Official/*/*•• "I Journal-w- "I cISSN 0378-6986310 of the European Communities. . ? NovemberVolume199437
English edition Information and Notices
Notice No Contents Page
I Information
European Parliament
Written Questions with answer
94/C 310/01 E-76/93 by Gordon Adam to the Commission Subject : The Non-Fossil-Fuel Obligation 1
94/C 310/02 E-l 32/93 by Gijs de Vries to the Commission Subject : The operation of the Single European Act 1
94/C 310/03 E-187/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : EEC recommendations on banks 2
94/C 310/04 E-245/93 by Freddy Blak to the Commission Subject : Relative importance of sport and olive oil 2
94/C 310/05 E-555/93 by Llewellyn Smith to the Commission Subject : Documentation confidentiality 3
94/C 310/06 E-600/93 by Hiltrud Breyer to the Commission Subject : State aid to coal and nuclear power 3
94/C 310/07 E-616/93 by Victor Arbeloa Muru to the Commission Subject : Study of human rights violations in Palestine 4
94/C 310/08 E-855/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : Need for parents with large families to be specifically exempt from taxation on redundancy payments 5
94/C 310/09 E-987/93 by Joan Colom i Naval , Concepció Ferrer, Carles-Alfred Gasòliba i Böhm, Antoni Gutierrez Diaz and Mateo Sierra Bardaji to the Commission Subject : Serious situation on the Community hazelnut market 5
Price : ECU 18 ( Continued overleaf) Notice No Contents ( continued ) Page
94/C 310/10 E-1058/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject: Participation of rural organizations in the central and regional committees of the Community support framework 6
94/C 310/11 E-l 124/93 by Barry Desmond to the Commission Subject : Psychologists' right to practise throughout the Community 6
94/C 310/12 E-l 307/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : Level crossings 7
94/C 310/13 E-l 355/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject: Impact of visits by Mr Van den Broek and the Troika to Israel and Arab countries 8
94/C 310/14 E-1405/93 by Jean-Pierre Raffarin to the Commission Subject : Surcharge on Pineau from Charente 8
94/C 310/15 E-787/93 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission Subject : Filling in the sea along the old Thessaloniki seaboard 9
94/C 310/16 E-1442/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : The old seafront in Thessaloniki 9
Joint answer to Written Questions E-787/93 and E-1442/93 9
94/C 310/17 E-1487/93 by Panayotis Roumeliotis to the Commission Subject : Suspension of appropriations for the restoration of the walls of the City of Rhodes 9
94/C 310/18 E-1493/93 by Paul Staes to the Commission Subject : Transposition of Community law into national law — initiation of infringement proceedings by the Commission 10
94/C 310/19 E-l 503/93 by Anthony Simpson to the Commission Subject : Duties of the Commission 10
94/C 310/20 E-l 597/93 by Giuseppe Mottola to the Commission Subject : Crisis in the kiwi fruit sector — Need for a Community system of regulation 11
94/C 310/21 E-l 606/93 by Alexander Langer to the Commission Subject : Damage to Mount Olympus ( Greece ) funded by the Community 12
94/C 310/22 E-l 732/93 by Gepa Maibaum to the Commission Subject : Community education policy in respect of central and eastern Europe , and, in particular, the Confederation of Independent States ( CIS ) 12
94/C 310/23 E-l 905/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject: 'Utilization ' of appropriations for technical assistance from the Delors I package in the south Aegean region 13
94/C 310/24 E-l 907/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : Rail transport in Greece 14
94/C 310/25 E-l 91 0/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : Participation and rights in general of creative intellectual workers 14
94/C 310/26 E-2026/93 by Raymonde Dury to the Commission Subject : Unfair competition in chemicals 15
94/C 310/27 E-2028/93 by Raymonde Dury to the Commission Subject : Unfair competition in steel 15 Notice No Contents ( continued ) page
94/C 310/28 E-2029/93 by Raymonde Dury to the Commission Subject: Unfair competition in textiles 16
94/C 310/29 E-2030/93 by Raymonde Dury to the Commission Subject: Access for the countries of central and eastern Europe to the Community's markets 16
Joint answer to Written Questions E-2026/93 , E-2028/93 , E-2029/93 and E-2030/93 16
94/C 310/30 E-2067/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : Turkish purchases of land and businesses in Thrace through Germany 17
94/C 310/31 E-2076/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : Exclusion of Greece from food-aid tenders 17
94/C 310/32 E-2125/93 by Anita Pollack to the Commission Subject : Urban environment green paper 18
94/C 310/33 E-2147/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : Discovery in a cargo of Egyptian potatoes of bacteria posing a deadly threat to agricultural production 18
94/C 310/34 E-2 177/93 by Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission Subject : Reasons invoked by Spain for failing to implement the Directive on telecommunications terminal equipment 19
94/C 310/35 E-2214/93 by Anthony Wilson to the Commission Subject : The Cecap project in the Philippines 19
94/C 310/36 E-2246/93 by Pol Marck to the Commission Subject: UNWRA budgetary situation 20
94/C 310/37 E-2256/93 by Giuseppe Mottola to the Commission Subject : Registered designation of origin for buffalo milk mozzarella cheese produced in Campania 21
94/C 310/38 E-2284/93 by Nel van Dijk to the Commission Subject : Restrictions on imports of jute 22
94/C 310/39 E-2285/93 by Nel van Dijk to the Commission Subject : Jute used in packaging 22
Joint answer to Written Questions E-2284/93 and E-2285/93 22
94/C 310/40 E-23 16/93 by Hedwig Keppelhoff-Wiechert to the Commission Subject : EC residence permit 23
94/C 310/41 E-2366/93 by Virginio Bettini to the Commission Subject : Construction of a service centre in San Feliciano di Magione ( Umbria Region — Italy ): infringement of the IMP criteria laid down by Umbria Region 23
94/C 310/42 E-2367/93 by Bruno Boissiere to the Commission Subject: Destruction of a natural area ( Nice ) 24
94/C 310/43 E-2416/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject: Vocational training of workers on environmental issues 25
( Continued overleaf) Notice No Contents ( continued ) Page
94/C 310/44 E-2467/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : Designation of special protection areas in Greece in accordance with Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds 25
94/C 310/45 E-2475/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : Conditions for recognizing organizations of producers of fisheries products 26
94/C 310/46 E-767/93 by Tom Spencer to the Commission Subject: Payment of foods and services supplied under the EDF 26
94/C 310/47 E-2478/93 by Tom Spencer to the Commission Subject: Payment of goods and services supplied under the EDF 26
Joint answer to Written Questions E-767/93 and E-2478/93 26
94/C 310/48 E-2494/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission v Subject: The banana trade 27
94/C 310/49 E-2504/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject: Discovery and preservation of fossilized trees over 15 million years old in northern Evvia 27
94/C 310/50 E-25 15/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject: Community fish canning industry 28
94/C 310/51 E-2531/93 by Michel Debatisse to the Commission Subject: Shift Network 28
94/C 310/52 E-2535/93 by Jose Lafuente Lopez to the Commission Subject: Community thinking on the future of the welfare State 29
94/C 310/53 E-2570/93 by Christos Papoutsis to the Commission Subject: Breach of Community rules 30
94/C 310/54 E-2596/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : Subsidies for golf courses and garages in Greece 30
94/C 310/55 E-2597/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject: Funding for Greek port projects within the Community Support Framework 30
94/C 310/56 E-2640/93 by Hemmo Muntingh to the Commission Subject: Registers of loans granted to consumers 31
94/C 310/57 E-2686/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject: Simplification of administrative work for small and medium-sized businesses 31
94/C 310/58 E-2695/93 by Hugh McMahon to the Commission Subject: ESF payments to the United Kingdom Government for 1991 , 1992 and 1993 in respect of projects operated by Scottish Enterprise 32
94/C 310/59 E-2697/93 by Mary Banotti to the Commission Subject: 1993 International Year of Indigenous People 32
94/C 310/60 E-2704/93 by Ben Visser to the Commission Subject: Diesel fuel prices and toll systems 33
94/C 310/61 E-2715/93 by Marie Isler Beguin to the Commission Subject : Staff policy at the Commission 34 Notice No Contents ( continued ) page
94/C 310/62 E-2756/93 by Paul Staes to the Commission Subject : The Commission's personnel policy 34
Joint answer to Written Questions E-2715/93 and E-2756/93 35
94/C 310/63 E-2736/93 by Sir Jack Stewart-Clark to the Commission Subject : Solvent abuse 35
94/C 310/64 E-2752/93 by Glyn Ford to the Commission Subject : Pension rights for carers 36
94/C 310/65 E-2757/93 by Sergio Ribeiro to the Commission Subject : Results of the report on EMU 36
94/C 310/66 E-2786/93 by Sir James Scott-Hopkins to the Commission Subject : Report on direction and regulatory signs on highways 37
94/C 310/67 E-2797/93 by Karel Dillen to the Commission Subject : Appropriations for dairy products in the 1994 EC budget 37
94/C 310/68 E-2802/93 by Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission Subject : Urgent measures to save the Bay of Kalloni ( Lesbos ) 38
94/C 310/69 E-2804/93 by Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission Subject : Participation of the Commission in the International Congress on the Spanish Language 38
94/C 310/70 E-2827/93 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission Subject : Protection of Europe's cultural heritage from theft 39
94/C 310/71 E-2835/93 by Giuseppe Mottola to the Commission Subject : Cilento National Park — Boundaries and classification of zones — Possible damage to farming, stock-breeding, forestry , farm tourism, and craft industries 40
94/C 310/72 E-2867/93 by John Iversen to the Commission Subject : Rules on the sale of old meat from EC surplus stocks 41
94/C 310/73 E-2870/93 by Inigo Mendez de Vigo to the Commission Subject : Extension of the schedule of reference prices and exports of tomatoes from the Kingdom of Morocco 41
94/C 310/74 E-2873/93 by Laura González Alvarez , Antoni Gutiérrez Díaz , Alonso Puerta and Teresa Domingo Segarra to the Commission Subject : ERDF projects in Cantabria 42
94/C 310/75 E-2876/93 by Jose Valverde Lopez to the Commission Subject : Public undertakings in the manufacturing sector 42
94/C 310/76 E-2886/93 by Enrico Falqui to the Commission Subject : Compliance in Italy with the Directive on the quality of bathing water 43
94/C 310/77 E-29 16/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : Environment of the river Araxthos 43
94/C 310/78 E-2933/93 by Victor Arbeloa Muru to the Commission Subject : International agreements and subsidiarity 43
( Continued overleaf) Notice No Contents ( continued ) page
94/C 310/79 E-2944/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : Review of the EC-USA agreement on reducing agricultural subsidies 44
94/C 310/80 E-2965/93 by Christine Crawley to the Commission Subject : Child workers in Portugal 44
94/C 310/81 E-2966/93 by Christine Crawley to the Commission Subject : VAT collection 45
94/C 310/82 E-2972/93 by Christine Oddy to the Commission Subject: Illegal trade in rhino horn 45
94/C 310/83 E-2974/93 by Panayotis Roumeliotis to the Commission Subject : Problems due to ending of wine subsidies 45
94/C 310/84 E-2979/93 by Lyndon Harrison to the Commission Subject: European Year of the Elderly and solidarity between generations 46
94/C 310/85 E-2995/93 by Herman Verbeek and Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf to the Commission Subject : Organic production of agricultural products : progress of legislation on organic animal production 46
94/C 310/86 E-2996/93 by James Elles, Otto von Habsburg, Fernand Herman and Ria Oomen-Ruijten to the Commission Subject: Relations between the EC, eastern Europe and the CIS 47
94/C 310/87 E-3 044/93 by Yves Verwaerde to the Commission Subject : Commission programme for 1993/94 48
94/C 310/88 E-3077/93 by Kenneth Stewart to the Commission Subject : Proposed new prison at Fazakerley, Liverpool 48
94/C 310/89 E-3 11 0/93 by Concepció Ferrer to the Commission Subject : Financial assistance to the Catalan textile industry as part of the Retex Community initiative 49
94/C 310/90 E-3 13 8/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : Use of Special Local Government Development Programme funds in Greece 49
! 94/C 310/91 E-3202/93 by Victor Arbeloa Muru to the Commission Subject : Agricultural prices and the consumer 50 i 94/C 310/92 E-3212/93 by lb Christensen to the Commission Subject : Exemption from capital requirements in financial institutions . 50
94/C 310/93 E-3241/93 by Marc Galle to the Commission Subject : Financial aid following the Gaza-Jericho Accord 51
94/C 310/94 E-3397/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject: Dismissals in the German automobile industry 52
94/C 310/95 E-3423/93 by Ferruccio Pisoni, Franco Borgo, Mauro Chiabrando, Agostino Mantovani and Giuseppe Mottola to the Commission Subject : The spread of esca grapevine disease and how to control it 52
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94/C 310/96 E-3461/93 by Winifred Ewing to the Commission Subject : Norwegian salmon dumping 53
94/C 310/97 E-3512/93 by Alexander Langer to the Commission Subject : Protection of Bishop Pedro Casaldaliga 53
94/C 310/98 E-3707/93 by Jose Gil-Robles Gil-Delgado to the Commission Subject : Language-learning programme in the States of the Southern African Development Community 54
94/C 310/99 E-3727/93 by Alex Smith to the Commission Subject : Nuclear reactor fuel — Edlow Group 55
94/C 310/100 E-3735/93 by Gerard Onesta to the Commission Subject : Co-responsibility of the Commission in projects co-financed by the Community 55
94/C 310/101 E-3789/93 by Hemmo Muntingh to the Commission Subject : Allocation of Consumer Protection budget line B5-101 in 1993 55
94/C 310/102 E-3797/93 by Robert Delorozoy to the Commission Subject : Redressing the Community budget 56
94/C 310/103 E-3 808/93 by Hugh McMahon to the Commission Subject : Reorganization of DG V 56
94/C 310/104 E-13/94 by Fernand Herman to the Commission Subject : Agreement between France Telecom and Deutsche Bundespost Telekom 57
94/C 310/105 E-42/94 by Jessica Larive to the Commission Subject : Participation by EFTA countries in EC education and training programmes 57
94/C 310/106 E-288/94 by Raymonde Dury to the Commission Subject : Training of hairdressers : Belgium and France 58
94/C 310/107 E-373/94 by Anita Pollack to the Commission Subject : Strategy on integrated management of Europe's coastal zones 59
94/C 310/108 E-395/94 by Maxime Verhagen, Jean Penders and James Janssen van Raay to the Commission Subject : South Africa 59
94/C 310/109 E-521/94 by Sotiris Kostopoulos to the Commission Subject : A Directive providing compulsory measures to combat AIDS ( information , monitoring, research and special programmes ) 60
94/C 310/110 E-573/94 by Sergio Ribeiro to the Commission Subject : Directive on money laundering 61
94/C 310/111 E-729/94 by Georgios Anastassopoulos to the Commission Subject : Breakdown of senior administrative posts by nationality 61
94/C 310/112 E-782/94 by Mary Banotti to the Commission Subject : Consumer information and safety monitoring regarding the consumer 61 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/1
I
(Information)
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER
WRITTEN QUESTION E-76/93 In June 1993 , the British Government came forward with by Gordon Adam ( PSE ) formal proposals for continuing the FFL and the NFFO for renewables after 1998 and the Commission has now to the Commission authorized this extension . Under it the United Kingdom will (9 February 1993) finance a further 900 MW of renewables capacity in ( 94/C 310/01 ) England and Wales , in addition to the 300 MW already coming forward . The Commission has also recently approved new renewables schemes in Scotland and Subject: The Non-Fossil-Fuel Obligation Northern Ireland involving a further 300 MW .
The 1998 deadline for the Non-Fossil-Fuel Obligation It is understood that renewable energy based combined heat ( NFFO ) is proving a significant barrier to the development and power projects will be eligible for support under the in the United Kingdom of renewable energy based combined new arrangements . heat and power ( CHP ) schemes . I understand that for two years the United Kingdom Government and the Commission have been discussing arrangements for an extension of the NFFO for renewable energy .
Would the Commission clarify both the present state of WRITTEN QUESTION E-132/93 these discussions and its own position on the extension of by Giis de Vries ( ELDR ) support arrangements for renewable energy, including to the Commission renewable energy based CHP schemes ? (15 February 1993) 94/C 310/02
Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission Subject: The operation of the Single European Act (10 December 1993) 1 . In what cases ( from the entry into force of the Single European Act up to 1 January 1993 ) has the Commission In March 1990 when approving aid arrangements in withdrawn its proposals after the first reading by the connection with the privatization of the electricity supply Council or the second reading by the European industry in Great Britain , the Commission limited its Parliament ? authorization of the Fossil-Fuel Levy ( FFL ) and the Non-Fossil-Fuel Obligation ( NFFO ) to the period up to 2 . In what cases has the Council unanimously adopted 1998 , because the arrangements were mainly designed to ( Article 149(2)d ) amendments proposed by the European support nuclear power . Parliament, that were not accepted by the Commission ?
The first approaches by the British Government to the 3 . In what cases has the Council unanimously amended Commission to lift the 1998 time limit for renewables were a proposal re-examined by the Commission ( Rule made in November 1991 . 149(2)e )? No C 310/2 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
4 . In what cases has a Commission proposal not been transparency of banking conditions relating to cross-border accepted because the Council did not conclude its second financial transactions ( J ). In March 1992 the European reading in time ( Rule 149(2)f) ? credit sector associations , working in close collaboration with the Commission within the advisory groups , drew up guidelines on customer information on payment services .
Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi on behalf of the Commission A study launched by the Commission in 1993 the initial results of which were announced on 29 July ( 2 ) shows that, (30 March 1994) despite the self-regulatory measures adopted by the banking sector, transparency is improving too slowly .
1 . None Before adopting a decision regarding the measures to be taken, the Commission intends to gather the opinions of the 2 . and 3 . The Commission is unable to supply the precise two advisory groups on payment systems, which are number of such cases, since there is no official information composed of representatives of the central banks , in the votes taken in the Council over the period in question commercial banks, consumers, traders , and small and ( the Council did not adopt the amendment to its rules of medium-sized enterprises . procedure allowing this information to be made public until December 1993 ). The Honourable Member also seems to be referring to recommendation 87/598/EEC on a Code of Conduct 4 . Article 149(2)(f) of the EC Treaty has been applied in relating to electronic payment ( 3 ). In 1992 and the first half the following two cases : of 1993 , the Commission conducted negotiations between the banking sector and the commercial sector with a view to — the proposal for a Council Directive on sweeteners for drawing up a code which would apply in a uniform manner use in foodstuffs ('); to both sectors . The negotiations are aimed at extending the scope of the recommendation and defining more precisely — the proposal for a Council Directive on the protection of the terms used . The code of conduct would apply to any workers from the risks related to exposure to benzene at payment carried out by means of a payment card , work ( 2 ). irrespective of the nature of the issuer of the card .
(M CC)M(90 ) 381 . ( 2 ) COM(85 ) 669 . The Commission hopes that the negotiations will be completed by the end of the year .
A third recommendation concerning the relationship between card holder and card issuer ( 4 ) has been the subject of parallel codes applied by banks and traders for a longer WRITTEN QUESTION E-187/93 period of time . by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) to the Commission (M OJ No L 67, 15 . 3 . 1990 . ( 2 ) IP(93 ) 670 . (17 February 1993) ( 3 ) OJ No L 365 , 24 . 12 . 1987. ( 94/C 310/03 ) ( 4 ) OJ No L 317, 24 . 11 . 1988 .
Subject: EEC recommendations on banks
The banks have so far refused to implement two EEC recommendations on transparency and systems of payment, WRITTEN QUESTION E-245/93 preferring to observe their own codes of conduct . Does the Commission think that these recommendations should be by Freddy Blak ( PSE ) converted into binding Directives ? to the Commission (23 February 1993) ( 94/C 310/04 ) Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi on behalf of the Commission (21 December 1993) Subject: Relative importance of sport and olive oil
Even if sport and culture are naturally not amongst the most The question raised by the Honourable Member no doubt important areas of Community cooperation, it still surprises refers chiefly to recommendation 90/109/EEC on the me that sport is given the low priority it is . 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/3
To illustrate how little sport receives in the way of EC aid , I WRITTEN QUESTION E-555/93 recently heard that total Community aid to sport by Llewellyn Smith ( PSE ) corresponds to the amount it costs to run the Community's to the Commission olive-oil publicity office in Copenhagen . (30 March 1993) ( 94/C 310/05 ) This comparison speaks for itself. Against this background , I would find it absurd if the Community does not start to do more to support initiatives in the field of sport . Cooperation Subject: Documentation confidentiality between sportsmen and women from different countries does a great deal to promote international under What plans are being developed by the Commission to standing . increase to confidentiality of documentation passed from Member State governments to the Commission and vice versa ? Particularly for the handicapped , sport has proved to be a good method of establishing contact with other people . Answer given by Mr Delors on behalf of the Commission For this reason I would ask the Commission if it really is (13 December 1993) right and proper that the promotion of olive oil in Denmark should receive as much aid as sport throughout the Community ? Could the Commission not consider giving The Commission does not consider it necessary to reinforce higher priority to sport for the disabled , at least ? Finally, its existing policy on confidentiality of documents which it what Community initiatives in the field of sport are in the receives from Member States and vice versa . The current pipeline ? rules on classification of documents and the security measures applicable to them , and other secondary legislation such as on the transmission of data subject to statistical confidentiality from the Member States , are sufficient to guarantee the necessary confidentiality of information . Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission (28 February 1994)
WRITTEN QUESTION E-600/93 by Hiltrud Breyer ( V ) It is not possible to compare the olive-oil promotion to the Commission campaign and measures to promote sport, especially sport (1 April 1993) for the handicapped , since the olive-oil campaign is an area of Community competence under the common agricultural ( 94/C 310/06 ) policy, while measures to promote sport, including sport for the disabled , fall primarily within the jurisdiction of the Member States . The few operations undertaken by the Subject: State aid to coal and nuclear power Commission in this area are autonomous action for which budgetary resources are very limited . However , the Is it a Commission policy objective that Member States Commission is at present preparing a programme to should be allowed to support up to 20 % of national encourage sport, notably via the European Sport Forum , a electricity production by State aid ? regular gathering of government and non-government representatives of the sporting world which lays down Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan told the European guidelines for action , complying strictly with the Parliament on 16 May 1990 that 17% of the total demand subsidiarity principle . for electricity in the United Kingdom was covered by the nuclear industry, which receives State aid . How high was this percentage in 1992 ? The last meeting of the Forum, in November 1993 , considered the findings of a study on the consequences of Is it true that the Commission is considering allowing the Community action in the field of sport, when it also British Government to give State aid to the coal sector ? confirmed that priority should be given to What percentage of the total demand for electricity mass-participation sport and sport for the disabled . production by coal receiving State aid would be involved ?
Does this not represent a U-turn, in that by allowing the British Government to give State aid to the coal sector as No C 310/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
well, the objective of limiting State aid for the electricity 2064/86/ECSC . Should a notification be forthcoming at a sector to 20% will not be achieved ? later date, then the Commission's judgment will be based on the criteria of the new Code , Decision 3632/93/ECSC ( 3 ) Can the Commission provide an overview of State aid to which has replaced Decision 2064/86/ECSC with effect national electricity production by coal and nuclear power in from January 1994 . Any contracts between the coal-mines the 12 Member States ? If this overview is not available at and the electricity generators for additional purchases of present, is the Commission willing to provide such an coal would be assessed under Article 85 EC Treaty for their overview to the European Parliament within the next three effect on competition and trade in electricity, as in the months ? Jahrhundertvertrag case ( 4 ).
