18. Natural disasters: Denmark, Germany and the UK
B5-0376/1999
European Parliament resolution on the hurricane disaster in Denmark, Germany and the UK
The European Parliament,
A. having regard to the hurricane disaster which occurred on Friday 3 December 1999 in northern Ger-
many, southern Denmark and parts of the United Kingdom,
B. dismayed at the number of deaths caused by this natural disaster,C. concerned about the thousands of families and businesses who remained without any electricity for
several days after the hurricane,
D. worried about the severe damage to forests in southern Jutland which adversely affects living condi-
tions for an incalculable number of animal and plant species and seriously jeopardises environmentalprotection measures taken by the Danish state over many years,
E. whereas, in addition to the lives lost and the environmental damage, the hurricane caused direct
damage to houses, cars, businesses, farms and regional infrastructure (roads,power supplies, etc.) esti-mated at €135000000,
1. Extends its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to all those affected by the hurri-
cane;
2. Calls on the competent authorities to draw up thorough and rigorous assessments of the damage to
forests and of all the other environmental consequences of the hurricane;
3. Calls on the Danish electricity suppliers to ensure that the power supply is made less vulnerable to
similar natural catastrophes in future;
4. Isaware thatsubstantialfundingwillberequired torestoreforestsandremedythedamagecausedto
property; calls on the Commission,therefore, to support the regions concerned as far as possible in fund-ing the requisite measures;
5. Callsonthe Commission,in that connection,tosupport the regions andlocal authorities concerned,
with particular regard to the targeted use of existing aid, and to grant them every possible assistance;
6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the govern-
ments and regions of the Member States concerned.
19. Natural disasters: Vietnam
B5-0336/1999
European Parliament resolution on the floods in Vietnam
The European Parliament,
A. whereas more than one hundred people died in the hurricane at the beginning of December,B. whereas, accordingtoreportsbytheInternationalFederationoftheRedCross,hundredsofthousands
of people in Vietnam are likely to be short of food over the next nine months because of the floods,18.10.2000 EN C 296/209 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday 16 December 1999
C. whereasmanyfarmerswhohadlosttheir harvestintheeven greater floodsonemonthagohadtaken
out loans in order to be able to plant new seeds, and whereas they have now lost a second harvest,
1. Expresses its sympathy with the families of those who were killed in the recent floods;
2. Calls on the international community to come to the aid of the Vietnamese farmers;3. Welcomes,inthisconnection,theeffortsofECHOtomakeECU700000inhumanitarian aidimme-
diately available in order to help the Vietnamese people;
4. Notes the report by the government concerning violent protests by peasants in the Thai Binh pro-
vince in northern Vietnam which indicates that the situationofthe rural populationin Vietnam is becom-ing economically more and more difficult and calls on the Commission to consider further long-term aidto improve the situation;
5. InstructsitsPresidenttoforwardthisresolutiontotheCouncil,theCommissionandtheGovernment
of Vietnam.
20. Book prices in Germany and Austria
B5-0329/1999
European Parliament resolution on the fixing of book prices
The European Parliament,
A. whereas the Commission will shortly be deciding on the complaint from the Austrian undertaking
LIBRO on the German-Austrian fixing of book prices,
B. whereas Parliament, the Council and the Commission have considered the importance of books and
the fixing of book prices on a number of occasions(1),
C. whereas it views books as both economic and cultural assets,D. whereas it believes that the fixing of book prices, in which a number of Member States engage, safe-
guards the existence of numerous independent publishing houses, helps to preserve and promote var-iedliterary production,freedomofopinionandindependence ofresearch, science andteaching and2dash
in commoncross-border linguistic areas 2dash to promote the European idea and ensures, without direct
or indirect government aid, a dense network of bookshops, giving the reader an extensive, high-qual-ity and easily accessible supply of books,
E. whereas thefixing ofbookprices incommoncross-frontierlinguistic areascanbeavoidedbyimport-
ing or exporting and re-importing,
F. whereas the fixing of book prices is also threatened by electronic commerce,
(1) European Parliament resolution of 13 February 1981 on the fixing of book prices (OJ C 50, 9.3.1981, p. 102)
Commission communication to the Council of 25 May 1985 on the creation of a Community framework systemfor book prices (COM(85) 258); Commission communication to the Council of 27 November 1985 on the Euro-
pean dimension with regard to books (COM(85) 681); European Parliament resolution of 12 March 1987 on the
fixing of book prices (OJ C 99, 13.4.1987, p. 172); European Parliament resolution of 10 July 1987 on the Com-mission communication to the Council on the European dimension with regard to books (OJ C 246, 14.9.1987,p. 136); Resolution of the Council and the Ministers responsible for cultural affairs meeting within the Council of
18 May 1989 concerning the promotion of books and reading (OJ C 183, 20.7.1989, p. 1); Commission commu-
nication of 3 August 1989 on ‘Books and reading: a cultural challenge for Europe’ (COM(89) 258); EuropeanParliament resolution of 21 January 1993 on the promotion of books and reading in Europe (OJ C 42,15.2.1993,p.182);CouncilDecisionof22September1997oncross-borderfixedbookpricesinEuropeanlinguis-
tic areas (OJ C 305, 7.10.1997, p. 2); European Parliament resolution of 20 November 1998 on common book-
price fixing across borders (OJ C 379, 7.12.1998, p. 391).C 296/210 EN18.10.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday 16 December 1999