ISSN 0378-6986 Official Journal C 325 Volume 42 of the European Communities 12 November 1999 English edition Information and Notices Notice No Contents Page I Information European Parliament Written Questions with answer (1999/C 325/001) E-2312/98 by Riccardo Nencini to the Commission Subject: Directive 93/42/EEC (Supplementary Answer) .................................. 1 (1999/C 325/002) E-3171/98 by Marlies Mosiek-Urbahn to the Commission Subject: EU aid for Hesse from the Social Fund and Regional Fund (Supplementary Answer) ............. 2 (1999/C 325/003) P-3175/98 by John Iversen to the Commission Subject: Directive on zoonoses (Supplementary Answer) ................................. 2 (1999/C 325/004) E-3333/98 by Roberto Mezzaroma to the Commission Subject: Culture ........................................................ 4 (1999/C 325/005) E-3336/98 by Irene Soltwedel-Schäfer to the Commission Subject: Experiments with the release of genetically modified plants into the environment and the ‘placing on the market’ of such plants .................................................... 5 (1999/C 325/006) E-3353/98 by Maartje van Putten to the Commission Subject: Cross-fertilisation of transgenic crops with related non-transgenic food crops ................. 6 (1999/C 325/007) E-3355/98 by Maartje van Putten to the Commission Subject: Guaranteed consumer choice of products free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) .......... 7 (1999/C 325/008) E-3372/98 by Concepció Ferrer to the Commission Subject: Crisis affecting the pigmeat and pigskin processing industry in the EU ..................... 8 (1999/C 325/009) E-3375/98 by Quinídio Correia to the Commission Subject: Afforestation and woodland maintenance grants (Supplementary Answer) ................... 8 (1999/C 325/010) E-3400/98 by Marie-Paule Kestelijn-Sierens to the Commission Subject: Specific gene research ................................................ 9 (1999/C 325/011) E-3417/98 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission Subject: Rare diseases ..................................................... 10 EN Price: EUR 29,50 (Continued overleaf) Notice No Contents (continued) Page (1999/C 325/012) E-3481/98 by Jens-Peter Bonde to the Commission Subject: Transport of animals ................................................ 11 (1999/C 325/013) E-3483/98 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission Subject: Implementation of the operational programme on industry ........................... 11 (1999/C 325/014) E-3484/98 by Ernesto Caccavale to the Commission Subject: Generalised system of immunity for Europol agents ............................... 12 (1999/C 325/015) E-3514/98 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission Subject: Globalization and the Information Society .................................... 13 (1999/C 325/016) E-3515/98 by Amedeo Amadeo to the Commission Subject: Globalization and the Information Society .................................... 14 Joint answer to Written Questions E-3514/98 and E-3515/98 . 14 (1999/C 325/017) E-3531/98 by Daniela Raschhofer to the Commission Subject: Transport of breeding animals to third countries ................................. 15 (1999/C 325/018) E-3583/98 by Alexandros Alavanos to the Commission Subject: Suspension of funding for the Operational Programme on Telecommunications in Greece .......... 16 (1999/C 325/019) E-3602/98 by Alessandro Danesin to the Commission Subject: Funding of public television networks ....................................... 17 (1999/C 325/020) E-3605/98 by Quinídio Correia to the Commission Subject: Inclusion of Madeira in the ban on exports of Portuguese beef and veal .................... 18 (1999/C 325/021) E-3640/98 by John McCartin to the Commission Subject: Regional aid scheme D Upper Shannon, Ireland ................................. 19 (1999/C 325/022) E-3652/98 by Cristiana Muscardini to the Commission Subject: Agenda 2000 proposals on oilseeds ........................................ 19 (1999/C 325/023) E-3659/98 by José García-Margallo y Marfil to the Commission Subject: The millennium bug ................................................. 20 (1999/C 325/024) E-3668/98 by Doeke Eisma to the Commission Subject: Applicability of the directive on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions to human research with embryonic tissue ....................................................... 21 (1999/C 325/025) E-3679/98 by Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission Subject: Hemp textile products in Europe .......................................... 22 (1999/C 325/026) E-4095/98 by Mihail Papayannakis to the Commission Subject: Hemp products in Europe ............................................. 22 Joint answer to Written Questions E-3679/98 and E-4095/98 . 