Is the Commission prepared to investigate claims by The Commission controls State aid for using coal to produce Greenpeace UK that a major part of the State aid in the electricity under the coal aid code ( now Decision United Kingdom from the nuclear levy ( £1 265 million in 3632/93/ECSC ). It also examines any cases of aid for 1991/92 ) is used for the building of new nuclear power nuclear power that are notified to it or alleged by stations such as Sizewell B ( £5 1 8 million 'assets in the course complainants . Other than the cases already dealt with, it is of construction' Nuclear Electric 1991/92 accounts, p. 46 ) not aware of aid for coal-fired generation or nuclear power and not solely for existing production capacity, as was in the Community . agreed with the Commission ? The Commission is examining the complaint about alleged misuse of the Fossil-Fuel Levy and should be able to take a decision early in 1994 . Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission (!) COM(91 ) 548 final — SYN 384-385 . (7 February 1994) ( 2 ) COM(93 ) 261 final . ( 3 ) OJ No L 329 , 30 . 12 . 1993 . ( 4 ) OJ No L 50 , 2 . 3 . 1993 . The Honourable Member is referred firstly to the answer given by the Commission to the Oral Question asked by Mrs Garcia Arias ( No H-0352/93 ) at the Plenary Session of Parliament in April 1993 , secondly to paragraph 7.1 . of the introduction to the Commission's initial proposal for a Council Directive concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity (*) and thirdly to paragraph 3.1 . of the Second progress report on the internal energy market ( 2 ). It WRITTEN QUESTION E-616/93 should be noted that the Commission does not count by Victor Arbeloa Muru ( PSE ) support for renewable energies towards the limit referred to to the Commission by the Honourable Member . (1 April 1993) ( 94/C 310/07 ) The Commission understands that in 1992 Nuclear Electric's share of the electricity market in England and Wales had risen to somewhat over 20% . However, the Commission was informed in March 1993 that the UK Subject: Study of human rights violations in Palestine authorities intended to direct Nuclear Electric to release two regional electricity companies from certain purchase Can the Commission forward the analysis of the report contracts . financed under Item A-3030 of the budget on violations of human rights in the territories occupied by Israel ? When can In March 1993 the Commission was also informed of the this information be provided ? possible intention of the UK authorities to grant subsidies, over a strictly limited period of time , for certain additional purchases of coal for electricity generation . Any such subsidies would not affect the basic contracts with National Power and PowerGen . In the absence of any prior Answer given by Mr Van den Broek notification by the UK authorities of State aid , the on behalf of the Commission Commission understands that no additional purchases by (14 December 1993) the generators have so far been made . The Commission is therefore currently unable to judge the effect on competition of any such additional purchases . There is no analysis financed under budget item A-3030 which has any bearing on the matter referred to by the Authorization by the Commission of any aid to the coal Honourable Member . industry, requires prior notification under the. Coal Aid Code . No notification had been made by the end of 1993 under the terms of the old Aid Code , Decision 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/5
WRITTEN QUESTION E-855/93 Community by approximately 35% between 1987 and by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) 1990 , can the Commission say whether the hazelnut quotas hitherto granted to Turkey and other third countries have to the Commission been duly respected ? (26 April 1993) ( 94/C 310/08 ) What is the Commission's view on the recent measures by the Turkish Government substantially reducing its official Subject: Need for parents with large families to be export prices for hazelnuts ? specifically exempt from taxation on redundancy payments How will the Commission respond to the severe difficulties of Community producers, whose current selling prices are In may 1992 a law was adopted in Greece on taxing the far from profitable , and to the significant reduction in recent redundancy payments of dismissed company employees . years of intra-Community trade in hazelnuts . Article 5(6 ) of the relevant law ( No 2065/92 ) provides that 36 % of redundancy payments shall be payable in tax, regardless of whether the dismissed person has one, two , Does the Commission not think that the time has come to five or even 10 children . The rate of taxation is the same for uphold the principle of Community preference and take the everyone . As part of the European Social Charter, agreed on necessary measures to maintain a Community production at the summit meeting in Strasbourg, will the Commission quota for hazelnuts ? make representations to the Greek authorities, calling for the parents of large families to be specifically exempt from this tax on redundancy payments ? Is the Commission contemplating setting up a COM specifically for dried fruit ?
Answer given by Mr Flynn Is the Commission considering the possibility of introducing on behalf of the Commission direct aid for hazelnut growers over and above that laid (4 May 1994) down by Regulation 1035/72/EEC ( ! ) to prevent them from going out of business and avoid the serious socio-economic and environmental repercussions in areas in which hazelnut The Community has no competence in the area of family production is a fundamental aspect of rural life ? policy . The Commission cannot therefore intervene with the Greek authorities in relation to the taxation of severance t 1 ) OJ No L 118 , 20 . 5 . 1972 , p . 1 . pay with particular reference to heads of large families .
However , within the European Family Policy Observatory, the Commission monitors trends and developments in the family policy of Member States , with particular regard to Answer given by Mr Steichen the treatment of families under the taxation system . on behalf of the Commission (20 December 1993) A report by the Observatory for the period 1991/92 is to be forwarded directly to the Honourable Member and to the Secretariat-General of the Parliament . 1 . Hazelnut imports from Turkey benefit from zero duty within a tariff quota of 25 000 tonnes . This rule is carefully observed . Imports in excess of this quota are subject to 4 % duty . WRITTEN QUESTION E-987/93 by Joan Colom i Naval ( PSE ), Concepció Ferrer ( PPE), 2 . The reduction in export duty decreed by the Turkish Carles-Alfred Gasóliba i Bóhm ( ELDR), Antoni Gutiérrez Government is in keeping with the Association Agreement Díaz ( GUE ) and Mateo Sierra Bardaii ( PSE ) between the EC and Turkey . to the Commission (3 May 1993) 3 . The Commission is aware of the problems facing the hazelnut sector in Europe . For this reason the market ( 94/C 310/09 organization in fruit and vegetables has been supplemented by a set of measures eligible for Community financial Subject: Serious situation on the Community hazelnut support to improve production and marketing conditions market for nuts and carobs . These measures may consist in :
In view of the difficult situation of Community hazelnut — tree grubbing followed by replanting or conversion to producers who are subject to pressure from mounting other varieties ; imports from third countries ( 96 % of these being from Turkey ), which reduced their import prices into the — improving cultivation techniques ; No C 310/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
— technical assistance in crop management and marketing; Moreover, the Leader Programme , which is specially and designed to address rural issues, already provides for partnership at local level through its management and — the acquisition and establishment of marketing monitoring system . The Commission has derived a wealth of systems . valuable experience on this matter under the current phase of the Leader Programme, and can only confirm its 4 . In view of the further deterioration of prices this year, commitment to adopt a comparable approach regarding the Commission has been in touch with the Turkish future Community initiatives in the context of rural authorities in order to study the situation and plan any development. measures that might be adopted for the next marketing year .
5 . Dried fruits are covered by Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 1035/72 on the common organization of the market in fruit and vegetables and Council Regulation ( EEC ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-l 124/93 No 426/86 on the common organization of the market in by Barry Desmond ( PSE ) products processed from fruit and vegetables (*). to the Commission
(') OJ No L 49 , 27 . 2 . 1986 . (29 April 1993) ( 94/C 310/11
Subject: Psychologists ' right to practise throughout the Community WRITTEN QUESTION E-1058/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) 1 . Does the Commission agree it is lamentable that it has to the Commission no precise information on whether psychologists ' services are covered by the national social security systems or by the (6 May 1993) relevant arrangements in force ? ( 94/C 310/10 Clearly it seems that the Commission has given only Subject: Participation of rural organizations in the central marginal consideration to this issue , or is restricted by Member States from legislating in this important area of and regional committees of the Community policy . support framework
The Community's rural areas are characterized by a lack of 2 . Does the Commission fail to appreciate that leaving uniformity between the regions . For example , the problems mutual recognition of psychology diplomas up to Member and intervention needs of a region with better agricultural States to decide is an easy way to protect their own citizens structures and possibilities for employment outside against the competition of workers from other Member agriculture or which is adjacent to a large urban Centre are States, and is thus against the spirit of EC goals and different from those of a mountainous or 'less-favoured ' objectives ? region . That lack of uniformity between the regions makes it necessary for the partnership between rural organizations to 3 . At present psychologists in one Member State are be not just national but also local in nature . apparently barred from practising in another Member State . The Commission refusal to legislate in this area and the In view of the above, will the Commission support the vacuum in Community policy is a loss to the movement participation of rural organizations in the central and towards a single market . Does the Commission agree that regional committees of the Community Support achieving harmonization or mutual recognition of Framework ? authorization to practise psychotherapy between Member States would be a particular advance ?
Answer given by Mr Steichen on behalf of the Commission Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi on behalf of the Commission (7 February 1994) (2 December 1993)
The composition of the monitoring committees for the implementation of the new CSFs for Greece will be 1 . The Community has no power to determine which discussed in the context of the partnership with the Member services must be paid for under national social security State concerned on the basis of the proposals made in its systems . The Commission is endeavouring to promote the regional development plan . exchange, between Member States, of information on social 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/7 protection, but it is not able to gather information on all national authorities in question are entitled to require the aspects of national social security policies . person concerned to prove that he has acquired the knowledge and qualifications which are lacking . 2 . The Commission would point out that, as regards the mutual recognition of diplomas by the Member States , 3 . Psychologists are not prevented from practising in measures aimed at harmonizing national legislation in this other Member States since , in order to do so , they can make area have already been adopted at Community level . Those use of the recognition machinery referred to at point 2 . provisions may be applied in order to facilitate the freedom Mutual recognition of licences to practise would certainly be of establishment of psychologists . an advance on the mutual recognition of diplomas provided for in Directives 89/48/EEC and 92/51/EEC , since it would The Member States retain their freedom of action with further facilitate establishment and provision of services in regard to education and the right to determine the other Member States . However, agreement within the conditions governing the taking-up and pursuit of the profession and a broad consensus among the Member States professon of psychologist, and the use of the professional are needed before such a proposal can be presented . title . Nevertheless , under Council Directives based on Article 57 of the EEC Treaty they recognize for professional (!) OJ No L 167, 30 . 6 . 1975 . purposes diplomas awarded on each other's territory . ( 2 ) OJ No L 19 , 24 . 1 . 1989 . ( 3 ) OJ No L 209 , 24 . 7 . 1992 . In this connection, it should be examined whether the activity in question is carried out by a doctor or a non-doctor . If it is by a doctor (a psychotherapist, for example ), the recognition of diplomas and the coordination of training are covered by the 'doctors' Directives 75/362/EEC and 75/363/EEC , as amended ( 1 ). Diplomas WRITTEN QUESTION E-1307/93 are recognized if they have been awarded in accordance with by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) the harmonized rules on training laid down in those to the Commission Directives . The mutual recognition of diplomas enters into play not only as regards the possibility of practising as a (1 June 1993) doctor but also as regards doing so within the social security ( 94/C 310/12 ) framework .
In the case of psychologists who are not doctors , Directive . Subject: Level crossings 89/48/EEC on a general system for the recognition of higher-education diplomas awarded on completion of Unmanned level crossings — of which there are more than professional education and training of at least three years ' 1 500 in Greece — and careless motorists have turned duration ( 2 ) likewise ensures recognition of these railway tracks in Greece into deathtraps . The President of professionals ' diplomas where the practice of their activities , the Greek Railways Federation, Mr Kotsias, said recently in particular under the social security system , is subject, in that most accidents took place at level crossings . One way of the host Member State , to qualification requirements . avoiding such accidents was to establish two-level crossings . However , this would require considerable funds which are Where the diploma is not covered by that Directive , unfortunately not available . Directive 92/51/EEC on a second general system for the recognition of professional education and training to What scope does the Commission have for assisting Greece supplement Directive 89/48/EEC ( 3 ) applies ; Directive in the construction of these indispensable two-level 92/51/EEC must be incorporated into national law by the crossings , drawing on Community funds for this Member States before 18 June 1994 . These legal purpose ? instruments permit mutual recognition of diplomas in order to facilitate the practice of the profession in other Member States , without there being coordination of education and training . Answer given by Mr Matutes on behalf of the Commission Pending the entry into force of the second general system (14 December 1993) Member States are required , in accordance with the rulings of the Court of Justice in Case 222/86 ( Unectef v. Heylens [ 1987] ECR 4097 ) and Case C-340/89 ( Vlassopoulou The decision of building railways or associated public works [ 1991 ] ECR 1-2357), to take into account qualifications is primarily the responsibility of Member States . The obtained by Community nationals in other Member States , Hellenic Railways Organization , in the framework of the even if no Directive is applicable . Member States are modernization of the railway infrastructure in Greece , has required 'to examine to what extent the knowledge and already constructed a considerable number of railway qualifications attested by the diploma obtained by the bridges with Community financial assistance . Under person concerned in his country of origin correspond to Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 4059/86 (*), 49 were those required by the rules of the host State'. Where there is constructed or are under construction along the railway in fact equivalence, full recognition must be granted . line Athens—Thessaloniki ( sections Inoi—Tihorea and Conversely, if the diplomas correspond only partially, the Domokos—Larissa ). The selection of the technical solution, No C 310/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94 i.e. level crossing or bridge , is based on technical and undermined by delays and there was a need to make socio-economic criteria , including safety . substantial progress . The mission encouraged all parties to seek a way to return to the talks and to take measures to The new Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 1738/93 ( 2 ) 'For an improve the atmosphere for the negotiations . The action programme in the field of transport infrastructure Commission is pleased that negotiations restarted on with a view to the completion of an integrated transport 27 April and have been given new impetus by the market', provides inter alia the possibility of financial breakthrough made in discussions between Israel and the support for the strengthening of land communications PLO which led to the signature of a declaration of principles within and with Greece . Therefore, projects relating to the on 13 September 1993 . upgrading of the railway infrastructure in Greece are, in principle, eligible under this Regulation . The mission was encouraged to hear from all parties the wish for the Community to play an active role in the peace process . Furthermore under Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 792/93 establishing the cohesion financial instrument the Greek Government has submitted a number of transport projects , most of them providing aids, among others , for building level crossings . WRITTEN QUESTION E-1405/93 (') OJ No L 378 , 31 . 12 . 1986 . by Jean-Pierre Raffarin ( PPE ) ( 2 ) OJ No L 161 , 2 . 7 . 1993 . to the Commission (8 June 1993) ( 94/C 310/14 )
Subject: Surcharge on Pineau from Charente WRITTEN QUESTION E-1355/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) Pineau producers in Charente are being discriminated to the Commission against at national level in contravention of Community (4 June 1993) principles . ( 94/C 310/13 A ministerial order of 1 January 1993 introduced a new method for calculating excise duties which has led to a Subject: Impact of visits by Mr Van den Broek and the 400% surcharge being imposed on Pineau, Floe from Troika to Israel and Arab countries Gascony and Macvin from the Jura in comparison with natural sweet wines such as Banyuls and Rivesaltes . What impact have the recent visits by Commissioner Van den Broek and the 'Troika ' headed by Mr Peterson to Israel What action will the Commission take to persuade the and Arab countries had on the Arab/Israeli peace French Government to restore the balance as regards negotiations ? competition rules in this connection ?
Answer given by Mrs Scrivener Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission on behalf of the Commission (7 December 1993) (21 December 1993)
The Commission is aware of the situation described by the The purpose of the Troika mission to the Middle East from Honourable Member, having given a delegation of 30 March to 2 April was to encourage the parties to liqueur-wine producers an opportunity to present all the participate actively in the ninth round of negotiations as arguments against the preferential tax treatment afforded to part of the peace process and to offer the Community's French natural sweet wines as opposed to other liqueur continued support for efforts to establish peace . wines , whether produced in France or originating in other Member States . The mission noted a very real interest in returning to the negotiations expressed by all parties . It heard about the It is currently examining the situation in the light of the effects of the deportations of more than 400 Palestinians on relevant Community rules , under the procedures laid down the negotiations and on moves to deal with this problem and for that purpose, and will be sure to take any appropriate to restart talks . The mission observed that the different action . parties felt that the window of opportunity to pursue the process may be limited . Public support for the process was 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/9
WRITTEN QUESTION E-787/93 Commission also impress upon the Greek authorities that by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE ) the measures taken to carry out the above project are in breach of the provisions of Council Directive 85/337/EEC to the Commission on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private (19 April 1993) projects on the environment ? ( 94/C 310/15 )
Joint answer to Written Questions Subject: Filling in the sea along the old Thessaloniki E-787/93 and E-1442/93 seaboard given by Mr Paleokrassas on behalf of the Commission In Thessaloniki designated as the cultural capital of Europe (24 February 1994) 1997 there are plans to fill in the sea along the old city seaboard from Oefkos Pirgos down to the port in order to provide 20 hectares of parking space . There is a great danger A project to fill in the sea to provide parking spaces is that this will be built on and developed in future . classified as an Annex II project of Directive 85/337/EEC for which the Member State's competent authority must examine whether an environmental impact assessment is This project which is being opposed by almost all required under Article 4(2 ). representative bodies in Thessaloniki and has aroused bigger protests among its residents is likely to have If a Member State's competent authority decides that, due to unfavourable effects on circulation on the historical heritage its nature and characteristics , an assessment in line with the and on the character of the city on the environment and on procedures set down in the Directive is required , this will its quality of life . No environmental impact assessments include an outline of main alternatives and an indication of have been carried out under Directive 85/337/EEC i 1 ) the main reasons for the developer's choice . The assessment although the project is being funded by the Community . On will also include a description of aspects of the environment other hand alternative proposals have been made which likely to be affected by the project including inter alia effects would avoid the above problems and would solve the on the architectural and archaeological heritage . problem of traffic circulation . From the information provided there does not appear to What immediate steps will the Commission take to ensure have been a failure to comply with the Directive . However , compliance with Council Directive 85/337/EEC and will it the Commission would be happy to examine further any consider finding alternative solutions to the problem of additional information that the Honourable Member traffic circulation which would preserve the historical considers relevant to this case . character and the human quality of Thessaloniki ? The Commission has not at this stage received a request (') OJ No L 175 , 5 . 7 . 1985 , p . 40 . from the Greek authorities for this project to be co-financed by the Structrural Funds .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1442/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) to the Commission WRITTEN QUESTION E-1487/93 by Panayotis Roumeliotis ( PSE ) (9 June 1993) to the Commission ( 94/C 310/16 ) (14 June 1993) ( 94/C 310/17 ) Subject: The old seafront in Thessaloniki Subject: Suspension of appropriations for the restoration of According to a citizens' action group consisting of 2 000 the walls of the City of Rhodes residents of Thessaloniki , plans to broaden the city's historic seafront by dumping rubble in the sea will have disastrous Last November the Monitoring Committee of the consequences , damaging the maritime landscape , detracting Integrated Mediterranean Programmes for the Aegean from its historical character and altering the position of the islands decided to grant a sum of Dr 200 million to allow the tower on the fortifications , the Lefkos Pyrgos , in relation to programme devoted to settlements and fortifications on the the sea . island of Rhodes to continue .
Since this monument has been classified by Unesco as part of However, following the decision by the Ministry of Finance our international cultural heritage , will the Commission to suspend the necessary funds approved under the impress upon the Greek authorities the importance of Mediterranean Programmes , there is a real danger that the conserving the historical seafront of Thessaloniki ? Will the walls of the mediaeval city of Rhodes will collapse . No C 310/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
Can the Commission provide information on developments 1 . Can the Commission give a list of Directives which were in this matter ? not transposed by Belgium on time , indicating in which cases the Commission initiated infringement proceedings ( if possible giving the deadline for transposition and the authority or authorities Answer given by Mr Millan concerned ? on behalf of the Commission (10 December 1993) 2 . What criteria does the Commission apply in deciding whether or not to initiate proceedings under Article 169 for failure to transpose a Directive on time ? The project concerning the medieval city and battlements of Rhodes was included in the Integrated Mediterranean (!) OJ No L 78 , 26 . 3 . 1991 , p . 38 . Programme for the Aegean with a budget of ECU ( 2 ) OJ No L 117, 8 . 5 . 1990, p . 1 . 6 639 000 . At 31 March 1993 about 98,5 % of this budget ( 3 ) OJ No L 117, 8 . 5 . 1990 , p . 15 . had been used . Despite this expenditure , the work has not yet been completed and is most unlikely to be completed this year . Answer given by Mr Delors on behalf of the Commission Meanwhile , the Monitoring Committee for the IMP decided (1 December 1993) not to allocate additional appropriations to work which cannot be finished before the end of the year, but to give priority to projects likely to be finished by then . The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the Tenth Annual Report on Commission Monitoring of the This is why the budget for the project in question has not Application of Community Law (*), and to Annex 4 in been amended . particular ( report on the application of Directives ).
In addition, the Commission considers the potential threat As a rule the Commission initiates proceedings under to these monuments should have been temporarily removed Article 169 of the Treaty as soon as the deadline for as a result of the large amounts already spent . transposing the Directives has expired , where it has not been notified by the Member State of any implementing measures . As can be seen from Annex 4 of the report, this was the procedure followed in the case of the three Directives referred to by the Honourable Member :
— 90/219/EEC and 90/220/EEC : Belgium and the United WRITTEN QUESTION E-1493/93 Kingdom have notified implementing measures; by Paul Staes ( V ) to the Commission — 91/157/EEC : Belgium has not notified any implementing measures . Infringement proceedings have been (14 June 1993) initiated . ( 94/C 310/18 ) (!) OJ No C 233 , 30 . 8 . 1993 . Subject: Transposition of Community law into national law — initiation of infringement proceedings by the Commission
If a Member State fails to transpose a Community Directive WRITTEN QUESTION E-1503/93 into national law by the stipulated deadline , the by Anthony Simpson ( PPE ) Commission initiates infringement proceedings under to the Commission Article 169 of the Treaty of Rome . Sometimes the Commission initiates these proceedings immediately after (14 June 1993) the deadline for transposition has expired but sometimes ( 94/C 310/19 ) only years later . For example the Commission initiated proceedings against Belgium for failure to transpose Directive 91/157/EEC (*) by 18 September 1992 . However Subject: Duties of the Commission the deadline for the transposition of Directives 90/219/EEC ( 2 ) and 90/220/EEC ( 3 ) was 23 October 1991 . On or about 7 October 1992 a telex signed by the Chef de Despite the fact that Belgium has not yet transposed them, Cabinet of Vice-President Marin was sent to all EC Heads of the Commission has not yet initiated infringement Delegation in the ACP countries . It reads as follows : proceedings . It is therefore unclear what criteria are applied by the Commission for initiating infringement proceedings 'The Political Affairs Committee, meeting in New York under Article 169 for failure to transpose Directives on on 21 September 1992 during the UN General Assembly, time . held a preliminary exchange of views on the problems 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/11
raised by the election to the Security Council of certain The question raised by the Honourable Member relates to members of the Western Group . an internal Commission document .
In this context, the Political Affairs Committee notes the general support given to Spain by the Community and its Members of the Commission act on behalf of the College Member States . within their respective areas of competence . Article 157 of the EC Treaty applies . On the basis of this decision by European Political Cooperation , Vice-President Marin wishes you to make personal representations to the Minister of Foreign Affairs , or, in his absence , to his deputy, with a view to securing his support for the application by the Member State in question .
This should be done as soon as possible . WRITTEN QUESTION E-1597/93 Ignacio Garcia-Valdecases , Chef de Cabinet' by Giuseppe Mottola ( PPE ) to the Commission 1 . Was this letter sent on the authority of the European (18 June 1993) Commission acting as a college ? If not, were the Commissioners officially informed of the letter, and , if ( 94/C 310/20 ) so , when ?
2 . Was it sent at the request of the Foreign Ministers Subject: Crisis in the kiwi fruit sector — Need for a meeting in Political Cooperation ? If not, were they aware of it before it was sent ? Community system of regulation
3 . Was it sent on the personal initiative of Vice-President Over 40 % of Italy's kiwi fruit production is concentrated in Marin ? If so : the country's southern regions ( Campania , Apulia , ( a ) By what authority did he involve himself in matters Basilicata , Calabria, Abruzzi , Molise , and Latium ), where properly the responsibility of the Ministers meeting there are few storage facilities . in Political Cooperation ? ( b ) Did he receive instructions from the Spanish Although growers have done their utmost to improve Government to send the letter ? quality and manage supply through cooperatives and producers ' unions , producer prices have continued to ( c ) How does he reconcile his actions with his duty slump , due largely to unregulated imports from third under Article 157 of the Treaty of Rome to ' be countries , in particular Chile and New Zealand , as well as to completely independent' in the performance of his competition from other Member States whose produce is duties and 'neither to seek nor take instructions being offered for sale at dumping prices . from any Government or from any other body'? ( d ) Does he regard it as part of his duty as a 1 . Will the Commission enforce Community preference by Commissioner to further his own Member State's invoking the protective clause in order to safeguard interests in international fora ? producers' income and maintain income levels ?
