what extent Community policy on the International Cocoa Agreement has been Answer given by Mr Dalsager successful? on behalf of the Commission (16 February 1983) In July 1981 the Council of Ministers resolved to apply this agreement provisionally, noting that the situation would be re-examined after a year in the light of the results achieved, with the Community and its Member It would be unrealistic to apply a reference price to dried States reserving the right to review their position within fruit (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts) since prices on import the framework of the new Agreement. markets are not recorded daily and since the products concerned keep for some time, so that they need not be On 1 August 1981 the Agreement came into force but has cleared through customs during periods when a been unable to operate properly because the price-range countervailing charge is levied, thus making such stipulated is unrelated to the market situation. arrangements pointless. Is the Commission not of the opinion that endeavours must be made to fix a more realistic price-range within the The Honourable Member's attention is, however, drawn shortest possible time? to the fact that the products concerned are protected by Common Customs Trariff duties and qualify for export refunds which make them competitive with Answer given by Mr Pisani non-Community products on external markets. on behalf of the Commission (16 February 1983) Moreover, as with the other products covered by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72 ('), protective measures The success of the 1980 International Cocoa Agreement may be introduced if imports are causing any serious does not depend solely on the participation of the disturbance of the Community market. Community and its Member States. The Commission considers that, one and a half years after its entry into force, the agreement cannot be said to be operating The Commission feels that, in the present circumstances, satisfactorily. The reasons are well known: inadequate countervailing charges are introduced, as rapidly as can participation by producer and consumer countries, be expected. It should be pointed out that, before taking limited financial resources, persistent imbalance between any decision, the Commission has to have received supply and demand and a price range (expressed in US information from the Member States, not all of which are dollars) too far removed from market realities. able to transmit the prices of imported products and the quantities sold on the same days as the sale takes The Commission shares the opinion of the Honourable place. Member that among the measures to be considered should be a more realistic price-range, now a major problem facing the International Cocoa Organization. In Lastly, it would seem ill-advised to fix a countervailing this context, the Commission informed the Council in charge solely on the basis of an entry price which June 1982 of its assessment of the buffer stock operations undercuts the reference price, since this could result in of the International Agreement and put forward its No C 93/36 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 4. 83 proposals for making it operational once again. This present job to take up the post of head of the Ankara communication is currently being discussed within the office. Council. He said that he favoured a rapid improvement in relations between the Community and Turkey, but made no reference either to the anti-democratic nature of the Turkish regime of to the position adopted by the Commission on the agreement with Turkey pending a WRITTEN QUESTION No 1956/82 change in the regime. by Mr Michael Welsh (ED - GB) to the Council of the European Communities 1. At a time when the official European line on Turkey apparently conflicts with the attitude taken by Mr (18 January 1983) Gwyn Morgan, is there not a danger that his posting will be interpreted in a favourable light by the Subject: Spierenburg report Turkish authorities?
Does the Council intend to implement the 2. What political instructions are given to heads of recommendations of the Spierenburg report that: mission in such situations? 1. The Commission should be composed of not more that one member from each Member State? Answer given by Mr Haferkamp on behalf of the Commission 2. The Commission President should have a determining role in the appointment of other (16 February 1983) Members of the Commission? The heads of information offices, like all other officials Answer posted there, come under a rotation system which involves their transfer at regular intervals. The recent (4 March 1983) change at the head of the Ankara office was made under that system. At its meeting on 1 and 2 December 1980, the European Council examined the report from the Three Wise Men Information offices have no political mission whatever; on the basis of a study carried out by the Ministers for the officials serving in them receive their instructions Foreign Affairs. In the section of the conclusions of the direct from their superiors in Brussels. European Council dealing with the Commission, it is noted that
— the President of the Commission should be appointed a sufficiently long time in advance of taking up duties and before the process of appointing the other Members of the Commission begins; WRITTEN QUESTION No 1994/82 — the number of Members of the Commission should by Mr Pierre-Bernard Couste (DEP - F) for the time being remain as laid down in the Treaties. to the Commission of the European Communities The European Council is nevertheless agreed that it will review the situation when Spain and Portugal join (24 January 1983) the European Communities.
