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10 . 8.92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202/ 1 I (Information) EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER WRITTEN QUESTION No 246/91 WRITTEN QUESTION No 258/91 by Mr Antoni Gutiérrez Diaz (GUE) by Mr Ben Visser (S) to European Political Cooperation to the Commission of the European Communities (4 March 1991) (4 March 1991) (92/C 202/01 ) (92/C 202/02) Subject: Waste-disposal plant in Tarfaya (Morocco) Subject: Discrimination between Dutch and non-Dutch The group 'Naturaleza y Sociedad' (Nature and Society) inland waterway vessels on the Dollard in Spain has informed the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions that there is a plan to build a waste disposal plant in Tarfaya (Morocco), near the According to a report in the journal Schuttevaer of 12 border, which would present a serious threat not only for January 1991 , the ESO (Ems Navigation Authority) wants Morocco and the Sahara, but also for the Canary Islands all inland waterway traffic on the Dollard between (which are Community territory). Delfzijl and Emden to come under Dutch law . Under the 1960 agreements between the Netherlands and Germany, Does EPC not consider that in view of the relations Dutch vessels must comply with the requirements of between the Community and the Kingdom of Morocco Durch law, but all other vessels on the Dollard must and the importance of this matter, representation should comply with German law, which involves extra costs . be made to the Moroccan Government with the aim of Furthermore , the Dollard is divided into two zones, and ensuring that the potential environmental hazards of the non-Dutch vessels cannot reach the new port of project do not become reality ? Emshaven without incurring extra costs, namely for a separate deep water channel licence for Zone 1 . The effect of this is that non-Dutch vessels prefer to make for the port of Emden rather than the new Emshaven . Answer 1 . What view does the Commission take of the (24 June 1992) distinction drawn between Dutch and non-Dutch vessels whenever they operate on the Dollard ? According to press reports in 1989 , plans to build a toxic waste-disposal plant at Tarfaya were vetoed following 2 . Does it agree with the ESO that, as a result of the concerns expressed by King Hassan . There are no distinction drawn between Dutch and non-Dutch indications that the Moroccan Government plans to vessels and of the division into zones, the Dutch revive the project. Emshaven is put at a competitive disadvantage ? 3 . What action will it take to remedy any abuse ? No C 202/ 2 Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 8 . 92 Supplementary answer given by Mr Van Miert of national boatmasters' certificates valid for waterways on behalf of the Commission of a maritime character . It also stipulates that Member (5 February 1992) States may not impose additional requirements for boatmasters operating on these waterways if they hold reciprocally-recognized certificates valid for waterways of a maritime character. The Commission is now able to add the following information to its answer of 3 May 1991 ('). o OJNoC 199,29.7 . 1991 . O OJ No L 301 , 28 . 10 . 1982 . Vessels and boatmen using the Ems and the Dollard are subject to strict regulation . Both aspects are covered by Community law. The rules governing vessels sailing in European waters , of which the Ems and the Dollard are part, are covered by WRITTEN QUESTION No 352/91 Council Directive 82/714/EEC of 4 October 1982 laying by Mr Sergio Ribeiro (CG) down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels ( 2 ). to European Political Cooperation (7 March 1991) The Directive divides inland waterways into four zones (92/C 202 /03) according to the principle of national territory . The Ems and the Dollard in Holland are in Zone 2 , while the Subject: Relations between the EEC and the PLO mouth of the Ems , which is situated in Germany , belongs both to Zones 1 and 2 . Article 5 of the Directive entitles Member States to introduce technical requirements At the end of the General Affairs Council meeting on 4 additional to those laid down by the Directive for vessels February , the Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs operating on Zone 1 and 2 waterways , on condition that announced that the Community had decided to 'freeze' they notify the other Member States and the Commission relations with the PLO and its leader, Yasser Arafat. thereof . In view of the gravity of such a decision , what is the context and , from the point of view of European Political Germany has availed itself of this option and imposed Cooperation , the intention of the statement by the additional requirements for vessels using the Ems in both Portuguese minister ? Zones 1 and 2 . These are included in the Bin SchUO (Binnenschiffsuntersuchungsordnung). The Commission cannot at this stage do more than take Answer note of this difference of approach regarding the (24 June 1992) technical conditions for vessels using a single