2 . Will it implement support measures with the aim both of Answer given by Mr Marin supplementing producers' income and of revitalizing the on behalf of the Commission market by gearing it to high-quality produce ? (20 April 1994) 3 . Does it not believe that irregular, 'soft-option' commercial policy agreements with New Zealand The Commission would remind the Honourable Member should be shunned ? Instead , would it not be more that, in accordance with Article 30(3)(b ) of the Single Act ( in appropriate for the matter as a whole to be reviewed as force at the time of the events in question ), the Commission part of the GATT Uruguay Round negotiations ? was fully associated with the work of European Political Cooperation ( EPC ). 4 . In addition, will the Commission establish a specific system of regulation under the terms of Community The Commission accordingly took part in EPC meetings policies by providing for registered designations of before the entry into force of the Treaty on European Union origin ? Furthermore, will it re-organize the market in and transmitted information and instructions to its tropical fruit in such a way as to eliminate the risks to departments for appropriate action in accordance with its producers and meet the needs of consumers , for example internal procedures in the matter of political by paying the necessary grubbing premiums to those cooperation . who abandon kiwi fruit growing ? No C 310/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
Answer given by Mr Steichen held in Larissa on 13/14 March 1993 , nothing good can be on behalf of the Commission expected . (15 December 1993) Since the environmental and cultural heritage represented by Mount Olympus is one of the celebrated splendours of There is a structural problem in the kiwi fruit sector because Greece, as long as it is kept unspoilt, safeguarding its the constant increase in production has largely exceeded integrity is a matter of the greatest importance . consumption, which has been stagnant for some time . 1 . How does the Commission view the works already Under these conditions, protective measures do not appear carried out in Mount Olympus as regards preservation justified . of the mountain's environment and its status as a historic monument ? The Commission has set quality standards for Community kiwi fruit . The Member States are responsible for ensuring 2 . Is the Commission aware of the building and further that these standards are properly applied . In addition, the 'development' projects, and what does it think of Commission will discuss with its OECD partners the them ? possibility of implementing checks to ensure application of 3 . Is it true that Community money will be invested in the provisions concerning the ripeness of fruit at the time of projects which experts throughout Europe have spoken harvest in exporting countries . Such provisions would be out against on numerous occasions ? intended to support the producers' income . 4 . What guarantees can it give that the environmental The Commission has had contacts with the New Zealand compatibility criteria will be strictly observed in all authorities concerning, in particular, the schedules for projects co-funded by the Community ? imports of kiwi fruit into the Community . Moreover, intra-Community trade grew by 22,6% in 1990—1992 , while trade from outside the Community grew by 6 % only . Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas This trend is explained by the increase in European on behalf of the Commission production from 38 736 tonnes in 1985 to 450 000 tonnes (16 December 1993) in 1992 and the drop in imports from New Zealand ( which fell by 12% in the period 1990—1992 ). In addition, kiwi The Commission has not yet been officially informed of any fruit was among the agricultural products for which the schemes planned in the Mount Olympus area . Should the Community submitted an offer within the framework of the Hellenic authorities apply for funding of any infrastructure Uruguay Round . projects on Mount Olympus, the Commission will take all necessary action to ensure that Community environmental legislation is complied with .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1606/93 WRITTEN QUESTION E-1732/93 by Alexander Langer ( V ) by Gepa Maibaum ( PSE ) to the Commission to the Commission (18 June 1993) (29 lune 1993) ( 94/C 310/21 ) ( 94/C 310/22
Subject: Damage to Mount Olympus ( Greece ) funded by Subject: Community education policy in respect of central the Community and eastern Europe , and, in particular, the Confederation of Independent States ( CIS ) Eminent environmentalists and mountain enthusiasts around the world have on numerous occasions drawn the Restructuring of economic policy requires simultaneous attention of international public opinion to a series of adaptation of the education system to democratic outrages committed against the environmental balance of structures . While central and eastern Europe and several of Mount Olympus ( Greece ), which is held sacred by the whole the Confederation of Independent States ( CIS ) enjoy a high of European civilization . The road which has been opened standard of education, it fails to meet the new economic and — apparently unlawfully — between Kokkinoplo and social requirements . The EC has a major task to fulfil in this Gournes (2 600 m ), allegedly for stock-farmers, appears respect . rather intended to provide an additional opening for tourist 1 . Does the Commission have a planning unit exclusively facilities . The aid for Greece from the Delors II package, concerned with education in central and eastern Europe with Dr 800 million for the so-called 'development' of the and, in particular, the CIS ? resources of Olympus, risks exposing the mountain to an assault similar to the one inflicted on Mount Parnassos . To 2 . Are the Phare and Tacis Programmes sufficient to judge from the ominous statements recently made at the contribute to the development of democratic ' Congress for the development of the resources of Olympus ' educational structures ? 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/13
3 . Does the Commission have any programme which , major involvement in vocational training is envisaged from together with measures under Tempus II, also includes 1994 onwards . measures in respect of vocational training ?
4 . Does the Commission intend to hold briefing sessions Following the European Council's recent decision on the for specialists in education and education policy seat of the European Training Foundation, this new responsible for assisting in the drawing up of future institution will further enhance the Community's support to education legislation ? the development of education and ( vocational ) training in the CEECs and the NIS . 5 . With which members of the CIS has the Commission already commenced cooperation in the education 4 . Staff development for policy and administrative sector ? officials at the national , regional and local levels are key parts of education and training reform programmes 6 . Is the Commission coordinating its education policy supported by Phare and Tacis . Usually such actions include measures concerning the CIS with the Council of Europe study visits to counterparts in the Member States , with a and Unesco ? view to achieving knowledge transfer and establishing lasting cooperation . 7 . Does the Commission know how many of the open universities in the Russian republics are still functioning ? 5 . In the Russian Federation, Ukraine , Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and Moldova , education and training projects are already being implemented . In Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan specific projects will become operational in Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan 1994 . on behalf of the Commission
(28 March 1994) 6 . The Commission seeks good coordination of operational activities in the education and training sectors in the NIS with other major bilateral and multilateral 1 . The Commission has three units concerned with the institutions . In this framework coordination with Council support of education and training reform in the central and of Europe and Unesco is planned . eastern European countries ( CEECs ) and the Newly Independent States ( NIS ) of the former Soviet Union . The Directorate-General for External Economic Relations has a 7 . The Commission is aware that the Russian Federation special unit for education and training reform projects has a long experience in distance education programmes , supported under the Phare Programme and a similar unit for through which millions of students have received training . the Tacis Programme . The Task Force Human Resources , Building on that experience , the Tacis Programme supports Education, Training and Youth includes a unit that is pilot projects using distance education in areas such as the responsible for the implementation of the Tempus functioning of a market economy, privatization , joint Programme . ventures and banking .
2 . The Phare contribution to education and training reform and to sectoral training actions amounts to about ECU 450 million over the years 1990—1993 . The Tacis contribution to education and training reform, including management training, is about ECU 130 million over the period 1991—1993, WRITTEN QUESTION E-1905/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) In this way the Community makes a substantial contribution to the development of effective and democratic to the Commission education and training systems in the beneficiary countries . (15 July 1993) At the same time , it is clear that demand for assistance ( 94/C 310/23 ) exceeds available funds .
3 . Other than Tempus, education and training reform programmes are supported by Phare in Poland , Czech Subject: 'Utilization' of appropriations for technical Republic , Slovak Republic , Flungary, Bulgaria and in the assistance from the Delors I package in the south regional cooperation framework . For the other CEECs , Aegean region education and training reform will be discussed within the programming of Phare assistance in the period Information recently presented to the Greek Parliament 1994—1996 . shows that the way in which the technical assistance appropriations from the Delors I package are being used in In the area of vocational training Tacis has given particular the region of the south Aegean ( prefectures of the Cyclades attention to the low and middle levels of management . A and the Dodecanese ) is , to say the least, provocative . No C 310/14 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
As examples of this, I would mention : In particular, the Conventional Rail Working Group is preparing a Guideline which will be presented in a 1 . Theologians and philologists — i.e. people whose Commission communication in the next few months . Most specialist areas have no connection with the objective of of the links mentioned in the qustion are likely to be the technical support for public investment programmes included in the proposal . — receive remuneration from the funds in question, and Infrastructure projects to be financed in the framework of the Cohesion Fund should be based on the networks 2 . Considerable sums have been received by civil servants referred to above . who have been arbitrarily proclaimed 'self-employed'. Will the Commission investigate the whole affair ? In the meantime initiatives in the field of transport infrastructures are based on Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 1738/93 'For an action programme in the field of Answer given by Mr Millan transport infrastructure with a view to the completion of an on behalf of the Commission integrated transport market ( ! ).' (10 February 1994) This Regulation includes inter alia the possibility of financial support for the strengthening of land communications within and with Greece . For 1993 , the According to the Commission's knowledge the Greek following projects will be financially supported in the authorities dispute the accuracy of this information . They framework of the Regulation : have concluded that no irregularity has been committed , either as regards the qualifications and status of the persons — railway line Palaiofarsalos — Kalambaka : completion of remunerated from the funds in question or as regards the the widening ( ECU 7 million ); level of that remuneration . — Igoumenitsa port railway connection studies ( ECU 2,4 million); — completion of studies for the new double trackline ( normal width Piraeus — Athens — Korinth). WRITTEN QUESTION E-l907/93 t 1 ) OJ No L 161 , 2 . 7 . 1993 . by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) to the Commission (IS July 1993) ( 94/C 310/24 ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1910/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) Subject: Rail transport in Greece to the Commission (15 July 1993) Rail transport in Greece can be strengthened only by ( 94/C 310/25 completing key links in the country such as the following lines : Thessaloniki — Amphipolis — Kavala — Xanthi, Kalambaka — Kozani, Kalambaka — Ioannina — Subject: Participation and rights in general of creative intellectual workers Igoumenitsa and Ioannina — Patras ( with provision for a rail link to Rion — Antirion). Can the Commission give details of the level of participation of creative intellectual workers, represented principally by As most goods are transported by road in Greece, will the their professional organizations, in the formulation of the Commission make any proposals for the early completion of Member States' legislation on intellectual property and these crucial rail links in Greece and thereby strengthen the related rights ? position of rail transport in Greece ? Are there any plans for harmonization of legislation so that creative intellectual workers will enjoy the same rights Answer given by Mr Matutes throughout the Community ? on behalf of the Commission What initiatives have been taken and what progress has been (21 December 1993) made towards putting them into practice ?
In the framework of the realization of trans-European Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi networks , several working groups have been set up under on behalf of the Commission the chairmanship of the Commission and with the participation of experts of governments and railway (9 December 1993) companies to identify the High-Speed train, the Combined Transport and the Conventional Railway networks for the The need to establish the single market in 1992 and the Horizon 2010 . impact of new communications technology have brought 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/15 the question of copyright and neighbouring rights to the which the European representative associations were invited forefront of the Commission's concerns . An initial to explain and compare their views . consultative document, the Green Paper on copyright and the challenge of technology ( x ), enabled a discussion to be ( J ) COM(88 ) 172 final . launched . A Directive on the legal protection of computer ( 2 ) OJ No L 122 , 17 . 5 . 1991 . programs was adopted ( 2 ), with a deadline of 1 January ( 3 ) COM(90 ) 584 final . 1993 for incorporating it into national law . Consultations ( 4 ) OJ No C 138 , 28 . 5 . 1991 . were then held with those concerned , resulting in the ( 5 ) OJ No L 346 , 27 . 11 . 1992 . ( 6 ) OJ No L 248 , 6 . 10 . 1 993 . publication of a work programme entitled ' Follow-up to the ( 7 ) COM(92 ) 602 final . Green Paper' ( 3 ), in which the Commission mapped out the ( 8 ) COM(92 ) 24 final — SYN 393 , 13 . 5 . 1992 . action to be taken by 31 December 1992 . The work programme envisaged that all Member States would accede to certain international conventions and harmonize their national legislation on a number of matters . Of the six proposals made , five were brought to fruition : WRITTEN QUESTION E-2026/93 by Raymonde Dury ( PSE ) 1 . On 14 May 1992 the Council adopted a resolution to the Commission noting that the Member States, in so far as they had not (23 July 1993) already done so , undertook to become party to the Berne and Rome Conventions by 1 January 1995 ( 4 ). ( 94/C 310/26 )
Subject: Unfair competition in chemicals 2 . A proposal for a Directive on rental right and lending right and on certain rights related to copyright in The Commission recently decided to accelerate the opening the field of intellectual property was adopted by up of the Community's market to the countries of central Council Directive 92/100/EEC ( 5 ). The deadline for and eastern Europe . incorporating this Directive into national law is 1 July 1994 . What arrangements have been made for the chemicals sector ?
3 . A Directive on the coordination of certain rules Does the Commission intend to include clauses , on labour concerning copyright and rights related to copyright matters , respect for the environment and health and security applicable to satellite broadcasting and cable measures in the trade agreements covering this sector ? re-transmission was adopted by Council Directive 93/83/EEC ( 6 ). The deadline for incorporating this What safeguards and correcting mechanisms will the Directive into national law is 1 January 1995 . Commission introduce to defend Community trade against social and economic dumping by the countries of central and eastern Europe ? 4 . A common position was adopted on 22 July 1 993 on the proposal for a Directive harmonizing the term of protection of copyright and certain related rights ( 7 ). WRITTEN QUESTION E-2028/93 by Raymonde Dury ( PSE ) to the Commission 5 . A proposal for a Directive on the legal protection of databases is currently under discussion within the (23 July 1993) Council ( 8 ). ( 94/C 310/27 )
Subject: Unfair competition in steel The sixth proposal concerns private copying . At the end of last year the Commission decided that this matter required The Commission recently decided to accelerate the opening closer examination . Consultations have taken place with up of the Community's markets to the countries of central those concerned , and a specific discussion document has and eastern Europe . been distributed by the Commission . It is reported that specific measures have been taken regarding steel . What are they ?
On all the aspects mentioned , the Commission has sounded Does the Commission intend to include clauses on labour out the views of all those concerned . Hearings were matters in the trade agreements covering this sector ? organized on most points and took place in two stages : firstly , a questionnaire was sent out to those representing the What safeguards and correcting mechanisms will the interests concerned and , secondly, hearings took place at Commission introduce to defend Community trade against No C 310/16 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94 social and economic dumping by the countries of central Europe and Interim Agreements with the countries of and eastern Europe ? central Europe ( Poland, Hungary, Czech and Slovak Republics , Romania and Bulgaria ) and on the specific questions concerning the chemical product imports from these countries , the Commission refers to its reply to oral WRITTEN QUESTION E-2029/93 question H-0714 on these same subjects from the by Raymonde Dury ( PSE ) Honourable Member . to the Commission (23 July 1993) 2 . On steel products the conclusions of the Presidency of ( 94/C 310/28 ) the June 1993 European Council in Copenhagen state that :
Subject: Unfair competition in textiles ' Customs duties on imports applicable in the Community on ECSC steel products originating in The Commission recently decided to accelerate the opening associated countries will be abolished at the latest at the up of the Community's markets to the countries of central end of the fourth year after the entry into force of the and eastern Europe . , Agreement ( instead of the end of the fifth year), subject to compliance with specific decisions relating to trade in It is reported that specific measures have been taken steel products.' regarding textiles . What are they ? The protocol on trade in ECSC products , attached to the Does the Commission intend to include clauses on labour Europe and Interim Agreements with the central European matters in the trade agreements covering this sector ? Countries provides for specific measures concerning competition in respect of agreements between undertakings ; What safeguards and correcting mechanisms will the abuse of dominant position and public aid in this sector . The Commission introduce to defend Community trade against Europe and Interim Agreements with Romania and Bulgaria social and economic dumping by the countries of central provide in addition specific safeguard measures on trade in and eastern Europe ? ECSC steel products ( Article 5 of Protocol 2 ). It may be remembered that in August 1992 the Commission decided on a number of safeguard measures in respect of imports WRITTEN QUESTION E-2030/93 into three Member States of a number of steel products from the former Czech and Slovak Federal Republic . Following by Raymonde Dury ( PSE ) negotiations in 1993 with the Czech and Slovak Republics to the Commission the EC-CSFR Joint Committee decided on tariff quotas for (23 July 1993) imports into the Community of the most sensitive products for the period 1993 to 1995 , subject to annual review ( ] ). In ( 94/C 310/29 ) case of dumping, the general anti-dumping provisions apply . A number of anti-dumping measures are presently in Subject: Access for the countries of central and eastern force in respect of steel products from several central Europe to the Communityls markets European countries .
The Commission recently decided to accelerate the opening 3 . On textile products the conclusions of the Presidency up of the Community's markets to the countries of central of the June 1993 European Council in Copenhagen state and eastern Europe and to do in two years what the that : agreements had planned to be done over four years . 'The exemption from customs duties as from the What safeguards and correcting mechanisms will the beginning of 1994 for products concerned by outward Commission introduce as part of its commercial policy to processing operations and covered by Regulation ( EEC ) counter social and economic dumping by the countries of No 636/82 will be extended in conformity with this central and eastern Europe ( cf. road haulage and inland Regulation, duly modified for this purpose . Customs waterway transport)? duties on imports into the Community of textile products will be reduced in order to arrive at their elimination at the end of a period of five years starting from the entry into force of the Agreement ( instead of six Joint answer to Written Questions E-2026/93 , E-2028/93 , E-2029/93 and E-2030/93 years).' given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission The additional protocol on trade in textiles provides for (22 December 1993) quantitative restrictions for a period of five years starting on 1 January 1993 ( Council Decision 92/625/EEC ( 2 )). Furthermore it provides for specific measures in respect of 1 . On the general trade defense mechanisms, application those textiles which are no longer subject to quantitative of competition rules and approximation of legislation in the limits allowing the imposition of a surveillance system and 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/17 possibly the temporary re-introduction of appropriate Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi quantitative limits . on behalf of the Commission (10 December 1993) 4 . As stated in its reply to oral question H-714/93 , the Commission is convinced that improved market access is crucial for the success of the difficult transition process in central Europe . The Commission is equally determined to The Commission would point out that the Court, in its take action in cases of unfair competition . At present judgment of 30 May 1989 (*), held that national legislation anti-dumping measures are in force in respect of 12 products which makes the exercise of the right to purchase or use involving each time one or more countries from central immovable property by nationals of other Member States Europe . More cases are under investigation . subject to restrictions not imposed on nationals is a hindrance to the exercise of freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services , contrary to Articles 52 and It is worth noting that, in spite of asymmetry in the timing of 59 of the Treaty . trade concessions , Community exports to the central European countries ( Poland , Hungary, Czech and Slovak Republics , Romania , Bulgaria ) have grown faster than According to the information available to the Commission , Community imports from these countries , resulting in a Greece is complying with the principle of trade surplus in favour of the Community of ECU 2,5 billion non-discrimination and its obligations under the Treaty by in 1992 . granting the same entitlements to Community non-nationals as to its own nationals with regard to the purchase of land and businesses in order to facilitate (») OJ No L 157, 29 . 6 . 1993 . investments in Greek territory ( Laws 1892/90, 1898/90 and ( 2 ) OJ No L 410 , 31 . 12 . 1992 . 1914/90 ). No provision in Community law stipulates for different treatment of Community citizens originally from third countries .
Moreover, where the national law of a Member State allows its nationals to possess double nationality, it is the nationality of a Member State which takes precedence for WRITTEN QUESTION E-2067/93 the purposes of Community law ( 2 ). by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) to the Commission (') Case 305/87 . (23 July 1993) ( 2 ) Judgment of 7 July 1992 , Case C-369/90 Micheletti . ( 94/C 310/30 )
Subject: Turkish purchases of land and businesses in Thrace through Germany
The newspaper , 'Pondiki', reported on 27 May 1993 that WRITTEN QUESTION E-2076/93 Turkish businessmen who have acquired German nationality and are thus European Community citizens are by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) buying land and businesses in Thrace and accumulating to the Commission capital for investments in Xanthi and Komotini . (23 July 1993) ( 94/C 310/31 ) To what extent are citizens from third countries which threaten the national independence of a Member State, in this particular case Turkey in relation to Greece ( occupied Cyprus , systematic and daily violations of territorial waters Subject: Exclusion of Greece from food-aid tenders and air space ), entitled to buy land and businesses without constraint ? Can the Commission confirm reports that the Community has accused Greece and Albania of illicitly trading 5 500 Does the Commission intend to impose restrictions , tonnes of flour and of black-market dealings with the particularly in view of the problems of having borders with Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina and that for this reason regions which have expansionist designs , and how can the Greece has been excluded for the time being from food-aid sovereign rights of citizens of the Member States be tenders ? If the Commission can confirm this , when does it protected against the free movement of capital from third expect to complete its investigations to clear the matter countries ? up ? No C 310/18 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
Answer given by Mr Marin policies in relation to urban transport and urban on behalf of the Commission environment . (17 December 1993) (!) COM(92 ) 494 final .
The Commission is unaware of any accusation against Greece and Albania concerning 5 500 tonnes of flour smuggled to the Muslims in Bosnia . WRITTEN QUESTION E-2147/93 The Commission would point out that at no time have by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) Greek suppliers been excluded from Community food aid to the Commission tenders organized by the Commission, for either the reason stated or any other reason . (26 July 1993) ( 94/C 310/33 )
Subject: Discovery in a cargo of Egyptian potatoes of bacteria posing a deadly threat to agricultural production WRITTEN QUESTION E-2125/93 by Anita Pollack ( PSE ) Bacteria posing a deadly threat to agricultural production, Pseudomonas Solanacearum, were discovered at the to the Commission beginning of May in a shipment of Egyptian potatoes which (26 July 1993) arrived on board the vessel Lady Nora at the port of Kyllini ( 94/C 310/32 ) in Ilia . Given that more than 6 000 tonnes of Egyptian potatoes have recently been sold on the Greek market, will the Commission say whether the Greek authorities have notified the Community of this incident ? Subject: Urban environment green paper
What steps has the Commission taken to follow up the recommendations in the Pollack report on the urban Answer given by Mr Steichen environment green paper ( 1991 ) that cycling should form a on behalf of the Commission major plank of EC policy for urban areas in recognition of (16 December 1993) its environmental benefits ?
1 . Council Directive 77/93/EEC ( ] ) on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against Answer given by Mr Matutes their spread within the Community, as last amended by on behalf of the Commission Council Directive 93/19/EEC ( 2 ), requires , at Article 15.1 (12 January 1994) that each Member State shall immediately notify the Commission and the other Member States of the appearance , in part of its territory in which their presence In its White Paper on the Future of the Common Transport was previously unknown, of any of the harmful organisms Policy, published in December 1992 the Commission listed in the Directive . established the priorities for the common transport policy for the coming years . 2 . In accordance with this specific requirement, the Commission received two notifications from the Greek Plant Protection Service ( also addressed to Member States ) One of these priorities is the encouragement and promotion during the last past importing season : of safe public transport and support for local initiatives in favour of cyclists and pedestrians . — the first notification from Greece was received by the Commission on 6 May 1993 , informing it that The Commission is well aware of the positive role which can Pseudomonas solanacearum infection had been found in be played by increased use of bicycles, and works closely ware potatoes imported by Greece from Egypt, and that together with the European Cyclists Federation . the infected consignment had been returned ( i.e. rejected Commission officials attended the Velo-City Conference in — not landed ). Nottingham UK, in September of this year . — the second notification from Greece, on the same subject, was received by the Commission on 24 May Within the limits of the subsidiarity principle , the 1993 , in this instance with added detail that the infected Commission will continue to take cycling into account in its consignment was of 150 tonnes , and had been 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/19
transported to Greece from Egypt in the ship , MV. The Commission would point out that some of the 'Marina'. This consignment, too , was returned . Directive's provisions are of direct application, allowing economic operators to benefit by them . 3 . As a consequence of these notifications of interception , and similar notifications from certain other Member States, the Commission has written to the Egyptian authorities, bringing this situation to their attention, and seeking an official response .
I 1 ) OJ No L 26 , 31 . 1 . 1977 . WRITTEN QUESTION E-2214/93 ( 2 ) OJ No L 96 , 22 . 4 . 1993 . by Anthony Wilson ( PSE ) to the Commission (29 July 1993) ( 94/C 310/35 ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2177/93 by José Valverde Lopez ( PPE ) Subject: The Cecap project in the Philippines to the Commission (28 July 1993) It has come to my attention that the indigenous people of the ( 94/C 310/34 Cordillera in the Philippines complain of the negative consequences on their lives of an agricultural programme called Cecap , which is financed by the EC . Subject: Reasons invoked by Spain for failing to implement the Directive on telecommunications terminal equipment Could the Commission provide me with a copy of all final yearly reports produced by the project's management since What is the Commission's position concerning Spain's the project was started ? failure — affecting the areas of telecommunications , the information industry and technological innovation — to implement Directive 91/263/EEC C ) on telecommunications terminal equipment ? Answer given by Mr Marin on behalf of the Commission (M OJ No L 128 , 23 . 5 . 1991 , p . 1 . (3 December 1993)
Answer given by Mr Bangemann The Cecap project was prepared in 1986/87, at the request on behalf of the Commission of the Philippines Government, to help improve living (20 December 1993) conditions of some of the poorest communities in the Central Cordillera . Taking account of the complex social conditions in the area , and the importance of safe-guarding The Commission considers it most important that Member local community traditions , the project was intentionally States implement Directives within the given deadlines . designed as a micro-projects programme , emphasising full consultation with the local communities on the Spain has indeed failed to take all the measures laid down in identification and preparation of micro-projects and their the Directive on the mutual recognition of the conformity of full participation in the implementation of them . telecommunications terminal equipment ( 91/263/EEC ) and to provide a satisfactory explanation for the delay . The infringement proceedings instituted by the Commission for It is true that at the time the period was being finalized ( in failure to communicate the national implementing measures 1987 ) the Commission received indications that certain were closed following the communication by the Spanish NGOs in the project area felt that there had been insufficient Government in March 1993 , within the framework of this consultation with the local communities . To correct this , Directive , of Law No 32/93 . Commission staff visited the project area in September 1987, and took part in a series of formal and informal In June 1993 the Spanish Government also notified the consultation meetings with local communities and NGOs . It Commission of the body designated to carry out product was emphasized that the full consultation which was control and certification , thereby allowing the procedures envisaged , at the grass-roots level and in relation to each and laid down in the Directive to be implemented and every micro-project, could only genuinely be carried out establishing the necessary framework for mutual once the project was in place . recognition of the conformity of terminal equipment, which is the aim of the Directive . Since it began its operations in 1988 the project has been particularly successful in ensuring that the local The Commission is now examining the conformity of Law communities , village and farmers' associations take part in No 32/93 with the Directive . project identification, preparation and implementation . No No C 310/20 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94 micro-project can start without the agreement of the Does the Commission consider that the relevant budget community which it will serve . The latter indeed plays an heading should be adjusted to meet the increasing needs ? active part in micro-project identification, implementation and evaluation .
The Commission had not heard directly of any particular Answer given by Mr Marin concern expressed by local communities regarding the on behalf of the Commission project other than the initial misunderstanding in 1987 . The Commission's Delegation in Manila is ready to meet the (10 February 1994) local NGOs and community groupings to discuss the Cecap project further . Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA live in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan , the West Bank and the Gaza Strip . Since 1967 their number has only increased through demographic growth and has now reached 2,7 million refugees . WRITTEN QUESTION E-2246/93 by Pol Marck ( PPE ) The European Community has been providing assistance to to the Commission Palestinian refugees since 1972 ( see figures below), in the framework of its three year conventions with this Agency (30 July 1993) the Community has responded to the demographic increase ( 94/C 310/36 ) in ways that have always been agreed with UNRWA .