Subject: Project for a canal to link the Rhine and Rhone
The author wishes to draw the attention of the WRITTEN QUESTION No 1985/82 Commission to the answer dated 23 August 1982, which by Mrs Anne-Marie Lizin (S - B) he received from the French Minister for European to the Commission of the European Communities Affairs in reply to his Written Question 15 220 concerning the choice of the Rhine-Rhone canal link as a (24 January 1983) project that would put to good use the methods for evaluating Community interest. Subject: Relations between the EEC and Turkey: management of the information office in Is the Commission in a position to judge whether this Turkey project can be implemented and if so when, especially as the competent national commission in France has almost In an interview published in a Welsh newspaper, Mr completed its preliminary studies on the establishment of Gwyn Morgan revealed that he would soon be leaving his a master plan for inland waterways? 7. 4. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 93/37
Answer given by Mr Contogeorgis WRITTEN QUESTION No 2005/82 on behalf of the Commission by Mr Robert Battersby (ED - GB) (16 February 1983) to the Commission of the European Communities (24 January 1983) The methods of evaluating the Community interest of investments in transport infrastructure has been tested on the projects chosen in agreement with the Member States. Since a report on this method is currently before the Subject: Tourism Council no further paperwork is required.
No precise evaluation of the Community interest of In July 1982 the Commission sent a communication to the specific inland waterway projects drawing upon the Council and the European Parliament giving initial conclusions of the report referred to above seems to be guidelines for a Community policy on tourism. needed for the moment. The Commission has therefore preferred to tackle the problem of inland waterways by means of a comprehensive study of the development of This communication stressed the importance of this the broad-gauge network. This study is under way. activity in the fields of employment, balance of payments, regional development, etc., and defined priority areas for Community action. The Commission also promised to present concrete proposals at an early date.
WRITTEN QUESTION No 2003/82 Can the Commission state if it has established the necessary facilities within the administration to deal with by Mr Charles Delatte (L - F) tourism and prepare the abovementioned proposals? to the Commission of the European Communities (24 January 1983) Can the Commission give a firm date for the presentation of these proposals to the Council and the European Subject: Christmas butter sales Parliament?
Is the Commission able to state whether the sales of butter at reduced prices over the Christmas period have had any Answer given by Mr Contogeorgis significant effect in increasing consumption? on behalf of the Commission If so, what is its estimate of the additional quantity sold as (16 February 1983) a result of this action?
Answer given by Mr Dalsager Up to now, the Commission has been depending on an on behalf of the Commission interservice working party to assist it in matters concerning tourism, especially in the preparation of the (10 February 1983) document to which the Honourable Member refers. In the light of the outcome of the discussions in both Since the sales of butter at reduced prices pursuant to Parliament and Council, the Commission will take the Regulation (EEC) No 1991/82 (J) are still in progress, it necessary internal measures to carry out the tasks is not possible to assess how far butter consumption has involved. increased as a result. Only at the end of the first quarter of 1983 will it be possible to estimate how much extra butter has been sold. The Commission's communication is about to be discussed in both the instances of the Council and the An answer can then be given to the Honourable Member's Parliament. The Commission awaits with interest the question. reactions to it, which it will, of course, bear in mind when elaborating its more concrete proposals. The timing of (») OJNoL 314, 10. 11. 1982. those proposals is then a function of these discussions. The Commission obviously is hoping that this will be as soon as possible. COMMUNITY LAW Offprint from the Fifteenth General Report on the Activities of the European Communities in 1981
This publication is an extract from the Fifteenth General Report on the Activities of the European Communities (1981). The text has in no way been modified: references to 'this Report' should therefore be construed as references to the Fifteenth General Report. Nor has the text been brought up to date since that Report was published.
Contents: Section 1: General matters Section 2: Interpretation and application of the substantive rules of Community law Section 3: Information on the development of Community law
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