ISSN 0378-6986 Official Journal C27E Volume 43 of the European Communities 29 January 2000 English edition Information and Notices Notice No Contents Page I (Information) EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WRITTEN QUESTIONS WITH ANSWER (2000/C 27 E/001) E-0668/98 by Sir Jack Stewart-Clark to the Commission Subject: Commission proposal for levy on blank tapes (Supplementary Answer) .................... 1 (2000/C 27 E/002) E-0850/98 by Hanja Maij-Weggen to the Commission Subject: Introduction of a neighbouring-country compatibility assessment for all national legislation (Supplementary Answer) ............................................................ 2 (2000/C 27 E/003) E-0931/98 by Riitta Myller, Reino Paasilinna, Pertti Paasio and Jörn Donner to the Com- mission Subject: The Commission and freedom of expression (Supplementary Answer) .................... 3 (2000/C 27 E/004) E-0942/98 by Allan Macartney to the Commission Subject: ‘Ship-shaped’ production facilities for oil exploration (Supplementary Answer) ................ 4 (2000/C 27 E/005) E-0976/98 by Armelle Guinebertière to the Commission Subject: Legality, under European competition law, of the reservation of a quarter of French government and local authority contracts for workers’ production cooperatives (WPCs) (Supplementary Answer) .............. 4 (2000/C 27 E/006) E-1002/98 by Gianni Tamino to the Commission Subject: Flouting of Community legislation in the contracting procedure for the ‘Cispadana’ road project (Supple- mentary Answer) ....................................................... 5 (2000/C 27 E/007) E-1777/98 by Reimer Böge to the Commission Subject: Agenda 2000 and the WTO agreements (Supplementary Answer) ....................... 6 (2000/C 27 E/008) E-2879/98 by Panayotis Lambrias to the Commission Subject: Infringement of Directive 91/674/EEC concerning insurance undertakings (Supplementary Answer) .... 8 (2000/C 27 E/009) E-2983/98 by John McCartin to the Commission Subject: Excessive cost of motor vehicle insurance in Ireland .............................. 8 EN Notice No Contents (continued) Page (2000/C 27 E/010) E-2984/98 by John McCartin to the Commission Subject: Derogations in motor insurance in Ireland .................................... 9 Joint supplementary answer to Written Questions E-2983/98 and E-2984/98 . 9 (2000/C 27 E/011) E-3099/98 by Umberto Bossi to the Commission Subject: Professional relations among professional soccer players (Supplementary Answer) .............. 10 (2000/C 27 E/012) E-3709/98 by Hiltrud Breyer to the Commission Subject: GMO marketing approval dossier C/NL/96/10, Directive 90/220/EEC (Supplementary Answer) ..... 11 (2000/C 27 E/013) E-4092/98 by Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission Subject: European coordination of defence industries ................................... 12 (2000/C 27 E/014) E-0163/99 by Mark Watts to the Commission Subject: Railway services in the United Kingdom ..................................... 13 (2000/C 27 E/015) E-0183/99 by Hiltrud Breyer to the Commission Subject: Authorisation/approval of genetically modified seeds (Supplementary Answer) ................ 14 (2000/C 27 E/016) E-0221/99 by José Mendes Bota to the Commission Subject: Portugal lagging behind in the European single market (Supplementary Answer) ............... 16 (2000/C 27 E/017) E-0388/99 by Gerhard Schmid to the Commission Subject: Objective 5b projects in Bavaria (Supplementary Answer) ........................... 17 (2000/C 27 E/018) E-0417/99 by Jens-Peter Bonde to the Commission Subject: Free movement of Greenlanders in the EU and the EEA (Supplementary Answer) .............. 17 (2000/C 27 E/019) E-0506/99 by Klaus Lukas to the Commission Subject: Sixth value added tax directive/Austria ...................................... 18 (2000/C 27 E/020) E-0513/99 by Sérgio Ribeiro to the Commission Subject: Trade agreement with the Republic of South Africa in the textile and clothing sector ............ 19 (2000/C 27 E/021) E-0514/99 by Sérgio Ribeiro to the Commission Subject: Trade agreement with the Republic of South Africa in the textile and clothing sector ............ 19 Joint answer to Written Questions E-0513/99 and E-0514/99 . 19 (2000/C 27 E/022) E-0680/99 by James Nicholson to the Commission Subject: Cancer research ................................................... 20 (2000/C 27 E/023) E-0687/99 by Fernand Herman to the Commission Subject: General incentive to grow crops for non-food purposes ............................ 21 (2000/C 27 E/024) E-0881/99 by Ursula Schleicher to the Commission Subject: Toxic moulds in maize flour and maize products ................................ 22 (2000/C 27 E/025) E-0897/99 by Roberta Angelilli to the Commission Subject: Attempts to break up the European Space Agency ............................... 