Subject: UNWRA budgetary situation The Commission is now in the process of negotiating the eighth convention which will cover the period 1993—1995 . The constantly growing stream of refugees into the occupied It is expected that the new convention will significantly Palestinian territories is leading to constantly increasing boost the Community contribution to UNRWA's regular expenditure by UNWRA . and expanded programmes .
UNRWA
EC contribution to UNRWA (in million ECU)
Exceptional and Total emergency Develop ment aid Grand Year Education Health Food aid registered Sub-total Non Occupied total programmes Occupied Territories Territories Occupied Territories
1971 0,2 0,2 0,20 0,20
1972 — — 2,1 2,1 — — 2,10 — 2,10
1973 — — 5,6 5,6 — — 5,60 — 5,60
1974 7,5 — 12,7 20,2 — — 20,20 — 20,20
1975 — — 11,1 11,1 — — 11,10 — 11,10
1976 — — 12,8 12,8 — — 12,80 — 12,80
1977 — — 14,5 14,5 — — 14,50 — 14,50
1978 - — — 14,1 14,1 — — 14,10 — 14,10
1979 — — 14,0 14,0 — — 14,00 — 14,00
1980 — — 15,4 15,4 — — 15,40 — 15,40
1981 — — 22,6 22,6 — — 22,60 — 22,60
1982 16,0 — 9,9 25,9 — — 25,90 — 25,90
1983 15,1 — 11,4 26,5 — — 26,50 — 26,50
1984 15,0 — 13,0 28,0 — — 28,00 — 28,00
1985 17,0 — 13,7 30,7 — 0,25 30,95 0,04 30,99
1986 17,0 — 14,5 31,5 — — 31,50 — 31,50
1987 20,0 — 15,1 35,1 0,20 1,45 36,75 0,85 37,60
1988 20,0 — 18,3 38,3 0,19 — 38,49 0,17 38,66
1989 20,0 — 19,2 39,2 0,29 — 39,49 — 39,49 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/21
Exceptional and Total emergency Develop ment aid Grand Year Education Health Food aid registered Sub-total Non Occupied total Occupied programmes Territories Territories Occupied Territories
1990 21,0 1,0 18,7 40,7 0,53 41,23 1,39 42,62 1991 22,0 2,0 20,2 44,2 12,66 1,14 58,00 12,00 70,00
1992 23,0 3,0 19,1 45,1 1,13 0,32 46,55 — 46,55
Total 213,6 6,0 298,2 517,8 14,47 3,69 535,96 14,45 550,41
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2256/93 cooperatives and unions to defend the product , ensure by Giuseppe Mottola ( PPE ) its survival, and enhance its reputation as a typical regional speciality ? to the Commission (1 September 1993) 3 . Does the Commission not believe that in the light of the new Structural Fund and CAP guidelines , it should grant ( 94/C 310/37 ) preferential contributions and loans to defence unions to enable them to carry on the business of making and marketing typical products ? Subject: Registered designation of origin for buffalo milk mozzarella cheese produced in Campania Answer given by Mr Steichen Since 1988 a group of entrepreneurs , buffalo farmers , and on behalf of the Commission processors , supported by certain public bodies ( chambers of (2 December 1993) commerce, provincial authorities, and development agencies ) have been calling on the appropriate regional and Regulation ( EEC ) No 2081/92 ('), which entered into force national bodies to grant a registered designation of origin to on 26 July 1993 , establishes a Community system of buffalo milk mozzarella cheese produced in Campania protection based on the registration of geographical ('mozzarella di bufala campana'). indications and designations of origin of agricultural products and foodstuffs . This system replaces the national The manufacture of this product is a sizeable branch of systems . However, Article 5 stipulates that : production and important in economic and employment — applications for registration by groups of producers terms . There are over 400 farms in Campania with and/or manufacturers must be sent to the Member State approximately 50 000 working buffaloes, as well as some in which the geographical area concerned is located ; 500 processing companies . A work-force of about 2000 is employed in farming, processing, marketing , and — the Member State is responsible for checking that an distribution, and the produce is worth over Lit 250 application is justified within the meaning of Articles 2 billion . and 4 of the Regulation . If the Member State considers that an application is The move to obtain a registered designation of origin justified , it forwards it to the Commission , which carries out accords with Community rules on the typical character , the formal examination . If the Commission concludes that a distinctive nature , and labelling of high-quality produce . designation transmitted to it by a Member State does not meet the conditions for protection, it decides by regulatory 1 The Ministry of Agriculture has given its approval , but the committee procedure ( where all the Member States are Ministry for Industry is refusing permission , even though represented ) not to carry out the publication provided for in the production regulations were endorsed some time ago . Article 6(2 ) of the Regulation . The Commission cannot know of registration applications which have not been 1 . Could the Commission ask the Italian Minister for transmitted to it by a Member State . The procedure Industry and Commerce to explain the reasons provided for in the Regulation shows that in adopting this preventing a registered designation of origin being legislation the Community took into account the granted to buffalo milk mozzarella cheese produced in requirements of the principle of subsidiarity . Campania ? The Council Regulation does not provide for aid for groups 2 . Does the Commission not believe that it should conduct engaged in managing and marketing traditional products , an investigation, given that the refusal to date to grant a although this possibility was provided for in the registered designation of origin appears to stem from a Commission's original proposal . bias towards the large agri-foodstuffs companies to the detriment of small- and medium-scale farmers and (!) OJ No L 208 , 24 . 7 . 1992 . producers of buffalo milk mozzarella who have formed No C 310/22 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2284/93 equivalence between packaging systems , packaging by Nel van Dijk ( V ) materials and packaging waste management alternatives , which is basic both under internal market and to the Commission environmental considerations . The approach does not (1 September 1993) intend to discriminate or ban any specific material but to 94/C 310/38 assure an environmentally sound management of packaging .
Subject: Restrictions on imports of jute The amended proposal ( 2 ) incorporates amendments which take into account the particularities of some materials . In As the Commission is aware, in Bangladesh alone 25 million particular, composting is included in the definition of people depend on the production of jute which accounts for recycling ( Article 3 ) and biodegradable packaging in the 35 % of that country's total annual exports . requirements specific to the recoverable nature of packaging ( Annex II ). How does the Commission intend to prevent the provisions of the European packaging Directive and national It is stated in the explanatory memorandum of the amended legislation on waste management from having a detrimental proposal that effect on sales of jute as a packaging material ( which is supported by export promotion programmes financed by 'amendments relating to third countries have been the Community budget)? considered as unnecessary as the Directive applies to all packaging placed on the market in the Community and Does the Commission not agree that practical application of any specific problems should be solved at GATT the legislation referred to above is inconsistent with the level'. objectives of the international jute agreement to which the EC is a party ? The Community is committed to establishing common rules , in compliance with its international commitments, in particular under GATT .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2285/93 Article 7 on essential requirements states that Member by Nel van Dijk ( V ) States shall take appropriate measures to ensure that to the Commission packaging may be placed on the market only if it complies (1 September 1993) with essential requirements set out in Annex II . ( 94/C 3 10/39 These elements are included in the text corresponding to the political agreement on a common position which was Subject: Jute used in packaging reached in the Environment Council on 15 December 1993 . Can the Commission state why it has so far failed to make clear that it can never be the intention to keep off the market In particular, it is no longer necessary that packaging is natural packaging materials, such as jute, which cause no 100% bio-degradable to be considered bio-degradable . damage to the environment whatsoever but which do not fit within the classificatory system of the Commission's proposed packaging Directive ? The only specific provision in the Directive is now in a new Article 7b and relates to limits to heavy metal contents which do not affect jute . In relation to the other What steps will the Commission take to make good this requirements an amendment has been included under which omission, given that a number of least developed countries , the percentage for material re-cycling may vary depending Bangladesh in particular, are heavily dependent on the on the type of material . Compliance with Annex II is product in question ? presumed in case of conformity with the relevant harmonized standards or national standards . A communication and revision procedure is set up .
Joint answer to Written Questions E-2284/93 and E-2285/93 Accordingly, at the moment there is no enforceable standard given by Mr Paleokrassas in direct relation with jute . Any such standard , in the on behalf of the Commission framework of Annex II, would be established in the future (23 March 1994) taking into account all relevant elements and in particular the International Agreement on Jute .
The proposal for a Council Directive on packaging and It is to be noted , for example , that the requirement on packaging waste ( x ) is based on the principle of conditional minimization of volume and weight of packaging is to be 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/23
developed with standards for the appropriate cases and this German authorities , since Community legislation on the is on a non-discriminatory basis between materials . right of residence only applies for complete foreigners , whether individual or families residing in Germany . A It is clear that any standard , either national or harmonized , foreigner who has been married to a German national for which would discriminate unfairly against jute is not to be three years may apply for German nationality . accepted by the Commission . In this respect the information provided on the importance for a number of developing If a Filipino woman married to a German national wishes to countries , such as Bangladesh , of jute's production is to travel within the EC , she is accordingly required to apply for constitute a valid reference , in that the standards which a visa for each country in which she wishes to travel . might be eventually developed on jute should not constitute an unfair barrier to trade, account taken of the technical and Does the Commission consider that foreigners living in economic capacities of the jute producing countries . Germany and marrying foreigners should receive more favourable treatment than foreigners marrying German Concerning the targets on recovery and re-cycling nationals ? established in Article 4 , the present text establishes a global ( all material together ) recovery target range of 50 % to 65 % What steps does the Commission intend to take to remedy and a global re-cycling target range of 25 % to 45 % . At the this major injustice ? same time specific materials should re-cycle a minimum 15 % . There is no specific mention of jute and interpretation remains open here . 15 % recycling is nevertheless considered feasible . Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi on behalf of the Commission The contribution of jute to the global target ranges may vary (22 March 1994) from one Member State to another . It is very early to predict the potential negative consequences in respect to jute packaging materials but these should not be very serious . The Commission is unaware of any practice on the part of Jute has a re-cycling and recovery potential which is to be the German authorities whereby EC residence permits are increased gradually and it is expected that a spirit of mutual issued to non-Community nationals who are members of cooperation between Member States and jute producing the families of Community nationals exercising their right to countries will avoid inappropriate burdens on this basic freedom of movement . Under Community law, where a material . member of a family is not a national of a Member State , he or she is issued with a residence permit having the same In relation to specific national provisions, they have to terms of validity as that issued to the family member of comply with the EC Treaty and the international agreements whom he or she is a dependant . However, such a permit, to which the Community has subscribed . In the future as which is not marked 'Residence permit of a national of an well , they are to be compatible with the packaging EC Member State', does not entitle its holder to travel freely Directive . within the Community . As Community law stands at present, Member States may require family members who are not nationals of a Member State to apply for a visa , but (') COM(92 ) 278 final . ( 2 ) COMÍ93 ) 416 final . they must afford Such persons every opportunity to obtain the visas they need and they must issue them free of charge .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2316/93 by Hedwig Keppelhoff-Wiechert ( PPE ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2366/93 to the Commission by Virginio Bettini ( V ) ( 1 September 1993) to the Commission ( 94/C 310/40 (1 September 1993) ( 94/C 310/41 Subject: EC residence permit Subject: Construction of a service centre in San Feliciano di Filipino women married to British and Dutch nationals Magione ( Umbria Region — Italy ): infringement employed in Germany are issued by the German authorities of the IMP criteria laid down by Umbria with an EC residence permit entitling them to travel within Region the EC without a visa . The Commune of Magione and Umbria Region are planning On the other hand , a Filipino woman married to a German to build a service centre near San Feliciano , close to the national is not issued with an EC residence permit by the shores of Lake Trasimeno . No C 310/24 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
The centre comprises a discotheque, a games room with WRITTEN QUESTION E-2367/93 video and computer games, a fast-food restaurant, five by Bruno Boissière ( V ) water chutes, and a shopping centre . to the Commission (1 September 1993) The proposed construction site is classed for regional ( 94/C 310/42 ) planning purposes as being of special nature and environmental interest . It was previously subject to restrictions on the grounds of natural beauty within the Subject: Destruction of a natural area ( Nice ) meaning of the 1939 Law No 1497 and now falls within the Trasimeno-Pausillo Regional Park . Few French cities are fortunate enough to have a major river on their doorstep . Nice has one : the Var . The project is to be financed by the Structural Funds but is totally contrary to the IMP criteria laid down by Umbria Region ( Decision No 4776 , adopted by Umbria Regional The course of the Var , particularly between the Napoleon III Council on 15 June 1988 ). That Decision stipulates that Bridge and the sea ( the Var estuary ) is a Camargue in miniature . Moreover, at the end of 1992 this area was operations carried out in areas of outstanding scenic beauty and environmental interest must respect the existing recognized as an 'area of Community importance for birds'. situation, preserving the original characteristics in The river constitutes a wetland area unique in the region and accordance with the environmental legislation in force . exceptionally rich in fauna ( 245 species of birds nest along its banks ) and flora . Moreover, priority must be given to renovating especially fine disused farm buildings ( there are two complexes on the site , one dating back to the Middle Ages and the other, to the The Architecture, Town Planning and Environment Council Renaissance, which with some clever restoration could has just put forward a proposal for converting the area accommodate the main facilities provided in a service along the river banks into a city park . centre ). Can the Commission say : What steps will the Commission take to prevent the Structural Funds being used in a manner contrary to whether this project is, in its view, compatible with the Community and national rules ? environmental protection policies it seeks to pursue ,
Does it not believe that it should take immediate action to and what measures and action it intends to take to persuade the local authorities to take measures to protect the banks of block the project, given that an alternative could be the Var near Nice ? found ?
Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas on behalf of the Commission Answer given by Mr Millan on behalf of the Commission (8 December 1993) (14 December 1993) The lower valley of the Var is an area of major importance for the conservation of wild birds in the Community, and is The Programmes and projects financed by the Structural listed as such, under the reference PAC 25 , in the inventory Funds must comply with all relevant Community and forwarded by the French Environment Ministry . It is also national provisions . home to two habitat types listed in Annex I to Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (*). As regards the project referred to , the regional authorities have informed the Commission that it complies with The Commission takes the view that important natural regional planning requirements for the area and could habitats and habitats of protected species should be contribute to the development of tourism on the shores of preserved and action taken to prevent their deterioration . It lake Trasimeno . The management committee for the will therefore request further information from the Umbria IMP has however decided not to finance the project competent authorities in order to assess whether these which could not be completed within the required time limit requirements are being met in this instance . because of a dispute on which the Italian courts have to give a ruling . H OJ No L 206 , 22 . 7 . 1992 . 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/25
WRITTEN QUESTION E-24 16/93 of employment in industry and in biotechnology and for by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) journalists specialized in these matters . to the Commission (1 September 1993) The Commission has plans for action of an even more highly developed nature based on eco-audits, training projects in ( 94/C 310/43 ) the field'of impact studies and the preparation of training materials intended in particular for small businesses and trades unions which have expressed a need for it .
Subject: Vocational training of workers on environmental issues The vocational training priorities with regard to the environment are also included in the Regulation establishing a financial instrument for the environment ( LIFE ) for 1994 and 1995 ( 3 ). Having regard to the self-sustaining development strategy defined in the Maastricht Treaty, the Fifth Policy and Action Programme on the Environment and document COM(88 ) (!) OJ No C 177, 6 . 7 . 1988 . 202 i 1 ) on vocational training in environmental issues, and ( 2 ) EC Study Guide for Environment Related Courses — OPOCE in view of the fact that many Community Directives on the — L-2985 Luxembourg . environment, health and safety have a direct bearing on ( 3 ) OJ No L 206 , 22 . 7 . 1992 . production methods , industrial procedures and working conditions , can the Commission take a Community initiative to promote vocational training programmes on environmental issues for workers , particularly in companies which could cause environmental disasters by their very nature ? WRITTEN QUESTION E-2467/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) (M OJ No C 197, 27 . 7 . 1988 , p . 13 . to the Commission (1 September 1993) ( 94/C 310/44 )
Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas on behalf of the Commission Subject: Designation of special protection areas in Greece in accordance with Directive 79/409/EEC on the (3 December 1993) conservation of wild birds
Has Greece complied with its obligation under Article 4 of Directive 79/409/EEC (*) on the conservation of wild birds The Commission ensures the progressive implementation of duly to designate special protection areas ? vocational training on environmental issues through its initiatives and the programmes it supports . t 1 ) OJ No L 103 , 25 . 4 . 1979 , p . 1 .
Priority objectives in this area have been laid down in Council resolution 88/C177/03 (*). In addition to the training of education specialists which it promotes and Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas supports at all levels , the Commission has helped to draft a on behalf of the Commission Community guide to environment-related courses in higher (9 December 1993) education proposed for future specialists in a broad range of different areas ( 2 ).
So far Greece has designated 26 special protection areas The Commission also develops , encourages and provides for covering 1,5% of its national territory . a number of environmental initiatives and actions in the implementation of the Fifth Programme . The Commission is pursuing its efforts to ensure that sufficient areas are designated and Greece observes generally the obligations facing it as a result of Directive In conjunction with various international bodies , it is 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds . organizing training courses and seminars for a very wide range of specialists, in particular health professionals , specialists in the civil protection services , and various sectors No C 310/26 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2475/93 WRITTEN QUESTION E-2478/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) by Tom Spencer ( PPE ) to the Commission to the Commission (1 September 1993) (1 September 1993) ( 94/C 310/45 ) ( 94/C 310/47 )
Subject: Payment of goods and services supplied under the Subject: Conditions for recognizing organizations of EDF producers of fisheries products
Is the Commission aware of the long delays in effecting Does the Commission intend to take any steps to amend the payments on goods and services rendered under the EDF conditions for recognizing organizations of producers of and the severe consequences this has on the suppliers of such fisheries products in line with the demands of fishermen's goods and services, particularly where these are small and organizations, particularly those in Greece ? medium-sized undertakings ?
What instructions , if any, do Commission delegations in the beneficiary developing countries have to facilitate the rapid settlement of these amounts ? Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas on behalf of the Commission (13 December 1993) Joint answer to Written Questions E-767/93 and E-2478/93 In the course of the next few months the Commission given by Mr Marin intends to amend Commission Regulation ( EEC ) on behalf of the Commission No 2062/80 on the conditions and procedure for granting or (17 December 1993) withdrawing recognition of producers ' organizations and associations thereof in the fishing industry so as to make it easier to apply in all parts of the Community . Delegates , ACP governments and contractors have received clear instructions on the procedures to follow .
The Commission would like to point out to the Honourable Member that the rules governing the time limits for EDF payments are set out in Article 319(6 ) of the Fourth Lome Convention , which also specifies for the first time the period within which the national authorizing officer must WRITTEN QUESTION E-767/93 authorize payments and notify the Commission delegate by Tom Spencer ( PPE ) thereof. to the Commissicfn (15 April 1993) Whenever the need arises , the delegate is asked to take up ( 94/C 310/46 ) cases of overdue payments with the local authorities . Should they fail to act, the chief authorizing officer may take appropriate steps to resolve problems caused by delays in the authorization of payment . Subject: Payment of foods and services supplied under the EDF In the post-Fiji study by an independent consultant on the application of the Lome Convention's procedures, the causes of delays in payment were analyzed . Since late 1991 a Is the Commission aware of the long delays in effecting number of adjustments have been made to remedy the payments on goods and services rendered under the EDF problem . These measures have streamlined financial and the severe consequences this has on the suppliers of such procedures considerably. goods and services , particularly where these are small and medium-sized undertakings ? The Commission is aware of the serious consequences for businesses of delays in payment and is planning preventive What instructions , if any, do Commission delegations in the action to improve payment channels. Procedures will be beneficiary developing countries have to facilitate the rapid simplified e.g. to reduce the number of payments on small settlement of these amounts ? supply contracts . Rationalization of procedures also saves 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/27 time for the departments concerned , so increasing their In the case of ACP bananas, the traditional quantities were effectiveness . fixed in an Annex to the rules on the basis of the highest past imports of each ACP State concerned , taking account of the Lome Convention . The introduction of computer systems linking delegations to headquarters, administrative reorganization and staff training will lead to more rigorous on-the-spot monitoring These arrangements are therefore intended not to reduce of operations and speed up the handling of payments at access of bananas to the Community market but to provide headquarters and in the field . These measures are part of an for harmonious supply from the Community's three action programme that, when completed , will reduce the traditional sources , namely Community output, imports time taken for payments at headquarters level . from the ACP States and imports from the countries of the dollar zone .
The Commission and the ACP Secretariat are also considering other ways of speeding up procedures in the light of post-Fiji study .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2504/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) to the Commission WRITTEN QUESTION E-2494/93 (1 September 1993) by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) ( 94/C 310/49 to the Commission (1 September 1993) ( 94/C 310/48 ) Subject: Discovery and preservation of fossilized trees over 15 million years old in northern Evvia
Subject: The banana trade Fossilized trees over 15 million years old have been discovered in northern Evvia between Kerasia , Agia Anna and Pappades . However, complaints have been made by the International trade in bananas has run into difficulties mayors concerned that, to date, no interest has been shown because of the GATT decision to review import by central government in systematic operations to uncover arrangements in the Single European Market . Latin these outstanding examples of fossilized material , most of American banana exporters claim that the new EEC bans which are still buried beneath more recent deposits , in their will result in disastrous losses to their countries' economies , entirety . estimated at 1 billion dollars a year . Caribbean and West African exporters have reacted similarly . What position does the European Community intend to adopt on this What is worse, fossils in other countries which are rare and issue ? hard to find are in increasing danger of man-made disasters ( the fossilized trunks are used for the terracing of fields by some farmers in the area ) and natural disasters ( fires , erosion , etc.). Answer given by Mr Steichen on behalf of the Commission In view of this, will the Commission support moves to (6 December 1993) uncover and preserve these fossilized trees for scientific purposes and for the tourist development of this area , which is suffering greatly from unemployment ? The new rules introducing a common organization of the market in bananas was set up in the light of the single market . Answer given by Mr Delors on behalf of the Commission Under these rules, imports of bananas from the dollar zone and non-traditional imports from the ACP States are subject (22 December 1993) to a tariff quota of 2 000 000 tonnes with a duty of ECU 100/tonne for dollar bananas and zero duty for non-traditional ACP bananas , with the possibility of The Honourable Member's question does not fall within the importing outside the quota subject to a duty of ECU Commission's powers . 850/tonne for dollar bananas and ECU 750/tonne for non-traditional ACP bananas . In addition, this quota can always be reviewed in the light of consumption trends . No C 310/28 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
WRITTEN QUESTION E-25 15/93 WRITTEN QUESTION E-2531/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) by Michel Debatisse ( PPE ) to the Commission to the Commission (1 September 1993) (1 September 1993) ( 94/C 310/50 ) ( 94/C 310/51 )
Subject: Shift Network Subject: Community fish canning industry When does the Commission envisage the Shift Network Has the Commission noted any reduction, and by how becoming truly operational ? What transitional measures much, in exports of Community canned fish ? Is the EC have been adopted to minimize the dangers inherent in the taking any measures to ensure the sustainability of the lack of coordination between the various approved 'third canning industry ? country' border crossing points for imports of animals and animal products ?
Has the Commission been able to carry out on-site inspections to ensure that these approved points fulfil the Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas requirements of . Directive 91/496/EEC (*)? on behalf of the Commission (2 December 1993) If not, how and when does it intend to do so ?
If the crossing points do not fulfil the requirements of the The various sources of information and statistics available Directive , does the Commission intend to help the Member to the Commission, particularly the panorama of the States to bring them up to standard , for example by granting Community's fishing industry in 1993 which it has Community funding ? published (*), show an increase in the Community's output of canned fish during 1985—1991 slowing down in (») OJ No L 268 , 24 . 9 . 1991 , p . 56 . 1989—1991 . There has been an increase in consumption of canned fish in Belgium, Spain, France , Italy and the United Kingdom . Answer given by Mr Steichen on behalf of the Commission The Community support frameworks for 1991—1993 (7 December 1993) drawn up for each Member State by the Commission in agreement with the national authorities under Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 4042/89 ( 2 ) all contain priority 1 . Given the number and complexity of the legal , measures to increase the profitability of the fish canning administrative , budgetary and technical problems still to be industry . resolved , the Commission is not in a position to communicate the date of entry into force of the Shift Network . Following the integration of structural measures for fisheries into the reformed Structural Funds and the creation of the financial instrument for fisheries guidance ( FIFG), 2 . Council Directives 90/675/EEC ( l ) and 91/496/EEC this sector remains covered and the continuity of the lay down the principles for organizing veterinary checks on measures undertaken is ensured . products and animals from third countries . The Commission had to adopt application measures for the implementation of the new procedure after concertation Within the limits of the financial resources available , the with the Member States . Commission will adopt a positive attitude to these priorities where they are included in the regional development plans Regarding the situation of the actual border inspection put forwarded by the Member States, which are responsible posts, Directives 90/675/EEC and 91/496/EEC provide for for identifying and quantifying the priorities for the establishment of lists of posts approved for checks on assistance . both products of animal origin and animals from third countries, meeting the conditions laid down in the ( ! ) Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, abovementioned Directives . 1993-XII . ( 2 ) OJ No L 388 , 30 . 12 . 1989 . However , since none of the posts proposed by the Member States fulfilled these conditions, it was necessary to provide for a period in which they could meet the requirements for their approval . 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/29
Transitional lists of pre-selected border inspection posts guarantee social protection for the future , the Community were therefore drawn up for checks on the products of should embark on a period of general reflection on ways to animal origin and the animals from third countries tackle the necesssary reforms responsibly and in good time , ( Commission Decisions 92/430/EEC ( 2 ) and 92/431/ so that the current level of welfare can be guaranteed in the EEC ( 2 ), as amended by Decision 93/83/EEC ( 3 ). medium and long term .