23 (1999/C 325/027) E-3688/98 by Bill Miller to the Commission Subject: The costs of and length of time taken by Court cases .............................. 23 (1999/C 325/028) E-3708/98 by Hiltrud Breyer to the Commission Subject: Human stem cells and tissue engineering ..................................... 24 (1999/C 325/029) E-3770/98 by Susan Waddington to the Commission Subject: Biodiversity D Honey Bees ............................................. 24 (1999/C 325/030) P-3773/98 by W.G. van Velzen to the Commission Subject: Telecommunications and universal service .................................... 25 (1999/C 325/031) E-3808/98 by Karin Riis-Jørgensen to the Commission Subject: Guidelines for SMUs ................................................. 27 (1999/C 325/032) E-3811/98 by Graham Watson to the Commission Subject: VAT accounting for opticians ........................................... 28 (1999/C 325/033) E-3814/98 by Concepció Ferrer to the Commission Subject: Programmes and projects in the field of research and development in Catalonia (Supplementary Answer) .28 EN Notice No Contents (continued) Page (1999/C 325/034) E-3815/98 by Concepció Ferrer to the Commission Subject: Programmes and projects in the field of agriculture in Catalonia (Supplementary Answer) .......... 29 (1999/C 325/035) E-3819/98 by Concepció Ferrer to the Commission Subject: Programmes and projects in the field of social policy in Catalonia ....................... 29 (1999/C 325/036) E-3821/98 by Concepció Ferrer to the Commission Subject: Lithuania’s accession to the European Union ................................... 30 (1999/C 325/037) E-3826/98 by James Janssen van Raay, Niall Andrews and José Girão Pereira to the Commission Subject: Audit of Community funding ............................................ 31 (1999/C 325/038) E-3834/98 by Paul Rübig to the Commission Subject: Impact of international financial turmoil on the European steel market D industrial policy .......... 31 (1999/C 325/039) E-3842/98 by Luciano Vecchi to the Commission Subject: Infringement proceedings brought against Italy in connection with trade in cocoa- based products ..... 32 (1999/C 325/040) E-3848/98 by Manuel Escolá Hernando to the Commission Subject: Extra stop on the Madrid-Zaragoza high-speed rail link ............................. 33 (1999/C 325/041) E-3859/98 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis to the Commission Subject: Progress in implementing subprogramme for tourism under the Community Support Framework for Greece 34 (1999/C 325/042) E-3878/98 by Philippe De Coene to the Commission Subject: Abolition of duty-free ................................................ 35 (1999/C 325/043) E-3882/98 by Eva Kjer Hansen to the Commission Subject: Implementation of Council Directive 92/117/EEC ................................ 36 (1999/C 325/044) P-3914/98 by Bertel Haarder to the Commission Subject: Penalty duty on European exports to the USA .................................. 37 (1999/C 325/045) E-3920/98 by Armelle Guinebertière to the Commission Subject: Extension of European Union regulations on organic production of agricultural products to livestock production without consultation of the European Parliament on the new proposal ................... 39 (1999/C 325/046) E-3940/98 by Carlos Robles Piquer to the Commission Subject: Assessing the various consequences of abandoning the International Space Station .............. 39 (1999/C 325/047) E-3943/98 by Anita Pollack to the Commission Subject: Sustainable Cities and Towns campaign ...................................... 40 (1999/C 325/048) E-3947/98 by Glenys Kinnock to the Commission Subject: UN World Food Programme ............................................ 40 (1999/C 325/049) E-3953/98 by Nuala Ahern to the Commission Subject: Euratom’s budget for 1999 ............................................. 41 (1999/C 325/050) E-3954/98 by Nuala Ahern to the Commission Subject: Radiological and environmental impact of French nuclear tests on the Mururoa and Fangataufa atolls ... 41 (1999/C 325/051) E-3971/98 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna to the Commission Subject: Community reference laboratory to monitor the quality and toxicology of processed industrial products in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors ............................................... 42 (1999/C 325/052) E-3972/98 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna to the Commission Subject: EU action to alleviate the grave crisis affecting fishing for swordfish ...................... 43 (1999/C 325/053) E-3974/98 by Frédéric Striby to the Commission Subject: Areas eligible for Objective 2 funding ....................................... 44 (1999/C 325/054) P-3992/98 by David Hallam to the Commission Subject: Ban on antibiotics .................................................. 45 (1999/C 325/055)