23 (2000/C 27 E/026) E-0906/99 by Manuel Escolá Hernando to the Commission Subject: Spanish policy on xenotransplants ........................................ 24 (2000/C 27 E/027) E-0917/99 by Eryl McNally to the Commission Subject: Equal opportunities and the Fifth Framework Programme ........................... 24 (2000/C 27 E/028) E-0946/99 by Freddy Blak to the Commission Subject: Disastrous cutbacks at Romanian children’s homes ............................... 25 (2000/C 27 E/029) P-0950/99 by Bernd Lange to the Commission Subject: Ban on the hormone disruptor tributyltin (TBT) in ship coatings ....................... 26 (2000/C 27 E/030) E-1017/99 by Nikitas Kaklamanis to the Commission Subject: Failure to comply with commitments entered into by DG XII ......................... 27 EN Notice No Contents (continued) Page (2000/C 27 E/031) E-1057/99 by Phillip Whitehead to the Commission Subject: EMEA procedure for the notification of the parallel distribution of centrally- authorised medicinal products 28 (2000/C 27 E/032) P-1120/99 by Astrid Thors to the Commission Subject: Production of retreaded passenger and truck tyres ................................ 29 (2000/C 27 E/033) P-1376/99 by Ole Krarup to the Commission Subject: EU funding for the ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation) ....................... 30 (2000/C 27 E/034) P-1377/99 by Werner Langen to the Commission Subject: Law on chimney sweeping in the Federal Republic of Germany ........................ 30 (2000/C 27 E/035) P-1378/99 by Barbara Weiler to the Commission Subject: European Voluntary Service ............................................ 32 (2000/C 27 E/036) P-1379/99 by Xaver Mayer to the Commission Subject: Protection of beavers flood damage ...................................... 33 (2000/C 27 E/037) P-1380/99 by Johannes Swoboda to the Commission Subject: Income tax levied on assets in a Member State of the Union .......................... 34 (2000/C 27 E/038) P-1381/99 by Mark Watts to the Commission Subject: Deregulation of public transport services ..................................... 34 (2000/C 27 E/039) P-1382/99 by Joan Colom i Naval to the Commission Subject: EU aid to the Spanish flax industry ........................................ 35 (2000/C 27 E/040) P-1383/99 by Pedro Aparicio Sánchez to the Commission Subject: Information on the Structural Funds ....................................... 36 (2000/C 27 E/041) P-1384/99 by Per Gahrton to the Council Subject: EU defence policy implications of the Cologne Summit ........................... 36 (2000/C 27 E/042) P-1385/99 by Ria Oomen-Ruijten to the Commission Subject: Discrimination against Dutch contractors under German tax legislation .................... 37 (2000/C 27 E/043) E-1389/99 by Klaus-Heiner Lehne to the Commission Subject: Discrimination against EU citizens in the Federal Republic of Germany .................... 37 (2000/C 27 E/044) E-1471/99 by Elly Plooij-van Gorsel to the Commission Subject: New German tax legislation for the building sector ............................... 38 Joint answer to Written Questions P-1385/99, E-1389/99 and E-1471/99 . 38 (2000/C 27 E/045) P-1387/99 by Carlos Costa Neves to the Commission Subject: Production of refined sugar in the Azores Autonomous Region ........................ 38 (2000/C 27 E/046) E-1388/99 by Freddy Blak to the Commission Subject: Video surveillance of employees .......................................... 40 (2000/C 27 E/047) E-1390/99 by Klaus Hänsch to the Commission Subject: Commission report on checks on the implementation of the social legislation relating to road transport .40 (2000/C 27 E/048) E-1392/99 by Ursula Schleicher to the Commission Subject: Application of directives on the general right of residence of citizens of the Union in Portugal ...... 41 (2000/C 27 E/049) E-1393/99 by Bernd Lange to the Commission Subject: Subsidies for Vion VVaG .............................................. 42 (2000/C 27 E/050) E-1394/99 by Jannis Sakellariou to the Commission Subject: Paul van Buitenen .................................................. 43 (2000/C 27 E/051) E-1395/99 by Gerhard Schmid to the Commission Subject: Management of Österreichisch-Bayerische Kraftwerke AG power stations ................... 44 (2000/C 27 E/052) E-1397/99 by Mathieu Grosch to the Commission Subject: Equivalence as regards conditions for entitlement to an early retirement pension .............. 44 EN Notice No Contents (continued) Page (2000/C 27 E/053) E-1399/99 by Gerhard Schmid to the Commission Subject: Daytime running lights and light-sensitive switches ............................... 46 (2000/C 27 E/054) E-1400/99 by Michl Ebner and Doris Pack to the Commission Subject: The Commission’s infringement