Between October 1992 and July 1993 , the 233 stations on Is the Commission taking steps to encourage general these lists were inspected by Commission experts . Although consideration of this subject, so that action can be taken to these inspections showed certain improvements in most allow the obstacles currently hindering the welfare State to cases , it is still not possible to conclude that the border be overcome, and to ensure that Community citizens of the inspection posts meet all the requirements laid down by the future enjoy the same level of social protection as at Community Directives for their approval . present ?
The Commission intends to remove 39 posts from the existing lists and 44 will have their powers restricted to checks on certain products or animals . Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (14 January 1994) The other posts which might be included on the list will be those for which the Member States have provided all the necessary assurances that satisfactory solutions will be found in the short term . Within the limits of the powers conferred by the Treaties in the field of social protection, the Commission is keeping a watchful eye on developments in social protection systems 3 . All requests for Community financial aid for a border in the Community . inspection post will be studied individually . In connection with the implementation of the Community (!) OJ No L 373 , 31 . 12 . 1992 . Charter of Fundamental Social Rights of Workers, it has ( 2 ) OJ No L 237, 20 . 8 . 1992 . formulated a convergence strategy involving two proposals ( 3 ) OJ No L 35 , 11 . 2 . 1993 . for recommendations which were adopted by the Council in 1992 .
Recommendation 92/442/EEC (*) of 27 July 1992 , on the convergence of social protection objectives and policies , focuses on a long-term convergence strategy pointing Member States' policies towards common objectives , thereby enabling each country to operate its own system of WRITTEN QUESTION E-2535/93 social security while at the same time encouraging coordination and interaction in the interest of the by José Lafuente Lopez ( PPE ) Community . The specific common objectives are to provide to the Commission guidance on the way in which the systems are adapted to (1 September 1993) take account of protection needs , particularly those arising ( 94/C 310/52 ) from changes in the labour market, family structures and demographic trends .
Recommendation 92/441/EEC ( 2 ) of 24 June 1992 , on Subject: Community thinking on the future of the welfare State common criteria concerning sufficient resources and social assistance in social protection systems , as part of a comprehensive and consistent drive to combat social The recent decisions by Germany and France to reduce exclusion , is concerned with the basic right of a person to sufficient resources and social assistance to live in a manner public spending as a counter measure against the enormous growth in the national debt will directly affect certain compatible with human dignity . Member States should elements of the welfare State, as the level of social protection therefore adapt their social protection systems in line with in these two Community countries — no doubt to be the principles and guidelines set out in recommendation 92/441/EEC . followed shortly by others — will be significantly reduced , and new solutions leading to a new direction for the future of the welfare State are still awaited . o OJ No L 245 , 26 . 8 . 1992 . ( 2 ) OJ No L 297, 29 . 10 . 1990 .
As in fact the alarm signals are already warning that the welfare State as currently structured will not be able to No C 310/30 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
WRITTEN QUESTION E-25 70/93 WRITTEN QUESTION E-2596/93 by Christos Papoutsis ( PSE ) by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) to the Commission to the Commission (1 September 1993) (1 September 1993) ( 94/C 310/53 ) ( 94/C 310/54
Subject: Breach of Community rules Subject: Subsidies for golf courses and garages in Greece
Recent Greek press reports claim that the administration of The latest development law in Greece, No 1892/90 , the Greek Railways Organization has been involved in provides subsidies for, among other things , garages , golf dubious and financially unsound dealings to procure courses and monasteries . The logic behind this has never equipment to modernize the Athens—Idomeni rail been explained or at least no arguments have ever been put network . forward to justify this decision by the Greek authorities . Can the Commission say how the Greek Government justifies the need to give financial support to the above ? Given that this project forms part of the Community Support Framework and experts extimate the damage to be Dr 70 billion, will the Commission say : Answer given by Mr Van Miert — whether the process for procuring the equipment on behalf of the Commission concerned complied with Community provisions on competition, public contracts and procurement, (10 December 1993)
— whether the rail administration's actions have had an adverse financial impact on the Community's budget, The Commission does not intend to take the place of and national governments with regard to regional development and physical planning policy in Member States . — if so , what action will it take in response ? It intervenes only where application of that policy contravenes the relevant rules of the EC Treaty . In the case in point, these are the State aid rules, which concern aid that Answer given by Mr Millan benefits certain firms or products , and the Commission intervenes to the extent that trade between Member States is on behalf of the Commission adversely affected . (7 March 1994) Law No 1892/90 ( section concerning regional development), referred to by the Honourable Member, was The Commission would point out that the Greek railway approved by the Commission in December 1990, its company is not yet required to comply with Council provisions, and in particular Articles 92 to 94 , being deemed Directive 90/531/EEC of 17 September 1990 on the compatible with the EC Treaty . procurement procedures of entities operating in the water , energy, transport and telecommunications sectors ( ! ) since Greece has until 1 January 1988 to adopt the measures necessary to comply with this Directive .
However, in awarding contracts , the Greek railway company must respect the provisions of the EC Treaty, and WRITTEN QUESTION E-2597/93 in particular the principles of non-discrimination laid down by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) by Articles 30 , 48 , 52 and 59 . to the Commission (1 September 1993) The Commission has no information suggesting an ( 94/C 310/55 ) infringement of Community law in the purchase of material ( sleepers ) by the Greek railway company . The purchase, totalling about ECU 16 million , received aid amounting to 55 % from the Structural Funds . Subject: Funding for Greek port projects within the Community Support Framework
(') OJ No L 297, 29 . 10 . 1990 . Can the Commission inform us whether the Greek authorities intend to include funding for port projects under the Community support framework ? 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/31
Answer given by Mr Millan — in others only a private law body linked with the banking on behalf of the Commission community is authorized ( Germany, the Netherlands); (21 December 1993) — in a number of countries , the national bank is responsible ( France, Belgium ). The Commission is able to confirm that, in their regional development plan for 1994—1999 , the Greek authorities These records are designed to facilitate decision-making provide for the improvement of port infrastructures among ( credit scoring ) when selling credit . New laws on the financing priorities for transport infrastructures . over-indebtedness have indeed promoted their development . However, these records pose major problems in regard to protection of privacy . Sometimes they are compared with a 'judicial financial dossier'. This is why they fall within the ambit of national legislation on data protection . WRITTEN QUESTION E-2640/93 by Hemmo Muntingh ( PSE ) Hence one has to find a balance, from the consumer's viewpoint, between preventing over-indebtedness and the to the Commission protection of privacy . (1 September 1993) ( 94/C 310/56 The Commission is keeping close tabs on national developments in this domain . The problem of consulting these records in the case of trans-frontier operations has not Subject: Registers of loans granted to consumers been resolved .
Most Member States have registers of consumer credit The Commission will discuss this dossier in 1994 in its which suppliers of credit consult before extending loans to forthcoming report on the operation of the consumer credit consumers . Some registers record all loans taken out by market . This report is provided for in Article 17 of Directive consumers ; other record only defaulters . 87/102/EEC on consumer credit .
1 . In the light of the single credit market, does the Commission have any plans for a procedure for these registers to be consulted by credit institutions in other Member States , or any plans for a European register ? WRITTEN QUESTION E-2686/93 2 . This type of system would put credit institutions from by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) different Member States on an equal footing, while at the same time protecting consumers from excessive to the Commission indebtedness . However , would this not mean less (3 September 1993) protection for the consumer from the dissemination of ( 94/C 310/57 ) personal data ?
Subject: Simplification of administrative work for small and medium-sized businesses Answer given by Mrs Scrivener on behalf of the Commission Is the Commission satisfied with the measures taken to (19 January 1994) simplify the administrative work of small and medium-sized businesses and the procedures to provide them with the necessary information on relevant Community Records relating to consumer credit exist in all the Member legislation ? States . There are two types :
— negative records which register problems with repayments ; Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi on behalf of the Commission — positive records which register all credit arrangements (9 December 1993) entered into by a consumer .
The Member States have adopted very different rules Administrative simplification work and measures to relieve concerning these records . the burdens for business, particularly small and medium-sized businesses ( SME), is seen as important both — in some countries, collection and sale of this information by the Commission and the Member States . This is an authorized commercial activity ( United importance was demonstrated in the Commission's second Kingdom ); Report on Administrative Simplification Work in the No C 310/32 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 11 . 94
Community ( ) published in October 1992 and the resulting Fund , by many training providers . In the United Kingdom, Council resolution 92/C 331/02 of 3 December 1992 . Scottish Enterprise is one of these training providers .
While the Commission in its legislative proposals tries to In response to the Honourable Member's question, the minimize all unnecessary burdens on enterprises , in Commission asked the British authorities for details of particular SMEs , it is for Member States, in conformity with support given to Scottish Enterprise for the three years the principle of subsidiarity, to consider how this can be put 1991—1993 , and received this reply : into practice in the context of the transposition into national legislation . In the above resolution Member States 1991 : £ 23 001 548 undertook to avoid all unjustified burdens on enterprise, to 1992 : £ 14 931 903 encourage the development of best practice , and to work in 1993 : £ 10 798 157 cooperation with each other and the Commission . These figures are checked in the course of audits . As to procedures to provide SMEs with the necessary information on relevant Community legislation, the The Commission is in constant contact with the Member Commission's Euro Info Centre network is now well States authorities as to the use of Community funding of all established . There are over 200 EICs situated in all Member kinds . As far as the use of European Social Fund assistance States providing assistance to SMEs , and informing them through Scottish Enterprise is concerned , the Commission is about Community legislation and other actions . arranging on-the-spot audit checks, in the framework of its procedures of control of the use of Community Funds . (M SEC(92 ) 1867 final .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2697/93 by Mary Banotti ( PPE ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2695/93 to the Commission by Hugh McMahon ( PSE ) (3 September 1993) to the Commission ( 94/C310/59 (3 September 1993) ( 94/C 310/58 ) Subject: 1993 International Year of Indigenous People
Subject: ESF payments to the United Kingdom Government What measures has the Commission taken this year in the for 1991 , 1992 and 1993 in respect of projects context of 1993 as the International Year of Indigenous operated by Scottish Enterprise People ?
Is the Commission aware that there have been ferocious What payments were made to the Department of attempts in the North-West of Brazil to exterminate Employment for Social Fund projects administered by approximately 150 000 Indians ? Would the EC make Scottish Enterprise in 1991 , 1992 and 1993 ? Can the representations to the Brazilian Government about this Commission confirm that the UK authorities were sent matter in its bilateral contacts with that government ? correspondence on this question on no fewer than three occasions ? What was the nature of the reply from the UK authorities and what action does the Commission propose taking on the replies ? Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (21 December 1993) Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission Within the limits of its powers the Commission does a (3 February 1994) number of things to improve the lot of indigenous people : training of their representatives , promotion of their rights and support for their own forms of organization . The Honourable Member will be aware that since the reform of the Structural Funds in 1989, details of individual The Community and its Member States, aware of the projects are no longer kept by the Commission . The Funds importance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, are implemented by means of Operational Programmes or take every opportunity to emphasize the importance they Global Grants, which group together many individual attach to the safeguarding of such rights and the projects , carried out, in the case of the European Social establishment of democratic institutions and practices in 7. 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/33 non-member countries . The Brazilian authorities are aware — reducing competitive difference , of our position . — contributing to infrastructure costs, Brazil's attachment to universal human rights was confirmed by its active participation in the World — using the price mechanism to encourage Conference on Human Rights last June . This conference environmentally friendly means of transport, recognized 'the inherent dignity and the unique contribution of indigenous people to the development and plurality of society . . . States should take concerted positive steps to — preventing frontier hold-ups and unnecessary ensure respect for all human rights and fundamental bureaucracy ? freedoms of indigenous people, on the basis of equality and non-discrimination, and recognize the value and diversity of their distinct identities, cultures and social organization.' 2 . On a number of occasions the European Parliament has proposed creating a fund by putting a 1 ECU-cent surcharge on every litre of motor fuel . The fund couldfoe introduced throughout Europe or, for example , by the group of five countries which are currently considering introducing a regional Euro-toll . The fund could be used to compensate certain countries for any imbalances they suffer .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2704/93 Does the Commission not feel that a fund of this nature by Ben Visser ( PSE ) would be a simpler way of achieving the objectives of the toll system (a more equitable charging of infrastructure to the Commission costs ) than using a lot of different tolls and would (8 September 1993) involve less bureaucracy and hold-ups at borders ? ( 94/C 310/60 )
Subject: Diesel fuel prices and toll systems Answer by Mr Matutes on behalf of the Commission Information supplied by the KNV and the ANWB shows (23 March 1994) that the price of a litre of diesel in a number of EC countries is as follows (July 1993 ):
1 . Council Directive 9 3/89/EEC ( ) will ( a ) enable the Local level of excise duties on heavy vehicles to be brought closer Country Guilders ECU (') currency together and ( b ) enable Member States not charging tolls to introduce similar charges ( stickers ). Belgium Bfrs 24,90 1,40 0,64 Denmark Dkr 4,71 1,45 0,66 Germany DM 1,09 1,24 0,57 The linking of these two actions is intended to reduce the differences in competition currently applying and to help France FF 3,57 1,24 0,57 cover infrastructure costs . Italy Lit 1 230 1,63 0,74 Netherlands Fl 1,27 1,27 0,58 The two major drawbacks of excise duty on diesel fuel , as (') 1 ECU = F1 2,19 . opposed to user charges , are as follows :
It is clear from these figures that there is no substance to the — excise duties do not in any way remove the differences Germans ' complaint that they lose a lot of revenue from and inequalities arising from the fact that tolls are excise duty because many foreigners who drive in Germany charged in certain Member States and not in others; buy their fuel elsewhere because it is cheaper . — even if they were otherwise totally harmonized their rate would not always tally with the true infrastructure costs , 1 . Does the Commission feel that a toll system can be more which differ from one Member State to another and effective than excise duty on diesel in which they are intended to cover . No C 310/34 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
Although it is true that user charges involve the setting-up of How many people ( officials at all levels, outside staff, etc .) certain administrative formalities, it is nevertheless the case are expected to work in this service and what will be their that the resultant advantages greatly exceed a minor legal status ? inconvenience .
Can the Commission state what criteria were used in the 2 . No, since under the system recommended by the selection of the premises and can it provide the name of the Honourable Member all carriers would be required to owner of the annex, the amount of rent to be paid, the cost contribute to the fund whereas only part of the haulage of converting the building, the number of interpreting business is causing imbalances , i.e. hauliers paying taxes and booths, the date of signature of the lease and whether a charges in the Member State in which they are established favourable opinion of the Committee on Safety and Hygiene and using their vehicles on other Member States' highway at Work was obtained in advance ? networks where they do not pay for the expenditure incurred .
0 ) OJ No L 279 , 12 . 11 . 1993 . WRITTEN QUESTION E-2756/93 by Paul Staes ( V ) to the Commission (16 September 1993) ( 94/C 310/62 )
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2715/93 Subject: The Commission's personnel policy by Marie Isler Beguin ( V ) to the Commission Could the Commission specify the number of retired (8 September 1993) officials who are still employed by the Commission either ( 94/C 310/61 ) directly, as advisers, or indirectly as experts, consultants, etc .? Could the Commission also calculate both the direct costs , i.e. study expenses and reimbursement of Subject: Staff policy at the Commission expenditure, and indirect costs, i.e. infrastructure and ancillary staff?
Certain aspects of the Commission's staff policy appear to In particular, could the Commission clarify whether it is true contradict President Delors' declarations of principle, in that it intended to engage the services of Mrs Van particular those concerning unemployment among young Hoof-Haferkamp, Director-General of the Joint people and the sound management of available funds . Interpreting and Conference Service , so soon after her retirement ? In general terms, could the Commission state the number of retired officials still working for it directly ( as advisers ) or Is it true that the aforementioned Director-General was to indirectly ( as experts or consultants ) and give an assessment be sent, on behalf of the Commission , to a prestigious of the costs , both direct ( e.g. funding of studies , refunding of university in the USA for a long training period ? How much costs ) and indirect ( provision of organizational and staff will this training period cost and to which item of the EC resources )? budget will this expenditure be charged ?
More specifically, is it true that the Commission is planning Is it true that a building ( Borschette annex ) has already been to use the services of Mrs Van Hoof-Haferkamp , rented on behalf of Mrs Van Hoof-Haferkamp , to provide a Director-General of the Joint Interpreting and Conference training service for freelance interpreters ? Service, immediately after her retirement ? How many people in all would be employed in this service , Is it true that Mrs Van Hoof-Haferkamp is to be sent at the including officials of all levels, external staff, etc.? Commission's expense for a long period of training to a leading university in the United States ? What will be the cost of this exercise and to what item of the EC budget will it be Could the Commission specify the reasons given for leasing charged ? these premises and whether it is in a position to disclose the name of the proprietor of the Annex ? I should also like to know the total rent and also the conversion and renovation Is it true that a building ( the Annex to the CCAB ) has expenses incurred ? When was the lease signed and was the already been rented to accommodate the freelance opinion of the CSHT ( Committee on Health and Safety at interpreters' training service under Mrs Van Work ) obtained beforehand ? Finally, how many Hoof-Haferkamp ? interpreters ' booths are there ? 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/35
Joint answer to Written Questions The building is rented from Societe Anonyme Froissart 57, E-2715/93 and E-2756/93 rue Steyls 45 , 1020 Brussels . given by Mr Delors on behalf of the Commission The annual rent is Bfrs 5 688 000, around 12% of which (30 March 1994) represents the cost of the specific alterations made by the owner at the Commission's request .
Officials or temporary staff receiving a retirement pension, The building is not equipped with interpreting booths . an allowance in respect of retirement in the interests of the service or an allowance under the make-way arrangements may provide services to the Commission only on an unpaid The lease was signed on 24 March 1993 . basis . The Buildings Group of the Committee on Safety and Hygiene was consulted prior to the building being occupied . For example , in 1993 , 20 former officials assisted the However, the group's role is an advisory one, and although President and Members of the Commission as unpaid the Commission takes the group's opinions into account as special advisers . There was a ceiling of ECU 120 per day on far as possible , it is bound to have to weigh them up against their mission expenses , for such things as travel other considerations . expenses .
In addition, in 1992 and 1993 , 11 former Commission officials sat on competition selection boards on a voluntary basis , receiving the same mission expenses as the officials . WRITTEN QUESTION E-2736/93 by Sir Jack Stewart-Clark ( PPE ) It is true that after her 40 years of service the to the Commission Director-General of the JICS is to be appointed as a special adviser with effect from January 1994 , although no (16 September 1993) pecuniary benefits attach to this appointment . ( 94/C 310/63 )
Each year the Inter-institutional Coordination Committee on exchanges nominates several officials for fellowships in Subject: Solvent abuse the United States , and it is true that the Director-General of the JICS was selected by the Committee for the 1993/94 As the Commission is no doubt aware , there is a Harvard fellowship . By choosing one of its senior officials , considerable danger to young people who purchase volatile the Commission hopes to contribute to improving substances such as butane gas lighter refills for the purposes knowledge of the Community in its present and future form of intoxication . This also extends to solvent abuse . by developing contacts with professors , senior officials and researchers from around the world . In accordance with the financial regulations governing the fellowships , the Is it possible for the Commission to work towards the matriculation fees for the university are charged to budget establishment of a retailers' code of practice to help avoid item 1120 . solvent and volatile substance abuse ?
As regards a ' freelance interpreters' training service', the Honourable Members have not been correctly informed . The Commission has rented a building near the Albert Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission Borschette conference centre to house the conference interpreters' training centre (JICS-A-2 ). The building is also (21 December 1993) used for officials and teachers from various universities in non-member countries who come as part of their country's association or cooperation agreements with the Community The Commission would like to draw the Honourable ( China , Turkey, the former Yugoslavia ) or as part of the Member's attention to the answers given to Written Tempus Programme ( Hungary, Czech Republic , Poland , Questions No 1858/86 ( ! ), No 2015/88 ( 2 ) and Albania , the Baltic States ). The Froissart building can hold No 2676/91 ( 3 ). 25 staff and up to 40 people for meetings .
The Commission is aware of the problem of 'sniffing' The building was chosen mainly because it has the right substances which are legally placed on the market and are, in capacity, it was available immediately and it is near the many instances , everyday household items . It is a dangerous Albert Borschette conference centre . form of intoxication , particularly among the young . No C 310/36 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
The Commission has supported efforts to increase However, Council recommendation 92/442/EEC of 27 July knowledge of the problem and prevention possibilities . 1992 on the convergence of social protection objectives and Prevention strategies based on general health education can policies , in Article I.B. 5(f), invites the Member States greatly help in tackling this problem . Efforts by manufacturers and retailers of solvent-based products 'for purposes of calculating pension rights , to reduce, in would no doubt also play a role in preventing abuse . particular by opening up the possibility of voluntary contributions, the penalty for those workers who have gaps in their careers as a result of periods of illness, The Commission will examine, in the context of its actions invalidity or long-term unemployment, and for those in the field of public health, and in particular on drugs , who gave up work temporarily to bring up their children whether the establishment, with the help of industry, of a or, where appropriate, in accordance with national retailers' code of practice would be likely to contribute to legislation, other dependants;'.' the fight against solvent intoxication .
This issue will also be addressed in a report on social The classification and labelling of solvents are regulated by protection in the Community which the Commission will several Directives : Directive 67/548/EEC ( 4 ), Directive shortly publish in accordance with Article II . 1 of this 88/379/EEC ( 5 ) and Directive 80/781/EEC ( 6 ), as amended recommendation . by Directive 82/473/EEC ( 7 ). f 1 ) OJ No C 157, 15 . 6 . 1987 . ( 2 ) OJ No C 227, 4 . 9 . 1989 . ( 3 ) OJ No C 159, 25 . 6 . 1992 . ( 4 ) OJ No L 196 , 16 . 8 . 1967 . ( 5 ) OJ No L 187, 16 . 7 . 1988 . ( 6 ) OJ No L 229, 30 . 8 . 1980 . WRITTEN QUESTION E-2757/93 ( 7 ) OJ No L 213 , 21 . 7 . 1982 . by Sérgio Ribeiro ( GUE ) to the Commission (16 September 1993) 94/C 310/65 )
Subject: Results of the report on EMU WRITTEN QUESTION E-2752/93 by Glyn Ford ( PSE ) to the Commission Much has been made in the press of a report by the Financial Times that the Commission 'censored' a study carried out at (16 September 1993) the end of last year into the consequences of the entry into ( 94/C 310/64 ) force of Economic and Monetary Union ( and of its nominal convergence criteria ), which warned of an expected ( and subsequently confirmed ) increase in the unemployment rate . Subject: Pension rights for carers In view of the fact that, if it actually happened , such an act of Does the Commission have plans to introduce legislation imposed silence constitutes an unacceptable means of which will guarantee a pension for people who have forgone conditioning public opinion at a time when the public is the opportunity to take paid employment to care for ( and was ) rightly asking to be involved in ratifying the relatives and/or dependants ? Maastricht agreement, can the Commission say whether such a study was carried out and 'commended' to Commissioner Vasso Papandreo, and why it was not made public at the appropriate time ?
Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (2 December 1993) Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (16 December 1993) The Commission is not planning to propose legislation requiring Member States to grant pension rights to people who interrupt their professional careers to care for relatives The Honourable Member is requested to refer to the or dependents . Commission's answer to oral question H-896/93 put by Mrs 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/37
Christensen at question time during the European WRITTEN QUESTION E-2797/93 Parliament's September 1993 part-session (*). by Karel Dillen ( NI ) to the Commission 0 ) Debates of the European Parliament, No 3-434 ( September (4 October 1993) 1993 ). ( 94/C 310/67 )
Subject: Appropriations for dairy products in the 1994 EC budget
According to information supplied by the Belgian Dairy Industry Confederation, the Commission's plans for the WRITTEN QUESTION E-2786/93 1994 budgetary appropriations for dairy products entail a by Sir James Scott-Hopkins ( PPE ) 46 % reduction in the support for the school milk to the Commission programme . (28 September 1993) Does not the Commission think that the school milk ( 94/C 310/66 ) programme is important for the healthy development of many millions of European children and that savings in this regard are inappropriate at a time when unacceptable Subject: Report on direction and regulatory signs on squandering of funds continues to be the order of the day in highways other sections of the EC budget ?
When does the Commission anticipate that its studies into direction signs and regulatory signs on highways will be Answer given by Mr Steichen completed ? How soon therefter does it anticipate that it will on behalf of the Commission conclude the desirability of harmonizing some or all road (9 March 1994) signs in the Community ? In producing such a report, will it ensure that any proposals for action are fully costed and a time scale is included ? The Commission freely acknowledges the contribution made by the school milk programme to improving children's daily nutrition and accustoming them to dietary patterns that favour the consumption of milk products .
Answer given by Mr Matutes The high cost of this measure , on which total expenditure of on behalf of the Commission 1993 amounted to about ECU 200 million, should be (17 February 1994) emphasized ; the amount of aid was equivalent to 125 % of the indicative price of milk .
In the past, 75 % of the cost of this programme was covered The primary objective of the two studies ordered by the by part of the funds from the co-responsibility levy in the Commission on direction signs and regulatory ( prohibition, milk sector . After the abolition of this levy, the Commission obligation , etc .) signs was to catalogue differences within was keen to maintain the programme and therefore planned the Community . a significant increase in the net contribution of the EAGGF to the scheme .