waterway , but feels that it must point out that there has been no breach of the Council Directive . The Community and its Member States maintain a dialogue with the PLO , with the aim of encouraging it to The preferential treatment for Dutch vessels arises from support the Middle East peace process underway the 1960 Ems-Dollard Cooperation Treaty, which is constructively . At the same time , they continue their referred to in Annex 1 of Directive 82/714/EEC . dialogue with Palestinians in the Occupied Territories . The Commission recognizes the desirability of establishing common safety criteria for shipping and of abolishing the option of introducing additional national technical requirements for shipping . This issue could be dealt with in an amendment to Directive 82 /417/EEC . WRITTEN QUESTION No 371 /91 by Mrs Dorothee Piermont (ARC) With regard to the handling of the vessels , the Council on to European Political Cooperation 7 October accepted a proposal for a Directive on the (7 March 1992) reciprocal recognition of national boatmasters' certificates for the carriage of goods by inland waterway . (92 /C 202/04) In this Directive , the Ems in Germany and the Subject: Hunger strike in Spanish prisons Ems-Dollard in the Netherlands are classified as waterways of a maritime character . They are therefore For over a year approximately 40 prisoners in Spanish covered by the Directive's provisions on the recognition prisons have been on hunger strike . Having been kept in 10 . 8.92 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 202/ 3 groups until 1987 , they were then separated and Member States and on their involvement in subversive transferred to different prisons , clearly as a result of the and terrorist plots which have led to various decisions of the Trevi Group . The prisoners demand to be unexplained violent events in recent years ? returned to their groups . One prisoner has already died as a result of the hunger strike . The others are extremely ill (') Minutes of proceedings of the sitting of 22 November 1990 . and further deaths are to be feared . 1 . Were the prisoners transferred as a result of the decisions of the Trevi Group on the harmonization of internal security policy ? Was the Spanish Government Answer requested to disperse the groups of prisoners ? (13 July 1992) 2 . What measures has EPC taken , or what measures will it take , to prevent further deaths ? The question raised by the Honourable Member has not been discussed within the EPC framework . 3 . Would EPC support mediation by the Red Cross , whose intervention has already proved successful in a previous case ? 4 . Would EPC support the sending of a delegation of Members of the European Parliament, doctors and lawyers to Spain in an endeavour to solve the problem ? WRITTEN QUESTION No 839/91 by Mr Victor Manuel Arbeloa Muru (S) to European Political Cooperation (3 May 1991) Answer (92 /C 202/06) (13 July 1992) Subject : Combating illegal employment The subject raised by the Honourable Member is not of EPC competence . What does EPC consider to be the best way of combating 'illegal employment' as discussed at the last Vienna Conference in January 1991 ? Answer WRITTEN QUESTION No 727/91 by Mr Luigi Colajanni (GUE) (13 July 1992) to European Political Cooperation (23 April 1991) The question raised by the Honourable Member does not fall within the scope of European Political Cooperation . (92/C 202 /05) Subject : Clandestine 'Gladio' network There have been many reports , including those based on official sources , on the existence of a clandestine parallel intelligence and armed operations organization . WRITTEN QUESTION No 849/91 by Mr Mihail Papayannakis (GUE) The European Parliament adopted a resolution on 22 to the Commission of the European Communities November 1990 ( x ) calling for a full investigation into the activities of this organization . (3 May 1991) (92/C 202 /07) Having regard to paragraphs 5 and 6 in particular of the above resolution : Subject: Noise from entertainment establishments 1 . Can EPC provide the European Parliament with information on the activities of these secret A large number of inhabitants of the Agios Andreas area intelligence and operational services ? in Elis complained to the Commission about the completely unacceptable situation prevailing there on 2 . Can it report on any action which these services have summer nights because of the intolerable noise from taken to destabilize the democratic structures of the discotheques and the like , including bouzouki No C 202/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 10 . 8.92 establishments, which typically blast the neighbourhood Nicaraguan Government has set up a programme to at tremendous volume at the expense of musical quality. retrain health service staff. Experience in the Community On 1 March 1991 the Commission answered that it and elsewhere in the world has shown that retraining regretted that there was no Community legislation programmes are carried out mainly with the aim of covering noise from discotheques .