They revealed that the biggest differences between the On 4 October 1993 the Council decided to reduce the Member States were indirection signs, including the colour codes used , the details given and the composition and siting amount of aid to 24% . Even after this reduction , the of the signs . amount of aid for school milk remains substantially higher than the amount of aid for other intervention measures in the milk sector . In view of the enormous disparity between the existing systems in this field , the next stage planned by the Furthermore , the Commission has revised the detailed rules Commission is to start discussions with the objective of of application of the scheme in order to simplify it and agreeing a Community approach to direction signs designed increase its efficiency in line with the recommendations of primarily to give a clear, consistent message to users the Court of Auditors . The Member States have been called travelling in the Community . upon to help meet these objectives .
Finally, the Commission formally rejects the allegation that budget funds are squandered . This statement is entirely No C 310/38 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94 unfounded and in no way corresponds to the real According to information available to the Commission, the situation . National Maritime Research Centre and the University of Athens have carried out an ecological study of the Bay of Kalloni to study the problem of marine pollution .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2802/93 by Mihail Papayannakis ( GUE ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2804/93 to the Commission by Carlos Robles Piquer ( PPE ) (4 October 1993) to the Commission ( 94/C 310/68 ) (4 October 1993) 94/C 310/69 ) Subject: Urgent measures to save the Bay of Kalloni ( Lesbos ) Subject: Participation of the Commission in the International Congress on the Spanish Language The closed Bay of Kalloni ( Lesbos ) is a natural breeding-ground for fish and shellfish of outstanding The aim of the first International Congress on the Spanish quality with a high market value, and tourism is also being Language, to be held in Mexico in June 1994, is to developed there with good prospects of success . The Bay is strengthen this language, which can be considered to be the already affected by urban and agricultural waste , especially second most widely spoken language in the world , which is a from the fish farms which have set up there , which use Community language and which towards the end of the processes denounced as improper and illegal . Recently, large 20th century will be the Language of some 400 million numbers of dead fish were washed ashore and the colour people . and quality of the water has changed , and these incidents have disturbed local residents and fishermen and led to Does the Commission therefore consider that it should vigorous demonstrations ( blockading of fish farms and of participate in some way in the preparations for this the town hall ). congress , particularly as regards the seven subject areas which will be discussed , notably the use of information 1 . Can the Commission make inquiries and clarify whether technology in connection with the Spanish Language ? the setting up of fish farms in the closed Bay of Kalloni is legal and in accordance with Community policy, and ask the Greek Government for the relevant explanations ( compliance with Directive 85/337/EEC ( 1 ), etc .)? Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission 2 . Does it consider it advisable to take measures for thorough scientific research into the factors which have (15 December 1993) led to the critical situation in the Bay and into ways of combating them, in order to guarantee a new, viable and The Commission took part in the Congress on the Spanish environmentally friendly way of developing the area ? language ( Congreso de la Lengua Espanola ) held in Seville in 1992 , which served as a preparation for the first (») OJ No L 175 , 5 . 7 . 1985 , p . 40 . International Congress on the Spanish Language due to take place in Mexico in June 1994 .
The Commission is active in all the areas to be covered by Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas this Congress , and will be expanding its R&D activities in on behalf of the Commission the field of language and information technology under the (28 March 1994) Fourth Framework Programme . Among other issues , it will examine the use of computers in relation to the Spanish language , covering topics „such as the development of The matters referred to by the Honourable Member language services in certain fields of application, the essentially concern illegal activities which it is a matter for promotion of research and the development of linguistic the Greek authorities to investigate . resources .
Salmon breeding installations are the only type of fish farm Once it has received an invitation , the Commission will look listed in Annex II to Directive 85/337/EEC, and it is closely at possible means of collaboration with the accordingly a matter for the Member States to decide organizers of the Congress in the context of its whether the characteristics of the project in question , language-related activities . including its scale and location, require such an assessment . 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/39
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2827/93 amended by the Treaty on European Union), is to encourage by Alexandros Alavanos ( GUE ) cooperation between Member States and , where appropriate , to supplementary action they may take , in line to the Commission with the principle of subsidiarity . (4 October 1993) ( 94/C 310/70 ) The Commission is drawing up a comprehensive communication on the cultural heritage which is to be Subject: Protection of Europe's cultural heritage from presented to Parliament and the Council under the new theft procedures laid down in the Union Treaty . Within this framework and subject to the limits on its powers under the Treaty the Commission will certainly raise the question of Over the last three years there have been 15 major incidents protection against theft . of theft at archaeological museums in Greece , culminating in two recent cases at the Acropolis museum and at the National Archaeological Museum which occurred during opening hours . The process of registering all the antiquities On 19 November 1990 the Council and the Ministers for located in museums and store-rooms is not yet complete , Cultural Affairs meeting within the Council adopted although it should have been on 1 January 1993 , the date of conclusions on the protection, after 1992 , of national the completion of the internal market . Moreover, the 370 treasures of artistic and historical or archaeological value . museums , the 500 store-houses of antiquities and the 2 500 These conclusions dealt with the restitution of cultural archaeological sites in Greece , are guarded by only 1 500 goods, harmonized controls on the exportation of cultural guardians and 200 night-guards , many of whom have no goods to non-member countries and the improvement of training and are hired on contracts for limited periods of administrative cooperation between Member States and the time . Since the cultural treasures of each Member State are Commission . The Committee on Cultural Affairs was given considered part of the cultural heritage of the Community, the task of examining what form cooperation in these areas as a whole, will the Commission say : could take .
1 . What is the present situation as regards the theft of cultural treasures in the Member States of the With a view to the completion of the single market the Community ? Community adopted two flanking measures to compensate for the fact that Member States can no longer carry out 2 . What action does it intend to take to safeguard the checks at internal frontiers . On 9 December 1992 the cultural heritage of Europe in the case of Greece ? Council adopted Regulation ( EEC ) No 3911/92 on the export of cultural goods and on 15 March 1993 Directive 3 . Does it intend to consider drawing up a common 93/7/EEC (*) on the return of cultural objects unlawfully cultural policy for the protection and safety of the large removed from the territory of a Member State . This number of monuments and exhibits which compose the Directive establishes a system whereby Member States may cultural heritage of Europe ? retrieve any cultural object which ranks as a national treasure within the meaning of Article 36 of the EC Treaty and belongs to one of the categories of cultural objects 4 . If the stolen objects are kept hidden and turn up 40 years defined in the Annex to the Directive or comes from a public in some private collection of a Member State , will the collection or an ecclesiastical institution, provided that the Commission consider that this a case for the restitution object concerned was removed from the territory of the of the cultural heritage ? Member State after 31 December 1992 .
For reasons relating to the legal certainty of commercial Answer given by Mr Pinheiro transactions the Directive requires return proceedings to be on behalf of the Commission initiated within 30 years of the cultural object's removal . In (16 December 1993) the case of objects from public collections and ecclesiastical property covered by special protection arrangements under national law this time-limit is extended to 75 years , except in Member States where there is no time limit on proceedings Responsibility for protecting the cultural heritage, and in or where a bilateral agreement provides for an even longer particular for protecting it against theft, lies primarily with time-limit . the Member States . At national level each Member State is thus free to introduce measures to prevent the theft of works of art . The answer to the last of the questions put by the Honourable Member is , therefore, that the return of any The role of the Commission in this context, as confirmed by stolen goods turning up after 40 years is a matter for the the entry into force of Article 128 of the EC Treaty ( as competent courts in the Member States and will be No C 310/40 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94 considered in the light of the particular circumstances and development, one essential measure to that end being to the principles laid down in the Directive . revise the proposed building land ratios , which, although they may be suitable for areas on the coastal (!) OJ No L 74, 27 . 3 . 1993 . strip, are not appropriate for the inland areas that are already suffering severe disadvantages and being heavily penalized for various reasons ?
4 . Set up a special fund to supplement the income of those WRITTEN QUESTION E-2835/93 who are sustaining a partial or total revenue loss as a by Giuseppe Mottola ( PPE ) result of constraints laid down to foster development of to the Commission the environment and the countryside ? (4 October 1993) 5 . In addition, can the Commission provide a 50—70% ( 94/C 310/71 contribution under the new Structural Fund policy for the purpose of implementing the planning systems to be Subject: Cilento National Park — Boundaries and devised by the park authorities ? classification of zones — Possible damage to farming, stock-breeding, forestry, farm tourism, and craft industries Answer given by Mr Steichen The Cilento National Park, which lies in Campania region, on behalf of the Commission was established under Law 394/91 . When it issued the order (24 February 1994) of 22 April 1993 laying down the boundaries and the classification of zones , without, moreover, consulting the local farming organizations , the ministry totally ignored the The questions put by the Honourable Member regarding the figures attesting the role of the agricultural sector in Cilento National Park can find an answer in the context of production and employment terms, as well as in protecting the Community legislation which the Member States will the environment and the countryside as a whole , have to transpose and implement in their own specific areas disregarding the economic importance of the sector and the of competence . actual situation in the area . In particular, specific measures along the lines suggested by Because the park is too large , it is impossible to establish and the Honourable Member could be provided for under the organize the adjoining areas provided for in Article 32 of the Regional Development Plan which the Region of Campania law setting up the park : ( total area : 181 354 hectares , has submitted to the Commission for the purposes of breaking down as follows : UAA : 92 978 hectares ; Objective 1 ( the development of regions which are lagging woodlands : 72 341 hectares ; olive groves : 27 700 hectares ; behind ) of the reform of the Structural Funds ( Second sowable land : 22 911 hectares ; vineyards : 6 395 hectares ; phase ). fruit and vegetables : 5 662 hectares ; meat cattle : 15 746 hectares; dairy cattle : 14 693 hectares ; sheep and goats : 58 461 hectares ; pigs : 15 860 hectares ). Other forms of Community aid which accompany the reform of the common agricultural policy ( CAP ) could also Will not the Commission : help to meet the concerns expressed by the Honourable Member , provided the regional authorities adopt the 1 . Urge the Italian authorities duly to recognize the provisions necessary for putting the measures into practice economic importance and the role of farming by in time . extending the scope of the Regulation on the running of the park to include protective measures to boost the resources to be derived from agriculture, In this connection, Regulation ( EEC ) No 2080/92 provides stock-breeding, forestry, farm tourism, craft industries , for an EAGGF contribution towards the costs of and the environment and the countryside ? afforestation of agricultural land ( up to 75 % in Objective 1 regions ) and for premiums and aid for woodland 2 . Encourage the adoption of all traditional crop and maintenance and improvement . breeding systems providing an appropriate basis, using technologically advanced options where necessary, for In addition , pursuant to Regulation ( EEC ) No 2328/91 defending and developing 'typical' and 'specific ' lines of Community aid may be granted for the setting-up of young production such as those obtained from stock-breeding, farmers and for new investments on farms, particularly if olive , wine, chestnut, or fruit and vegetable growing, or the aim is to protect or improve the environment . local craft industries ?
3 . Encourage young people to set up new ventures by Moreover , aid may be granted to farmers under the regional adopting subsidy and loan policies to enable larger agri-environmental programmes provided for in Regulation holdings to be formed from individual pieces of ( EEC ) No 2078/92 in order to offset income losses caused by farmland , including non-adjoining parcels , and the use of agricultural practices which are compatible with production factors to be marshalled to promote global , environmental protection and for the management and feasible, environmentally compatible , and lasting upkeep of the countryside . Therefore, rational and correct 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/41 application of the abovementioned Community WRITTEN QUESTION E-2870/93 Regulations at national and regional leval can make a by Inigo Mendez de Vigo ( PPE ) significant contribution to meeting the various demands to the Commission expressed by the Honourable Member as regards the Cilento National Park . (4 October 1993) ( 94/C 310/73 )
Subject: Extension of the schedule of reference prices and exports of tomatoes from the Kingdom of WRITTEN QUESTION E-2 867/93 Morocco by John Iversen ( V ) to the Commission During 1993 the situation regarding tomatoes exported (4 October 1993) from the Canary Islands was very difficult situation as for almost all the production period they were not covered by ( 94/C 310/72 ) the schedule of reference prices and because of exports from the Kingdom of Morocco . Subject: Rules on the sale of old meat from EC surplus stocks The author of the present question has raised this subject on numerous occasions , and has obtained from the Council of Would the Commission please explain what rules exist for Ministers an expression of its willingness to study a determining how old meat may be when it is sold from EC Commission proposal . surplus stocks . On 30 June 1993 I raised this question again at the meeting Would it also please provide figures to show how much of of the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture in the meat sold from EC surplus stocks is over four to six years the hope that the tensions which arose this year would not old and which countries in the EC such meat is being sold be repeated in 1994 . to .
In order to achieve this objective and to ensure that producers in the Canary Islands can continue production unhindered , does the Commission intend to propose an Answer given by Mr Steichen extension of the schedule of reference prices to include the on behalf of the Commission months of January to March ? (20 December 1993)
What type of negotiations does it intend to conduct with the The strict quality control at intake into intervention, the use Kingdom of Morocco to prevent the Community countries of wrapping material appropriate for long cold storage , from being overwhelmed by an avalanche of tomatoes together with the fact that beef is stored under proper exported from Morocco ? supervision in recognized cold stores which guarantee a maximum temperature of minus 18 °C throughout the storage , period , mean that intervention beef does not constitute a health hazard even after four to six years of storage . Answer given by Mr Steichen on behalf of the Commission (7 December 1993) In practice, however , as the policy is to dispose of older beef first, the age of intervention beef comes close to four years only in exceptional circumstances and in very limited quantities . At present, the average age of beef sold out of This request has been considered by the Commission and intervention is one to two years . the problem will be examined in the context of the GATT negotiations . Only 0,2% of current stocks date from before 1991 . All stocks are of course offered for sale from the intervention The Commission will continue its negotiations with stores of the Member State in which they happen to be Morocco with the aim of avoiding market problems on the stored . There is however normally no requirement that they be consumed in any particular Member State or third Community market caused by import of too large quantities during short periods . country . No C 310/42 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2873/93 regional and Community funding originally planned . The by Laura Gonzalez Alvarez ( GUE), treatment plant would be located at Santa Olalla in the Antoni Gutiérrez Díaz ( GUE ), Alonso Puerta ( GUE ) municipality of Pielagos in the Torrelavega area . and Teresa Domingo Segarra ( NI ) to the Commission In view of the exceptional problems concerning the final (4 October 1993 ) location of the recycling plant, which delayed ( 94/C 310/74 ) implementation of the project, on 17 December 1993 the Spanish authorities officially sent the Commission a second request for an extension, for six months, of the time allowed for payments to be made . Subject: ERDF projects in Cantabria
On 22 December 1993 the Commission extended until Two of the most important projects planned for Cantabria 30 June 1994 the final date for payments in respect of this under the Objective 2 Community support framework are a project . water purification plant on the river Besaya and a pre-treatment plant for industrial and urban waste water at Torrelavega ( Cantabria , Spain ).
What progress has been made on the implementation of these projects ? WRITTEN QUESTION E-28 76/93 What will happen to the Community funds allocated for by José Valverde Lôpez ( PPE ) these projects if they are not carried out ? to the Commission (4 October 1993) ( 94/C 310/75 ) Answer given by Mr Millan on behalf of the Commission (8 March 1993) Subject: Public undertakings in the manufacturing sector
On 18 October 1991 the Official Journal of the The ERDF has part-financed a project for cleaning up the European Communities i 1 ) published the communication river Besaya under the Community support framework for 'Application of Articles 92 and 93 of the EEC Treaty and the Objective 2 areas of Spain ( 1989—1991 ). In the area of Article 5 of Commission Directive 80/723/EEC ( 2 ) to public Torrelavega ( Cantabria ) this project included the following undertakings in the manufacturing sector'. What is the likely two investments : extent of application of this controversial communication in the context of the European Economic Area ? — utilization of solid industrial and urban waste ; f 1 ) OJ No C 273 , 18 . 10 . 1991 , p . 2 . — treatment of industrial and urban waste water . ( 2 ) OJ No L 195 , 29 . 7 . 1980, p . 35 .
On 14 December 1990 , it was decided to contribute Community assistance worth ECU 15,93 million ( about PTA 2 billion ) to this project while the Cantabrian regional Answer given by Mr Van Miert authorities would contribute at least as much in national on behalf of the Commission matching funds . When this contribution was approved, the ERDF paid a first advance of ECU 7,96 million to the (10 December 1993) authorities benefitting from the project .
Since the appropriations had been committed in response to The communication of 1991 , concerning the application of the duly substantiated request of the Spanish authorities, at Articles 92 and 93 of the EC Treaty and of Article 5 of the end of 1992 , the latest date for payment was put back Directive 80/723/EEC to public undertakings in the from 31 December 1992 to 31 December 1993 . manufacturing sector, was annulled by the Court of Justice in June 1993 . Subsequently, in July 1993 , the Commission adopted the reporting obligations, previously set out in At the last meeting of the Monitoring Committee in 1993 , the 1991 communication , as an amendment ( J ), under the regional authorities stated that they would abandon the Article 90(3 ) EC Treaty to Directive 80/723/EEC . At the investment in water treatment and the project would in the same time the remainder of the 1991 communication was end deal only with solid waste, which could absorb all the re-adopted by the Commission . 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/43
Once the legislation governing the European Economic Area WRITTEN QUESTION E-2916/93 has come into force, both the 1993 amendment to Directive by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) 80/723/EEC and the re-adopted communication will form to the Commission part thereof. (18 October 1993) (M OJ No L 254 , 12 . 10 . 1993 . ( 94/C 310/77 )
Subject: Environment of the river Araxthos
The River Araxthos is facing ecological disaster due to the removal of large quantities of sand and gravel . Because the WRITTEN QUESTION E-2886/93 relevant authorities have been liberal in giving their authorization — authorization that is usually given orally — by Enrico Falqui ( V ) sand and gravel are being removed from the river bed not to the Commission only to meet the needs of projects in the region , but also for (11 October 1993) storage to be sold later to other projects . Can the ( 94/C 310/76 Commission protect the River Araxthos from this ecological disaster ?
Subject: Compliance in Italy with the Directive on the quality of bathing water Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas on behalf of the Commission Last July the Italian Environment Minister produced a draft (9 December 1993) decree law regulating thermal discharges into the sea , which is intended to amend one of the articles of Italian Law 319/76 , better known as the 'Merli Law', which defines the Greece has not classified the zone under consideration as a parameters for bathing water quality . If the decree is Special Protection Area according to Article 4 of the adopted the statistical water sampling methodologies laid Directive 79/409/EEC ( l ) concerning the conservation of down in the Regulation implementing the Merli law will be wild birds , which is the only legal basis for Community amended in Italy . intervention for nature conservation applicable at present ; nor has this river been identified as requiring such a In particular, the task of defining these methodologies will classification . be entrusted to the Water Research Institute and those involved in the activities concerned will be authorized to Consequently, it is the exclusive competence of the Greek dilute the thermal discharges during the 30 days needed to authorities to decide what type of management this river pass the new regulation implementing the Merli law . requires .
Does the Commission not think that such an amendment to (') OJ No L 103 , 25 . 4 . 1979 . existing law would be contrary to Directive 76/160/EEC ( ] ), which clearly lays down in the Annex thereto the analysis and inspection methods to be followed in the testing of bathing water quality ?
(') OJ No L 31 , 5 . 2 . 1976 , p . 1 . WRITTEN QUESTION E-2933/93 by Victor Arbeloa Muru ( PSE ) to the Commission Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas (18 October 1993) on behalf of the Commission ( 94/C 310/78 ) (8 December 1993)
Subject: International agreements and subsidiarity The Commission is not in possession of the draft law concerned and is therefore unable to assess it . With a view to attaining the objectives of the EEC Treaty, has the Commission taken steps over recent months towards becoming a party to international agreements before trying to draw up any internal acts ? No C 310/44 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
Answer given by Mr Delors Answer given by Mr Steichen on behalf of the Commission on behalf of the Commission (25 February 1994) (29 March 1994)
The Uruguay Round negotiations finished on 15 December 1993 . Implementing the principle of subsidiarity even before the entry into force of the Treaty on European Union and As regards agriculture, the Honourable Member will be Article 3b EC in which it is enshrined, the Commission first aware that in December 1993 the US and the Community examined the possibility of withdrawing proposals pending in various sectors and , moreover, notified Parliament of its agreed upon certain improvements to the Blair House Agreement, particularly as regards commitments on findings to enable it to make its observations . subsidized exports and the so-called peace clause .
In the opinion of the Commission , the results obtained in the However, as to the exercise of the Community's external Uruguay Round represent a balanced outcome for all powers , the Commission considers that the absence of contracting parties . The Community has always insisted internal legislation can be justified only if the Community that, to be acceptable , any outcome for the Uruguay Round can play a full part in the elaboration of international rules . in the agricultural field would have to be compatible with It is for this reason that the Commission envisaged the CAP . This objective has been achieved . withdrawing a proposal for a Directive on the harmonized use of radio frequencies provided action was taken to secure Commission participation in the competent international body and , in the meantime, the Member States uniformly applied that body's rules . WRITTEN QUESTION E-2965/93 by Christine Crawley ( PSE ) The Honourable Member is advised to refer to the to the Commission Commission proposal of 10 September 1993 ( J ) for a Council Decision on the implementation by the Member (20 October 1993) States of measures concerning radio frequencies, which ( 94/C 310/80 ) provides for the implementation of these arrangements . Subject: Child workers in Portugal (') OJ No C 266 , 1 . 10 . 1993 . Is the Commission aware that Unicef recently published findings that more than 50% of Portuguese children between 10 and 14 years of age work, and that 85 % of children who leave school before the official leaving age do so in order to seek employment ? Is the Commission aware that the situation is considered so grave that Anti-Slavery International has twice raised this situation in the UN Working Group on contemporary forms of slavery ? What steps can the Commission take to help bring an end to this WRITTEN QUESTION E-2944/93 state of affairs ? by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) to the Commission (20 October 1993) Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission ( 94/C 310/79 ) (20 January 1994)
On 23 November 1993 the Council adopted a common Subject: Review of the EC-USA agreement on reducing position on the proposal for a Directive concerning the agricultural subsidies protection of young people at work .
Under the terms of this proposal, Member States must take Following France's struggle to obtain a review of the the necessary measures to prohibit work by children . agreement between the EC and the USA on reducing agricultural subsidies there has been a clear shift in other Within the meaning of the Directive, a child is taken as Member States of the Community, such as Greece, Spain, meaning any young person who is less than 15 years of age Italy and Ireland, in favour of the French position on this or who is still subject to full-time compulsory education matter . Given this situation , what measures does the under national law . Commission intend to take to find a solution to this serious problem ? 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/45
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2966/93 WRITTEN QUESTION E-2972/93 by Christine Crawley ( PSE ) by Christine Oddy ( PSE ) to the Commission to the Commission (20 October 1993) (20 October 1993) ( 94/C 310/81 ) ( 94/C 310/82 )
Subject: Illegal trade in rhino horn Subject : VAT collection What actions will the Commission be taking to enforce a total ban on illegal trade in rhino horn, bearing in mind Given that the full amount of VAT will be ultimately recent moves by the USA to consider imposing sanctions on collected , do the VAT Directives allow Member States to the Chinese and Taiwanese Governments ? simplify the means of collection within those States under the terms of subsidiarity ?
Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas on behalf of the Commission (13 January 1994) Answer given by Mrs Scrivener on behalf of the Commission (9 December 1993) Both China and Taiwan recently agreed to take further steps with regard to the enforcement of the existing total ban on trade in rhino horn .
A basic principle of VAT is that the tax should be applied at each stage of the economic circuit, even if it is deducted at In addition, cooperative action was decided by the Cites the next stage . This technique renders VAT economically Standing Committee in September, with a view to further neutral and helps to combat tax avoidance , while enabling improvements . The Committee on the Convention , the Member State to receive advance payment of the tax . established under Article 19 of Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 3626/82 (*), decided to await the results of these efforts before considering whether further action is necessary . Nevertheless, the Sixth VAT Directive ( 77/388/EEC ) ( ) allows Member States to derogate from this principle in (M OJ No L 384 , 31 . 12 . 1982 . cases where goods are covered by free-zone, customs or tax warehousing arrangements . Similarly, Member States may exempt imports , intra-Community acquisitions , and supplies of goods intended for a taxable person with a view to being exported . These measures simplify collection of VAT and exempt taxable persons from payment of a tax which would subsequently be refunded . WRITTEN QUESTION E-2974/93 by Panayotis Roumeliotis ( PSE ) to the Commission Under Article 27 of the Directive , Member States may also be authorized by the Council to introduce special measures (25 October 1993) for derogation from the common provisions in order to ( 94/C 310/83 ) simplify the procedure for charging the tax or to prevent certain types of tax evasion or avoidance . These measures may provide for VAT to be collected at a single stage of the economic circuit or may disregard certain transactions Subject: Problems due to ending of wine subsidies either because of the trader's status or on account of certain special features of the transaction . However, they may not According to an announcement by the Federation of affect the amount of tax due at the final consumption Agricultural Associations of Heraklion , Crete , the ending of stage . Community subsidies for bottled wines is creating severe problems for a product already encountering difficulties in finding markets in 1993 as well as for a substantial number (M OJ No L 145 , 13 . 6 . 1977 . of workers employed in this particular sector .
What action does the Commission intend to take on this ? No C 310/46 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
Answer given by Mr Steichen of principles issued for the close of the European Year of on behalf of the Commission Older People and Solidarity between Generations 1993 i 1 ), (27 January 1994) in particular paragraph 11 ( iii ) of the Declaration, concerning services .
The Commission has not been able to identify the The Commission would stress that the matters raised are Community aid concerned from the wording of the primarily of concern to the United Kingdom authorities . Honourable Member's question . However, it assumes that he is referring to the levels of export refunds in the wine-growing sector . (!) OJ No C 343 , 21 . 12 . 1993 .
The measure in question, which provides inter alia for a 20 % cut in the current level of refunds , was adopted after a substantial fall in wine prices had been recorded on the representative production markets in the Community . All other conditions remaining equal , this fact justifies the WRITTEN QUESTION E-2995/93 adjustment in the level of refunds . by Herman Verbeek ( V ) and Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf ( V ) to the Commission (25 October 1993) ( 94/C 310/85 ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2979/93 by Lyndon Harrison ( PSE ) to the Commission Subject: Organic production of agricultural products : progress of legislation on organic animal (25 October 1993) production ( 94/C 310/84 ) Article 1(2 ) of Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 2092/91 ( l ) on Subject: -European Year of the Elderly and solidarity organic production of agricultural products and indications between generations referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs states that a proposal concerning the principles and specific measures of control governing organic animal production , Is the Social Affairs Commissioner aware that the United non-processed animal products and products intended for Kingdom Government, in preparation for privatization of human consumption containing ingredients of animal origin Post Offices in the United Kingdom , had deliberately misled shall be submitted by the Commission as soon as possible elderly persons and those eligible for social security benefits and before 1 July 1992 . currently paid weekly, in cash, at rural and sub-post offices by omitting to offer this form of payment as an option although it remains a statutory right . Government On 18 October 1992 we put a question to the Commission distributed literature seeks to persuade recipients to have on how long it would take to draw up the proposal . Can the their benefits paid by direct transfer to a bank account . Commission now be more specific about the time-frame , Many elderly people do not have a bank account and have given that the organizations concerned are very anxious that not been advised that they can continue the long accepted the proposal should be submitted owing to the serious method of collection as a right . Any attempt to discontinue problems raised by the lack of legislation on organic this could mean the closure of many small and rural post products of animal origin ? offices and deprive the elderly ( and other social security beneficiaries ) of the shopping and social opportunities Can the Commission therefore indicate when it will be able enjoyed at present . to submit the proposal ?
Will the Commission seek to safeguard the elderly from such (!) OJ No L 198 , 22 . 7 . 1991 , p . 1 . discrimination in this, the European year of special provision for their needs .
Answer given by Mr Steichen Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission on behalf of the Commission (21 March 1994) (13 January 1994)
In the explanatory memorandum to its proposal of The Commission has noted the points raised in the question 12 November 1993 for a Council Regulation amending and wishes to recall, in this context, the Council Declaration Regulation ( EEC ) No 2092/91 on organic production of 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/47 agricultural products and indications referring thereto on 3 . How far does the EC plan to negotiate the four freedoms agricultural products and foodstuffs ( 1 ), the Commission of the Single Market with Russia and the other republics explained that since the adoption by the Council of which are currently members of the CIS ? Regulation ( EEC ) No 2092/91 , which was restricted in a first phase to unprocessed agricultural crop products and 4 . Whether it is now possible to set down where the eastern processed foodstuffs essentially composed of ingredients of frontier of the European Community will finally be ? plant origin, the Commission has concentrated on the proper management of the regime . The short experience with the regime has shown that a number of provisions needed to be clarified or improved to permit proper implementation . Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission (21 December 1993) In this situation, it appeared premature to extend at this stage the scope of the Regulation to animal products, given also the greater complexity of the issues involved . The 1 . Europe agreements , establishing associations with the Commission has therefore given priority to the development Community have been negotiated and signed with Poland , of a proposal which aims primarily to improve the Hungary, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Romania and functioning of the current regime . Bulgaria . The preambles to the trade and economic cooperation agreements with Albania , Estonia, Latvia, Although preparatory technical work to develop the Lithuania and with Slovenia mention that association standards and specific inspection rules for animal products agreements can be negotiated in due course with these is in hand , the Commission considered it would be prudent countries , when conditions are met . to delay finalization of a proposal on animal products to the more realistic date of 30 June 1995 . 2 . The Copenhagen European Council of June 1993 agreed that the associated countries in central and eastern (M COM(93 ) 558 . Europe that so desire shall become members of the European Union . Accession will take place as soon as an associated country is able to assume the obligations of membership by satisfying the economic and political conditions required .
3 . It has never been the aim of the Community to negotiate with the successor States of the former Soviet WRITTEN QUESTION E-2996/93 Union the four freedoms of the single market . by James Elles ( PPE ), Otto von Habsburg ( PPE), Fernand Herman ( PPE ) and Ria Oomen-Ruiiten ( PPE ) The partnership and cooperation agreements which the to the Commission Community has started negotiating with Russia and a (25 October 1993) number of other successor States of the former Soviet Union ( 94/C 310/86 ) are , unlike the Europe agreements , not based on the creation of free-trade areas . The partnership and cooperation agreements will be based on the principle of mutual Most-Favoured-Nation ( MFN ) treatment . However, at Subject: Relations between the EC, eastern Europe and the least as far as Russia is concerned, it will contain a provision CIS allowing under certain conditions for it to develop into a free trade agreement at a later stage . Events have moved rapidly in the past few months , with respect to relations between the European Community and Under the new agreements at present being negotiated, trade countries in eastern Europe and the CIS . Decisions are being in goods will be based on MFN treatment . In the meantime , taken by EC authorities which appear to react to events the Community has introduced certain autonomous market rather than be part of a broad well thoughtout strategy . opening measures . For example, the successor States of the former Soviet Union have been included in the system of generalized preferences . For cross-border trade in services Will the Commission indicate : the draft agreement for Russia envisages MFN treatment for a list of services to be defined . 1 . Which countries will be eligible for negotiating an association agreement with the EC ? Does this include Concerning the establishment of companies , the improved the Baltic States ? negotiating directives of 5 April 1993 which, so far, apply exclusively to Russia , foresee MFN treatment for the 2 . Does the fact of having negotiated an association establishment of companies and national treatment for the agreement with the EC give a third country an implicit operation of companies . The mandate of October 1992 , right to expect EC membership in the longer term ? which is still valid for all other successor States of the former No C 310/48 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
Soviet Union, foresees MFN treatment for both the Measures implemented so far include : establishment and the operation of companies . — identification in the legislative programme of Concerning capital movement connected with direct forthcoming proposals which, at first sight, should be investment made in companies , the draft agreements preceded by broad consultations; envisage in principle ensuring the free movement of capital, but, at least as far as Russia is concerned, with certain, — publication of work programmes and legislative programmes in the Official Journal of the European probably temporary, restrictions for capital movements Communities to publicize action planned by the connected with outward investment made by Russian residents . Commission; — measures to publicize the existing databases ; The free movement of workers is not envisaged . However, the draft agreement envisages non-discriminatory treatment — publication in ' the Official Journal of the European of legally employed workers . Communities each week of lists of documents on general topics; 4 . Given the tumultuous changes , political and economic , over recent months and years , it would be rash to — adoption of a new information and communication forecast where the future eastern frontiers of the policy. Community will be set and within what time-frame . However, it is clear that, at present, the Community does For further information, the Honourable Member is not envisage future membership for the Newly Independent referred to the Commission's communication on openness States of the former Soviet Union . in the Community ( ).
(!) OJ No C 166, 17. 6 . 1993 .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3044/93 by Yves Verwaerde ( PPE ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3077/93 to the Commission by Kenneth Stewart ( PSE ) (29 October 1993) to the Commission ( 94/C 310/87 ) (5 November 1993) ( 94/C 310/88 ) Subject: Commission programme for 1993/94 Subject: Proposed new prison at Fazakerley, Liverpool In its communication No 93/C 125/01 ( ), the Commission outlined its programme for 1993/94 . Does the Commission agree with the British Government in their persistence in building a new prison in Fazakerley, The main priorities for future action set out in this Liverpool, the area being the most institutionalized prison programme include information and clarification, as well as area in the whole of Europe ? greater transparency in a Community closer to its citizens . The site is in full view ofpatients from the nearby Fazakerley Hospital and surrounded by a residential housing estate , On this last point, will the Commission provide details of which we consider bad planning . the initial results of its work ? The vast majority of residents are opposed to this project f 1 ) OJ No C 125 , 6 . 5 . 1993 , p . 1 . and the possibility of a further experiment of prison ships on the Mersey .
Will the Commission investigate the advisability of such a Answer given by Mr Delors on behalf of the Commission scheme, in view of the very high density of residential and hospital property in this area ? (17 December 1993)
The Commission is taking measures in various areas of Answer given by Mr Pinheiro activity, particularly as regards initiatives to encourage on behalf of the Commission greater public participation in the preparation of (8 December 1993) Commission Decisions and proposals, its annual work programme and legislative programme, access to documents, dissemination of existing information, and The Commission would take this opportunity to remind the information and communication policy . Honourable Member that many areas are outside 7. 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/49
Community competence , including penal policy and town The areas of Catalonia eligible under Objectives 2 and 5(b ) planning . are covered by this assistance . The measures in question receive assistance from the national and regional governments and from local authorities ( the Community contribution to these two Objectives is 50 % of total public expenditure ):
(million ECU) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 110/93 Community Areas/measures Beneficiary by Concepció Ferrer ( PPE ) administration part-financing ( ERDF ) to the Commission (10 November 1993) Objective 2 ( one measure Central 19,847 ( 94/C 310/89 ) also benefiting Aragon, La Rioja and Madrid ) Objective 2 ( six measures ) Regional 7,947 Subject: Financial assistance to the Catalan textile industry Objective 2 Local 6,391 as part of the Retex Community initiative ( eight measures ) Objective 2 ( one measure ) Local 0,301 The European Commission has granted the first financial Objective 5(b ) ( one measure Central 1,188 assistance through the Structural Funds under the Retex also benefiting Aragon ) initiative to the regions affected by the restructuring of the Objective 5(b ) Local 0,147 textiles sector in France . ( one measure )
Can the Commission say whether any programmes have been submitted with the aim of solving the problems It should also be noted that the Retex initiative provides afflicting the Catalan textiles industry, which is suffering support for areas heavily dependent on the textiles and from a worrying and continuing loss of jobs in the clothing industry to reduce the extent of that dependence ready-to-wear clothing sector ? and facilitate the adaptation of viable firms in all industrial sectors . This means that Retex is not a sectoral measure but one designed to strengthen industry in the region .
Answer given by Mr Millan on behalf of the Commission (28 January 1994)
On 2 December 1992 the Spanish authorities sent the Commission a proposal for an operational programme under the Retex Community Initiative to assist a number of WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 138/93 areas in eleven regions , including Catalonia , between 1993 by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) and 1997 . to the Commission (19 November 1993) The Retex Programme for Spain was approved on 28 July ( 94/C 310/90 ) 1993 . The total cost to public funds is ECU 145 088 000 , broken down as follows :
— Structural Funds : 90 393 000 ( 62,3% ). ERDF : 87 312 000 comprising Objective 1 : 50 811,000 Subject: Use of Special Local Government Development Objective 2 : 35 039 000 , Objective 5(b ): 1 462 000 . Programme funds in Greece ESF : 3 081 000 comprising Objective 1 : 2 780 000 , Objective 2 : 301 000 . With a view to the funding of the Special Local Government — Central governments : 27 018 000(18,6% ) Development Programme ( SLGDP ) in Greece , will the Commission examine the possibility of including this programme in the sub-programmes of the Regional — Regional governments : 20 985 000 ( 14,5 % ) Operational Programmes and prevent it being split into a large number of small-scale projects, in order to avoid — Local authorities : 6 692 000 ( 4,6% ) SLGDP funds being wasted ? No C 310/50 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
Answer given by Mr Millan (1992 indices-base: 1985 = 100) on behalf of the Commission Production Consumer (5 January 1994) General index Member State prices for prices of consumer . agricultural for agricultural products products prices
The Commission thinks that local development Belgium 94,2 108,9 117,3 programmes in Greece should be correctly planned , Denmark 91,9 114,0 126,7 managed and coordinated . With this in mind it is going to examine with the Greek authorities the most appropriate Germany 92,0 110,8 115,1 way of financing this type of activity on the basis of Greece 248,3 295,3 308,1 proposals made by the said authorities for the preparation Spain 109,4 145,5 153,5 of the next Community support framework ( 1994—1999 ). France 98,5 120,1 123,0 Ireland 106,3 119,0 125,1 Italy 117,9 148,2 147,3 Luxembourg 99,4 112,5 115,9 Netherlands 93,4 105,5 112,5 Portugal 135,7 183,9 206,7 WRITTEN QUESTION E-3202/93 United by Victor Arbeloa Muru ( PSE ) Kingdom 114,7 150,0 146,4 to the Commission Source: Eurostat . (23 November 1993) ( 94/C 310/91 )
Subject: Agricultural prices and the consumer WRITTEN QUESTION E-3212/93 by lb Christensen ( ARC ) Have the falling prices for agricultural products since 1989 to the Commission been accompanied to date by a corresponding fall in the (23 November 1993) prices paid by the consumer ? ( 94/C 310/92 )
Subject: Exemption from capital requirements in financial Answer given by Mr Steichen institutions on behalf of the Commission (2 February 1994) Paragraph 44 of the Danish law on banks and savings banks allows for exemptions from the capital requirement of ECU Passing on fluctuations in production prices of agricultural 5 million in general and, in the case of local credit products to the consumer is a complex business . A number cooperations, of ECU 1 million . of factors play a role in the process , including the type of products, the processing they undergo before reaching the final consumer, the profit margins of processers and This applies to financial institutions granted authorization distributers, the level of competition on the market, prior to 18 December 1989 . particularly at the marketing stage , and the impact of taxation. All these factors make it very difficult, if not impossible, to analyze the impact of a change in producer 1 . Does the Commission consider such exemptions to be in prices on the prices paid by consumers . breach of Community legislation ?
2 . Do any Commission proposals or plans exist to render Having said this, in recent years there has been a slowing, if such exemption provisions inapplicable in Denmark not a fall, in production of agricultural products in several and the rest of the Community ? Member States, while the consumer price index for foodstuffs has continued to rise . However, as the following table shows, the price index for foodstuffs has risen more 3 . Can the exemption provisions be expected to become slowly in almost all Member States since 1985 than the inapplicable at some time or another and , if so, general consumer price index . when ? 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/51
Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi — short term : to capitalize on projects already under way on behalf of the Commission and which will bear fruit in 1993/94, giving visibility to (28 January 1994) the Community's cooperation and job creation, e.g. in the fields of housing, credit and assistance for small and medium-sized businesses, solid waste removal, sewage, The Commission is aware of the content of the Danish Gaza hospital , construction of classrooms , completion legislation on banks and savings banks , which exempts of industrial parks . credit institutions granted authorization prior to 18 December 1989 from the minimum capital requirement — medium term : to contribute to the economic laid down in the Second Council Directive on the normalization of the territories by improving the coordination of laws, regulations and administrative economic and social infrastructure e.g. provisions relating to the taking-up and pursuit of the business of credit institutions ( 89/646/EEC ) ( 1 ). telecommunications , roads, electricity, industrial estates . This exemption is consistent with Article 10(2 ) of the same Directive , which contains a 'grandfather clause' applicable 4 . In order to enable the Palestinians to handle large to all Member States . The Commission sees no reason to amounts of international assistance , the Commission abolish this clause , which has given rise to no problems to considers it important to help them to establish the requisite date . technical and financial machinery . For this the Commission is prepared to give the Palestinians the necessary technical 0 ) OJ No L 386 , 30 . 12 . 1989 . assistance .
5 . In addition to the existing 1993 EC aid programme ( 23 projects for ECU 15 million ) the following action has WRITTEN QUESTION E-3241/93 been initiated since September 1993 : by Marc Galle ( PSE ) to the Commission ( a ) Environmental projects : (23 November 1993) — Rafah Municipality ( Gaza ) solid waste disposal ( 94/C 310/93 ) programme . Project start : October 1993 ; Cost ECU 1,5 million .
Subject: Financial aid following the Gaza-Jericho Accord — Gaza City solid waste disposal programme . Feasibility study ready . Agreement being prepared . Following the conclusion of the Gaza-Jericho Accord Project start : January 1994 ; Cost : ECU 1,5 million between the State of Israel and the official representative of ( Phase I ). the Palestinian people, the PLO , the European Community announced that it would provide financial aid . ( b ) ECU 20 million additional aid approved on 19 October 1993 : How much is being provided , under what budget heading and for what projects ? — ECU 15 million for running costs of universities and community colleges .
Answer given by Mr Marin — ECU 5 million for technical assistance will be used on behalf of the Commission immediately once committed to launch various (19 January 1994) studies necessary for short and medium term projects . The Community technical assistance office in Jerusalem will be financed out of this . 1 . The Commission proposed to the Council on 29 September 1993 , that ECU 100 million per year for the ( c ) A further ECU 9 million will be available end years 1994—1998 be made available by the Community in November 1993 for the I Phase of the Rafah ( Gaza ) the form of grants and long-term loans, totalling ECU sewage project . 500 million . Half of this amount would be provided by the Community budget and the balance through EIB lending . 6 . For 1994 ECU 50 million in grants have been 2 . Since the World Bank has estimated the minimum proposed and pre-programming is being prepared now . capital requirements of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to Projects will be ( in million ECU ): be in the range of ECU 422—464 million per year ( 1994—2003 ) the Commission considers its contribution — housing programme in the Gaza Strip : 10; appropriate taking into account the needs and absorption capacity . — school construction in the Gaza Strip : 10 ; 3 . The Community's approach will focus on two complementary aims : — industrial parks in the Gaza Strip : 10 ; No C 310/52 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
— credit programme for small/medium size The Commission hopes that job losses can be kept to a enterprises : 8 ; minimum . In the case of Volkswagen further redundancies have been avoided by an agreement on reductions in — microprojects in the West Bank and the working time . The Commission hopes that management Gaza Strip : 7; and trade unions in other companies will study this and other innovative approaches with a view to avoiding — general technical assistance, research and studies : 5 . redundancies .
( This technical assistance is designed to-prepare projects for In various ways the European Community is active in the medium- and long term allocation of Community funds increasing the competitiveness of its motor vehicle industry, and also for possible EIB loan interventions ) and thus ensuring a strong future for car manufacturing in Europe . At the same time it is active in facilitating the 7 . The aid is financed from the budget line for assistance adjustment of the sector to ensure social acceptability of this to the Occupied Territories ( B7-406 in the 1993 budget). structural change .
Measures to this effect, envisaged by the Community and suggested to the Member States, will be presented in a communication on the motor vehicle industry to be published early in 1994 .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3397/93 by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) to the Commission (2 December 1993) ( 94/C 310/94 ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3423/93 by Ferruccio Pisoni ( PPE), Franco Borgo ( PPE), Mauro Subject: Dismissals in the German automobile industry Chiabrando ( PPE), Agostino Mantovani ( PPE ) and Giuseppe Mottola ( PPE ) to the Commission 40 000 jobs will have been shed by the Daimler-Benz company by the end of 1994, including 27 000 by (2 December 1993) Mercedes, and Volkswagen also intends to shed 12 500 ( 94/C 310/95 ) jobs : these figures reflect the scale of the problems facing the automobile industry in Germany and in Europe in general . There are widespread fears that the crisis may undermine social cohesion . Subject: The spread of esca grapevine disease and how to control it
Does the Commission intend to consider how to support the European automobile industry and to limit mass dismissals Esca disease is a fungus which attacks grapevines, making by major companies in that sector ? the young plants go rotten . It is a disease which dates back to Roman times , developing and spreading in alternate cycles . It causes enormous damage to the wine-growing sector, as entire vineyards are irremediably damaged , including areas particularly famous for wine-growing or those where Answer given by Mr Bangemann vineyards are an important feature of the landscape and the on behalf of the Commission environment . (24 February 1994)
There have been outbreaks of the disease in the Piedmont area but this is now spreading to other regions of Italy and The Commission is concerned about the job losses in other Community Member States . German and other European car manufacturing companies . It considers these to be the results of efforts by the industry to adjust — to a varying degree depending on the company In view of the above , can the Commission state : — in order to become more competitive, as well as a reaction by the industry to the decline in demand for motor cars in 1 . whether it is aware of the progress of the disease and its the Community of approximately 16% in 1993 . possible repercussions ?
The Commission trusts that — with the economy picking up 2 . what steps it intends to take , i.e. direct measures at — car demand will increase . This should reduce the need to Community level and coordination of action taken by adjust the level of employment . the Member States ? 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/53
Answer given by Mr Steichen For these reasons , the Commission has made contact with on behalf of the Commission all interested parties in the salmon sector, Community (25 February 1994) producers as well as processors and third country suppliers .
Esca (Stereum hirsutum) is a vine disease which is present in The Honourable Member will be aware that the Irish most vineyards . The Commission does not have enough authorities have requested the Commission to take facts at its disposal to enable it to judge extent of the disease safeguard action in order to rectify the situation, under in the Community . Article 24 of Regulation ( EEC ) No 3759/92 on the common organization of the market in fishery and aquacultural The Community is currently financing a research products . programme on eutypa disease (Eutypa lata), a vine disease which has been spreading rapidly in recent years . Like Stereum hirsutum, Eutypa lata is a rot fungus and , It is well known that Norway is the principal supplier of according to the literature, seems to be one of the precursors fresh and frozen salmon to the Community market . The of esca . If it proved necessary to coordinate the work on esca Commission has consistently pointed out — as have the at Community level, this could perhaps be done under the most concerned Member States — the necessity for programme . EC/Norwegian cooperation and the need for joint market stabilizing solutions . In addition, the Commission could give specific consideration to the harmful organism in question in the To that end the Commission has made contact with the context of the measures contained in Council Directive Norwegian authorities to explore possible solutions to the 68/193/EEC on the marketing of material for the vegetative current problem . propagation of the vine . The Commission is currently preparing a proposal for a revision of that Directive , and the After EC/Norwegian consultations the Commission decided parameters relating to the presence of harmful organisms autonomously ( Commission Regulation ( EEC ) which reduce propagation material's value for use will have No 3193/93 ) (*) to introduce a system of minimum import to be reviewed . prices 'erga omnes ' from 20 November 1993 , based on Article 24 of the Regulation . The Commission will continue to follow the market situation closely and will if necessary modify or supplement the said scheme .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3461/93 ( J ) OJ No L 285 , 20 . 11 . 1993 . by Winifred Ewing ( ARE ) to the Commission (9 November 1993) ( 94/C 310/96 ) WRITTEN QUESTION E-35 12/93 Subject: Norwegian salmon dumping by Alexander Langer ( V ) to the Commission In view of the economic damage being wreaked in certain disadvantaged areas of the Union which are largely (17 November 1993) dependent upon fish farming and salmon fisheries and ( 94/C 310/97 ) where there are few alternative job opportunities , will the Commission take an urgent initiative to combat the recent huge increase in cheap salmon imports from Norway to Subject: Protection of Bishop Pedro Casaldaliga protect Community producers from unfair competition and to compensate them for recent losses sustained as a result of the havoc caused in the markets by Norwegian salmon According to information provided by the French-speaking dumping ? Belgian section of Amnesty International , the well-known and courageous Brazilian bishop of Sao Felix do Araguala ( Mato Grosso), Dom Pedro Casaldaliga ( nominated for the Nobel Prize ) has received serious threats to his life . These Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas threats , which have taken the form of a clearly spelt-out on behalf of the Commission anonymous warning, are believed to be in response to the (1 December 1993) bishop's commitment to the Xavante Indians , who were recently assured that some of their ancestral lands would be restored to them . The unlawful occupants of these lands The Commission shares the Honourable Member's and/or groups linked to organizations of 'posseiros ' and preoccupation at the present state of the market for salmon, land-owners are alleged to have hired a killer to assassinate which is characterized by a decreasing price level and a the bishop, who is widely known as a defender of the poor general over supply . and was actively involved in the campaign to restore lands No C 310/54 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 11 . 94 which previously belonged to Agip Petroli's 'Fazenda Suia operation which has already been launched and will lead Missu'. The restoration of these lands was achieved through to the award of a diploma , whilst the programme for the patient and effective cooperation between native teaching of Portuguese in Malawi, Namibia , Zambia communities, Brazilian and Italian non-governmental and Zimbabwe is on a more modest scale ? What are the organizations ( coordinated by the 'North-South characteristics of each of these programmes ? Campaign'), Brazilian , Italian and European Community parliamentary and government agencies and the ENI-Agip 2 . What amounts have been allocated to each of these Petroli company itself. programmes ?
Does the Commission intend to alert its delegation in Brazil , make representations to the Brazilian authorities concerning this danger and thus help to improve vigilance and protection of Dom Pedro Casaldaliga's life ? Answer given by Mr Marin on behalf of the Commission (28 February 1994) Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (9 December 1993) 1 . It must be remembered that the Portuguese language and the English language components of this project represent two quite different stages in the development of Concerned at the information provided by Amnesty the language training capability of the SADC staff. Thus, on International regarding the death threats allegedly received the one hand, the English component is in fact in its first full by the Brazilian bishop of Sao Felix do Araguaia ( Mato phase of implementation following a successful 18-month Grosso), the Commission has indeed alerted its delegation in pilot phase funded under the Sixth EDF . The aim of this Brazil . It has , moreover , asked Member States to consider pilot phase was to develop the course materials to perfect the whether representations should be made to the Brazilian methodology to be used for course delivery, to identify authorities on this matter . instructions and to develop an appropriate system for the management and control of a programme offered in two separate countries . Now that these objectives have been achieved, it has been possible for the English language component to move to full implementation .
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 707/93 On the other hand , due to both administrative and technical by José Gil-Robles Gil-Delgado ( PPE ) factors , the development of the Portuguese language component has been somewhat slower and only now is this to the Commission component ready to enter its pilot phase . The Seventh EDF (3 January 1994) project, therefore, seeks to consolidate and extend the 94/C 310/98 experience of the English pilot phase and to assist with the development of the more complex Portuguese component. It is clear that, should the experience of the Portuguese Subject: Language-learning programme in the States of the language pilot phase be successful , this component too will Southern African Development Community move to a phase of full implementation.
In March last year, a grant of ECU 2 million was made under It should be emphasized , however, that the project is the terms of the Lome Convention in respect of a designed to meet the effective demand from SADC officials, language-learning programme in the states of the Southern civil servants who are involved in SADC projects or in other African Development Community . The programme is aspects of regional cooperation and relevant personnel from designed to provide training in English or Portuguese for the parastatal and private sector organizations . The scale of the staff of parastatal organizations and private-sector eventual financial allocations to the two components will undertakings, the English-language programme being therefore reflect this effective demand . directed at Angola and Mozambique and the Portuguese-language programme at Malawi , Namibia , Zambia and Zimbabwe . Whilst such encouragement for the On the question of certification, the only diploma use in the recipient countries of the languages of obtainable as a result of following the various levels of the neighbouring countries in the same regional organization is English language programme is a certificate of attendance to be welcomed , it must be borne in mind that, in order awarded by the Institute of Languages in Maputo following genuinely to facilitate trade and cooperation, the aid must be an end-of-course assessment . As yet this certificate has no evenly distributed . formal standing within the SADC region . It is anticipated that a similar certificate procedure will apply to individuals 1 . Is it true that the programme for the teaching of English who successfully complete the various Portuguese language in Angola and Mozambique is part of a large-scale courses . 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/55
2 . The budget for the Seventh FED project is as whether the Commission assumed joint responsibility when follows : it co-financed certain projects . He did not answer . (ECU) Will the Commission therefore state whether it will , as is to English language 1 225 000 be expected , assume joint responsibility for the harmful Portuguese language ( pilot phase ) 355 000 effects on the inhabitants of the Aspe valley and the natural heritage of the region of the work on the Somport tunnel and 155 000 Project management the Pau-Saragossa motorway improvements co-financed by Contingencies 265 000 the Community ?
Total 2 000 000
Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas WRITTEN QUESTION E-3727/93 on behalf of the Commission by Alex Smith ( PSE ) (21 December 1993) to the Commission
(3 January 1994) In so far as the Community is involved , the Commission has ( 94/C 310/99 ) a responsibility for ensuring that Community legal instruments which apply in the context of the Somport Subject: Nuclear reactor fuel — Edlow Group tunnel project are complied with . This monitoring of the application of Community law is carried out by the What information is held by the Commission on the Commission within the limits of its competence . corporate background of the Edlow Group of companies and its involvement in the management and transport of nuclear research reactor spent fuel into , within and without Community Member States ? Has the Edlow Group been given any contract in regard to the handling and transport of research reactor fuel at the Commission's Joint Research WRITTEN QUESTION E-3789/93 Centre reactor sites ? by Hemmo Muntingh ( PSE ) to the Commission Answer given by Mr Matutes (12 January 1994) on behalf of the Commission ( 94/C 310/101 ) (28 February 1994)
Edlow International is a United States based company Subject: Allocation of Consumer Protection budget line B5-101 in 1993 which specializes in the transportation of radioactive materials . 1 . How have the appropriations provided for in 1993 's This company, among others, organizes the transportation Consumer Protection budget line B5-101 ( Representation ) of fresh and irradiated nuclear fuels between research been allocated , and for what purpose ? reactors within the Community and facilities outside . 2 . In particular , have Parliament's recommendations for Edlow International has not obtained any contract the way in which the money should be spent been adhered concerning the handling and the transportation to or from to ? (') the Community's joint research centre reactor sites . 3 . If not, why not ?
0 ) OJ No L 31 , 8 . 2 . 1993 , p . 991 . WRITTEN QUESTION E-3735/93 by Gérard Onesta ( V ) to the Commission Answer given by Mrs Scrivener (30 November 1993) on behalf of the Commission ( 94/C 310/100 ) (28 February 1994)
Subject: Co-responsibility of the Commission in projects co-financed by the Community On 15 December 1993 the appropriations provided for under budget heading B5-101 'Consumer protection When giving his oral answer to question H-l 122/93 on ( Representation )' were allocated to the organizations 17 November, Commissioner Van den Broek was asked referred to in the remarks to the Article in question . No C 310/56 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 11 . 94
The one exception was that out of the appropriations for effectively ( see , for example , the various draft standardization only the sum of ECU 200 000 was amendments to Council Regulations concerning the committed, as the new organization designed to develop the notification procedure in the event of fraud ( J ) and the role of consumers in standardization could not be put into Commission's working plan ) ( 2 ). The proposals include place until the end of 1993 . In accordance with the remarks the adoption of administrative penalties , particularly in to the budget heading, these appropriations were therefore the case of certain agricultural Regulations ( 3 ). committed to measures for the development of consumer organizations in southern Europe and Ireland . The Commission would point out that it is first and foremost the responsibility of Member States to detect and penalize fraud involving Community funds and, therefore , to introduce appropriate ways and means of doing so .
( ! ) — Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 797/93 ( EEC ) No 1552/89 implementing Decision 88/376/EEC, by Robert Delorozoy ( ELDR ) Euratom on the system of the Communities' own resources, COM(92 ) 519 final, 11 . 12 . 1992 , currently under to the Commission consideration by the Council . (12 January 1994) — Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 2082/93 , 20 . 7 . 1993 amending Regulation ( EEC ) No 4253/88 , laying down ( 94/C 310/102 ) provisions for implementing Regulation ( EEC ) No 2052/88 as regards coordination of the activities of the different Structural Funds, OJ No L 193 , 31 . 7 . 1993 . — Proposal for a Council Regulation replacing Regulation Subject: Redressing the Community budget ( EEC ) No 1468/81 on mutual assistance between the administrative authorities of the Member States and cooperation between the latter and the Commission to According to Commission estimates, fraud involving ensure the correct application of the law on customs or Community financial aid represents 10 to 15 per cent of agricultural matters, COM(92 ) 544 final , 21 . 12 . 1992 , and total expenditure and affects primarily the Structural Funds COM(93 ) 350 final, SYN 450, 1 . 9 . 1993 . and the EAGGF . ( 2 ) See II , point 4 , page 5 1 of the Commission's 1993 annual report on combating fraud, 20 . 4 . 1993 , COM(92 ) 544 final, 21 . 12 . 1992 . There is currently no provision for any system of sanctions ( 3 ) For example : and the Commission says that it does not have the staff to — Regulation ( EEC ) No 3887/92 of 23 . 12 . 1992 laying down combat such practices , which damage Europe's standing. detailed rules for applying the integrated administration and control system for certain Community aid schemes, Articles 9(2 ) and 10(2 ), OJ No L 391 , 31 . 12 . 1992 . What measures are being considered to put an end to this — Regulation ( EEC ) No 643/93 of 19 . 3 . 1993 amending situation ? Regulation ( EEC ) No 2677/85 laying down implementing rules in respect of the system of consumption aid for olive oil , OJ No L 69 , 20 . 3 . 1993 .
Answer given by Mr Schmidhuber on behalf of the Commission (23 February 1994)
In the absence of any reliable method of putting a conclusive figure on fraud involving Community funds , the WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 808/93 Commission is unable to confirm the figure mentioned by by Hugh McMahon ( PSE ) the Honourable Member, since the cases of fraud reported to the Commission by the Member States do not reflect the total amount of (12 January 1994) misappropriated Community funds . ( 94/C 310/103 )
But the Commission is aware of the extent of the problem and is acting to combat it : Subject: Reorganization of DG V — by coordinating, where necessary, measures taken by Member States ; Can the Commission explain to Parliament the details of the — by proposing legislation and Regulations designed to reorganization of DG V in general and of the Social Fund in - protect the Community's financial interest more particular, which took place in the summer of 1993 ? 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/57
Answer given by Mr Flynn What initiatives does the Commission intend to take to on behalf of the Commission abolish these restrictions in the Member States ? (25 February 1994)
The reorganization of DG V was decided by the Answer given by Mr Van Miert Commission on 28 July 1993 . A copy of the new on behalf of the Commission organigramme has been sent to the Honourable Member (24 March 1994) and to the Secretariat-General of the Parliament .
The reorganization reflects a number of elements 1 . The proposed cooperation arrangement between including : France Telecom and Deutsche Bundespost Telekom has — the creation of a new Directorate responsible for policy been widely reported . Media coverage indicates that the two companies intend to create a global alliance through the development and evaluation of the European Social Fund ; creation of a jointly-owned company to provide a range of data and business services . The new company will be — the creation of a special Task Force for the framework established from a number of existing parts of the two employment initiative, given the particular importance operators' businesses both within and outside Europe . to be attached to the issue of employment; The Commission cannot provide detailed information — the reinforcement of DG V's capacity for analysis of the concerning the proposed arrangement, which remains a situation in Member States both in the employment and matter of commercial agreement between the parties . the social field ; — some adjustments in the light of the implementation of 2 . On 22 July 1993 , the Council agreed a firm timetable the Treaty on European Union, re-grouping for the future development of the telecommunications responsibilities in the area of the social dialogue and of sector . Within the process of preparation up to 1 January public health . 1998 , the Commission has undertaken to launch a wide-ranging debate on the development of infrastructure through the publication of a Green Paper on infrastructure by the end of 1994 . That Green Paper will take into account market developments such as those arrangements referred to above . WRITTEN QUESTION E- 13/94 by Fernand Herman ( PPE ) 3 . As requested by a number of Member States , the to the Commission Commission is currently studying the impact of the possible (8 February 1994) liberalization of cable television infrastructure on ( 94/C 310/104 ) telecommunications services . In the light of the results of the study expected in the near future , the Commission will evaluate what measures may be appropriate . Subject: Agreement between France Telecom and Deutsche Bundespost Telekom
1 . Deutsche Bundespost Telekom and France Telecom have signed an agreement in principle aimed at merging a substantial part of their European and transatlantic WRITTEN QUESTION E-42/94 activities . by Jessica Larive ( ELDR ) Can the Commission give details of the content and effect of to the Commission this initiative ? (9 February 1994) ( 94/C 310/105 ) 2 . The creation of a mega-operator will have a considerable impact on the European market . Subject: Participation by EFTA countries in EC education Ought the Commission not to envisage speeding up the and training programmes process of infrastructure liberalization in order to restore some balance to this market ? EFTA countries have been able to participate in the EC's 3 . In this connection consideration must be given to Comett and Erasmus Programmes since 1990 and 1992 removing the restrictions on the use of cable for services respectively . which have already been liberalized , particularly since this infrastructure is able to provide a range of services to Given the prospect of participation by EFTA countries in all individual consumers and thus contribute to the universal EC education and training programmes with effect from service . 1 January 1995 , is the Commission able to assess : No C 310/58 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94
1 . The scale of participation by EFTA countries in Erasmus WRITTEN QUESTION E-288/94 and Comett to date and the significance attached by the by Raymonde Dury ( PSE ) EFTA countries to such participation ? to the Commission 2 . How EC grants have been allocated to those (25 February 1994) programmes and what the EFTA countries themselves ( 94/C 310/106 ) contribute towards them ? What will the level of their own contributions be with effect from 1995 ? Subject: Training of hairdressers : Belgium and France 3 . Whether participation by the EFTA countries has ( yet ) had any effect on participation by Member States ? Is a I understand that students of French nationality who hold quota system used or to be used with regard to one of the qualifications awarded in Belgium by an , participation by the EFTA countries ? educational establishment in the French-speaking Community ( of Belgium ), i.e. : — the fourth-year professional hairdressing certificate ;
Answer given by Mr Ruberti — the sixth-year professional hairdressing certificate; on behalf of the Commission — the seventh-year professional hairdressing certificate ; (20 April 1994) — the certificate of lower secondary education; — the certificate of higher secondary education; 1 . The figures available on the participation of the EFTA countries in Erasmus and Comett give a clear indication of — the supplementary management experience certificate, the extent to which universities and undertakings from these countries are involved in the cooperation projects developed are having difficulties getting their qualifications recognized under these two Programmes . in France and opening hairdressing salons there .
2 . The financial contribution of the EFTA countries Can the Commission say what steps have been taken by the under the bilateral agreements up to 1993 was calculated by French Government to enable such students to have their applying a proportionality factor reflecting the ratio Belgian qualifications recognized in France and to open between the GNP of these countries and GNP EUR12 . The hairdressing salons in that country ? total annual contribution of the seven countries was ECU 19,4 million . Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi From 1994 , the rate of contribution of the five EFTA on behalf of the Commission countries in the European Economic Area will be calculated (8 April 1994) by applying the proportionality factor ( GNP EFTA/GNP EUR12 ) adopted for the 1994 budget ( 9,44% ), to which is added the EFTA countries ' contribution towards the Member States maintain the option of defining the Programmes' administrative costs . The total contribution , conditions governing the taking up or pursuit of a as provided for by Article 82 of the Agreement on the profession and the use of a title provided that this does not European Economic Area , is ECU 12,5 million . Switzerland involve any discrimination against nationals of other and Liechtenstein participate in these Programmes on the Member States . In this respect, France retains the freedom to basis of bilateral agreements and their financial contribution require a relatively high standard of training for pursuing is ECU 4,5 million . the occupation of hairdresser . Moreover, Article 3— 1 of Act No 87-343 of 22 May 1987 supplementing Act No 46 - 1 1 73 of 23 May 1 946 , which governs the occupation 3 . The levels of participation of the individual countries of hairdresser in France, lays down specific conditions of ( Member States and EFTA ) are not subject to the recognition for Community nationals not in possession of application of a scale, but the Commission does ensure a French qualifications . According to Article 2 of Directive balanced participation of all the countries in both 82/489/EEC of 19 July 1982 laying down measures to Programmes, while safeguarding Community interests and facilitate the free movement of hairdressers in the the development of the European dimension, which is one of Community, activities pursued in another Member State the selection criteria . may be recognized under certain conditions , i.e. the foreign national must have pursued , in the Member State where he 4 . The Commission will send various tables on the levels obtained his qualifications , the occupation of hairdresser as of participation of all the countries ( Member States and the person responsible for managing an undertaking for a EFTA ) directly to the Honourable Member and to the period of three to six years . Secretariat-General of the Parliament . However, where the foreign national does not have the necessary professional experience , his qualifications should nevertheless be taken into consideration . The Court of 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/59
Justice, in Case 222/86 Unectef v. Heylens [ 1987] ECR4097 WRITTEN QUESTION E-395/94 and Case C-340/89 Vlassopoulus [ 1991 ] ECR 1-2357 by Maxime Verhagen ( PPE), Jean Penders ( PPE ) and stressed that national authorities are obliged to take account James Janssen van Raay ( PPE ) of the diplomas, certificates and other evidence acquired in another Member State by comparing the skills attested to by to the Commission such diplomas with the knowledge and qualification (2 March 1994) required under national rules ; it added that there must be ( 94/C 310/108 ) procedural safeguard . See answer to Written Question No 839/92 by Mr Glinne (').
The Commission has become aware through individual Subject: South Africa complaints of the more specific difficulties encountered by students of French nationality who possess qualifications awarded in Belgium . It has contacted the French authorities several times in this connection, stressing above all the need 1 . When will the Commission fulfil its undertaking, to apply the principles deriving from the decisions of the given by Commissioner Bangemann on 14 December 1993 during the debate on future relations with South Africa ( the Court . However , it has not yet been informed of any steps Braun-Moser report, A3-0377/93 ), to reply in writing to Mr taken by the French Government to enable such students to have their Belgian qualifications recognized as equivalent in Verhagen's questions ? France .
2 . Can the Commission give Parliament full and detailed The Commission will continue to press the French authorities to find a solution in the cases mentioned . information about expenditure under the Special Program ?
(') OJ No C 247, 24 . 9 . 1992 . 3 . Is it true that Awepa activities have been financed from the budget heading for the Special Program and , if so , which ?
WRITTEN QUESTION E-3 73/94 4 . Will the Commission step up its scrutiny of by Anita Pollack ( PSE ) disbursements under the Special Program ? to the Commission (1 March 1994). ( 94/C 310/107 ) 5 . Will the Commission — in line with the resolution adopted by Parliament on supporting the process of democratization in South Africa — set up a voters' Subject: Strategy on integrated management of Europe's education programme in consultation and cooperation with coastal zones the IEC ( Independent Electoral Committee )?
Will the Commission ensure the European Parliament is consulted on its proposal for a strategy on integrated 6 . How does the Commission ensure that the funds it management of Europe's coastal zones , and does it provides to support the process of democratization in South acknowledge that the strategy should address the problem Africa do not solely benefit the ANC ? of coastal erosion ?
7 . How will the Commission ensure that the extra funds available for the Special Program benefit new partners ( such Answer given by Mr Paleokrassas as the Independent Development Trust and the Urban on behalf of the Commission Foundation ) as well as traditional partners ( such as the (8 April 1994) Kagiso Trust, the Council of Churches , etc .)?
In accordance with Article 130S of the EC Treaty, the 8 . With which new partners is the Commission already Parliament will be consulted on the Commission proposal cooperating in implementing the Special Program ? for a strategy on integrated management of European coastal zones . This type of strategy essentially aims at improving planning at the most effective level , in the light of 9 . Will the Commission take steps to ask the Court of the subsidiarity principle . Improved planning would also Auditors to draw up a report on the disbursement of funds reduce damage caused by coastal erosion . under the Special Program in order to ensure that expenditure is lawful and to check that rumours of fraud are unfounded ? No C 310/60 Official Journal of the European Communities 7. 11 . 94
Answer given by Mr Marin WRITTEN QUESTION E-521/94 on behalf of the Commission by Sotiris Kostopoulos ( PSE ) (30 March 1994) to the Commission (14 March 1994) ( 94/C 310/109 ) 1 . The replies of the Commission to the questions raised by Mr Verhagen during the debate on the future relations with South Africa on 14 December 1993 are the following : Subject: A Directive providing compulsory measures to combat AIDS ( information, monitoring, research 2 . The brochure 'The European Community's Special and special programmes ) Programme on South Africa', published in May 1993 and updated at the end of last year, gives an overall view of expenditures by sector . Can the Commission state whether it intends to draw up a Community Directive making it compulsory to take measures to combat AIDS ( information, monitoring, 3 . Awepa has received support under the Special research and special programmes ) in the various health Programme through the Southern African Catholic Bishops programmes of the different European Union Member Conference ( SACBC ) for one activity : providing technical States ? assistance to a voter education project for a contractual amount of 286 000 Rand .
4 . Financial procedures relating to the drawing up of contracts and the implementation of projects are carried out Answer given by Mr Flynn in concert with the Commission's Financial Controller . on behalf of the Commission Regular missions by Brussels-based staff control the Special Programme's activities . (6 May 1994)
5 . The European Electoral Unit is working with the Independent Electoral Commission ( IEC ) on voter In its communication on the framework for action in the education . Six projects presented by the EIC are being field of public health ( J ), the Commission presented its considered at the moment for funding out of the Special proposals for continuing Community action in the area of Programme's resources . Moreover, the Special Programme public health in order to fulfil the objective set out in for South Africa has been financing since July 1993 voter Article 129 of the EEC Treaty . education activities through the Media Commission of the Independent Forum for Electoral Education for a total amount of ECU 5 273 177. Since Article 129 excludes any harmonization of the laws and Regulations of the Member States in order to contribute 6 . The Special Programme has not funded political to the achievement of the objectives laid down in the Article , parties . the Commission will be unable to promote the adoption of a Community Directive in the area referred to by the Honourable Member . 7 . The Special Programme has supported , through cofinancing, programmes which involve a range of organizations like the Independent Development Trust ( i.e. However, the plan of action contained in the proposal for a the Water and Sanitation project, 396 ). Decision concerning the extension to the end of 1994 of the 1991—1993 plan of action in the framework of the 'Europe Against AIDS Programme' ( 2 ), which the Commission has 8 . Universities , NGOs active in the Health sector, forwarded to the Council , provides for a whole series of UNHCR and private consultants have been involved in the measures to combat AIDS, including notably information, activities of the Special Programme . epidemiological observation and research measures in this area . 9 . The Commission would request more specific elements on the 'rumours' referred to in the question but is (!) COM(93 ) 559 final of 24 . 11 . 1993 . ready to have the Court of Auditors report on the Special ( 2 ) COM(93 ) 453 final of 29 . 9 . 1993 . Programme . 7 . 11 . 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 310/61
WRITTEN QUESTION E-5 73/94 WRITTEN QUESTION E-729/94 by Sérgio Ribeiro ( GUE ) by Georgios Anastassopoulos ( PPE ) to the Commission to the Commission (18 February 1994) (22 March 1994) ( 94/C 310/110 ) ( 94/C 310/111 )
Subject: Directive on money laundering Subject: Breakdown of senior administrative posts by nationality
Directive 91/308/EEC ( ) on prevention of the use of the Will the Commission provide a breakdown by nationality of financial system for the purpose of money laundering is , in the senior administrative posts from head of unit to our opinion, of key importance in the fight against Director-General ? drug-trafficking and other illegal activities . According to Article 17 the Commission should, one year after 1 January 1993 — i.e. on 31 December 1993 — and whenever necessary thereafter , draw up a report on the Answer given by Mr Van Miert implementation of the Directive and submit it to the on behalf of the Commission European Parliament and the Council . (5 May 1994)
Can the Commission say to what extent it has complied with this Article of the Directive ? The Commission is sending tables showing the nationality of Commission officials in senior administrative posts direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's (!) OJ No L 166 , 28 . 6 . 1991 , p . 77 . Secretariat .
Answer given by Mr Vanni d'Archirafi on behalf of the Commission (28 March 1994) WRITTEN QUESTION E-782/94 by Mary Banotti ( PPE ) to the Commission The Commission is perfectly aware of the content of Article 17 of the Money Laundering Directive ( 91/308/EEC ) (22 March 1994) as regards its obligation to draw up a report on the ( 94/C 310/112 ) implementation of this Directive and submit it to the Parliament and to the Council . Subject: Consumer information and safety monitoring regarding the consumer By the date on which this report was due, 31 December 1993 , only five Member States had notified the Commission of the full implementation of the Directive . The Commission Under the Directive on general product safety or the accordingly commenced procedures under Article 169 EC Directive on product liability, must each Member State be Treaty against those Member States which have not informed of a fault in a product ( for example a motor car ) or implemented the Directive . The situation is further be obliged to withdraw it if it has been recalled from one complicated by the fact that in those Member States that Member State ? have adopted the necessary legislation the procedures to prevent money laundering as laid down in the Directive have Within the Rapid Alert system are not all Member States only just come into operation . A report on the situation at informed of the withdrawal of a defective product, so that the end of 1993 would be of little value . Member States can act on the warning and take the measures required to protect the consumer ? The situation in relation to the implementation of the Directive in the seven Member States that had not done so by the end of 1993 is encouraging . It is expected that by the Answer given by Mrs Scrivener end of June , all Member States will have adopted the on behalf of the Commission necessary legislation . Accordingly it is hoped that the Commission will be able to prepare the report which will be (22 April 1994) submitted as soon as possible to the Parliament and to the Council . Council Directive 85/374/EEC on liability for defective products O does not provide for any system of exchange of information between Member States on measures adopted No C 310/62 Official Journal of the European Communities 7 . 11 . 94 to restrict the marketing or the withdrawal of a defective they in turn inform the Commission of the measures that, on product from the market . their own responsibility, they have considered it necessary to take . Therefore, the notification is first of all the As far as the urgency procedure is concerned, Council responsibility of the Member States which have to assess the Decision 89/45/EEC ( 2 ) set up a Community system for the European dimension of the potential risk of the product and rapid exchange of information on dangers arising from the the nature of the measures to be adopted . The primary aim use of consumer products . Under this Decision Member of this procedure is to put Member States in a position to States are obliged to inform the Commission immediately take any necessary measures . through an official notification when they decide to take measures restricting the placing on the market of a product or requiring its withdrawal from the market on the grounds This information procedure is incorporated into Article 8 of of the serious and immediate risk it presents to the health Council Directive 92/59/EEC ( 3 ) on general product safety and safety of consumers . which should be implemented by Member States by 29 June 1994 at the latest. Under this Directive another procedure is However, this obligation does not apply if there exists an set up, by which, under very precise conditions, the equivalent information procedure provided for by other Commission, assisted by a Committee , could take binding Community instruments or if the effects of the risk do not, emergency measures in the form of a Decision addressed to or cannot, go beyond the territory of the Member State the Member States . concerned . (M OJ No L 210 , 7 . 8 . 1985 . The Commission, after checking the conformity of the ( 2 ) OJ No L 17, 21 . 1.1989 . notification, forwards it to the other Member States and ( 3 ) OJ No L 228 , 11 . 8 . 1992 .