ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 33/161

(2004/C 33 E/158)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1735/03

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(26 May 2003)

Subject: Harmonisation of public holidays

Due to different traditions and political and religious events, there is a lack of uniformity throughout the EU in terms of the number of public holidays in Member States and how they are fixed. This can be viewed as an economic handicap which has considerable disadvantages. A step-by-step harmonisation of public holidays in EU states over the long term, including the postponement of public holidays usually falling on a weekday to the following weekend, as is the practice in the UK, would bring about greater economic benefit and give citizens the opportunity to optimise the use of their free time.

Can the Commission, although it has no direct responsibility in this area, give a clear indication of what possibilities exist of harmonising public holidays?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(15 July 2003)

As the Honourable Member notes, the Commission is not competent to act in this area. As a result, it seems unlikely that public holidays could be harmonised in this way in the Member States.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 33/83

(2004/C 33 E/079)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0805/03

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(17 March 2003)

Subject: Baby feeding and powdered milk in Africa

By means of a relentless propaganda campaign, multinational powdered-milk producers are continuing to encourage African women to feed their new-born babies on powdered milk instead of breastfeeding them. Such propaganda goes against the normal rules and is also particularly dangerous, since (1) in many parts of Africa the water needed in order to dissolve the milk powder is impure and it therefore acts as a disease carrier; (2) for the duration of the breastfeeding period, new-born babies enjoy immunity from various diseases; (3) insistent advertising of powdered milk in very poor countries is of benefit only to multinational companies and to the wealthy industialised countries which produce such milk.

1. What are the Commission's views on this matter?

2. Does it not think that powdered milk should be used as a substitute for breastfeeding only on the advice of medical or paramedical authorities?

3. Does it not think that, in agreement with the governments of the countries concerned, information campaigns should be conducted in order to promote an awareness of the health benefits which breastfeeding confers on new-born babies?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2003)

The Commission broadly agrees with the assessment of the problems related to formula feeding given in the question. The Commission's policy has consistently been to support breast-feeding in developing countries, except where the infant's mother is known to be HIV positive and the safety of formula feeding plus security of supplies can be guaranteed, or in cases of other pressing medical indications, which are rare.

The Commission therefore agrees that powdered mild should only be used as a substitute for breastfeeding on the advice of health workers.

The Commission supports the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes which was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981. In the Commission's view the Code remains of great relevance, although there is a need for it to be updated — particularly in view of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The Commission agrees that governments have a responsibility to provide information and education about infant feeding — in particular the advantages of breast-feeding and the problems associated with formula feeding — but it has no plans to support specific programmes in this area.

Increasingly the Commission's development funds are used for general health sector support rather than earmarked projects. While in this context the national government of the recipient country takes the lead in determining expenditure, the Commission would view the provision of appropriate information on baby feeding very important.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 65/122

(2004/C 65 E/134)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2261/03

by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission

(8 July 2003)

Subject: Survey of government support for professional football clubs

The Netherlands' Government, further to the letter of 11 July 2002 to it from the Commission (DG Competition H3/NTI/amv D(2002) 0422), has had a survey carried out of the type and extent of the financial relationship between 33 local authorities and professional football clubs (and their home grounds). As a result of the survey, the Netherlands' Government is now taking action to eliminate the lack of clarity surrounding the relationship between government and professional football clubs, having regard to the role they play in society, in a collaborative effort involving central government, provinces, local authorities, the Royal Dutch Football Association and the Commission.

However, such lack of clarity is not confined solely to the Netherlands. A similar survey of the situation throughout Europe would therefore be particularly welcome.

Has the Commission voiced its concerns to other Member States about suspected State aid? If so, which?

What does the Commission think of a Europe-wide survey of government support for professional football clubs? Is the Commission willing to have such a survey carried out?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(13 August 2003)

The Commission is currently assessing several potential state aid measures. In so far, questions have been posed to the Italian government regarding a decree allowing an apparently favourable application of accounting rules to professional sports clubs. The answers to these questions are currently being assessed. At the same time, based on a complaint, the sale of certain real estate to football club AZ in the Netherlands is under assessment. In this case the Commission has opened on 23 July 2003 a formal procedure. The Commission also recalls that it examined a French government's notification about public subsidies for professional sports clubs in 2001 and decided not to object because the measures were designed to assist education and initial training and as such constituted an educational or comparable scheme but not a state aid under the EC Treaty.

The Commission maintains that its policy should be developed on the basis of individual cases. Therefore, the Commission does at this stage not intend to launch a Europe-wide investigation regarding state aid to professional football clubs.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 65/243

(2004/C 65 E/259)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2898/03

by Helmut Kuhne (PSE) to the Commission

(1 October 2003)

Subject: Possible unjustified use of EU funds in Spain

A letter from an EU citizen has drawn my attention to the fact that, when the private housing estate on the Spanish coast known as ‘Alhama Candela’ was being expanded, EU funds were possibly used for a purpose other than the one for which they were actually intended.

According to my informant, the planning permission issued 30 years ago was granted solely on condition that the infrastructure was extended and improved. The then amount of DEM 2 million put up for that project by a German real estate purchaser was not used. In 1997, work was actually begun, but it was not completed. Nevertheless, the housing estate is being extended to include a new development involving the construction of more than 64 dwellings.

Electricity supply and road network conditions are described as catastrophic, with Iberdola, the electricity supply company, refusing to supply electricity. The apparent reason for its refusal to do so is that EU infrastructure payments were not paid as agreed.

The Commission:

— can the Commission confirm that EU aid for this project was actually approved and also paid;

— if so, was the grant subject to the condition set out above, and did the local authority duly comply with that condition?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(3 November 2003)

The information provided by the Honourable Member does not allow the time (the programming period) or place (the exact location, i.e. the region and site) of the project to be identified. As a result, it is not possible for the Commission to examine whether the project involved EU funding or not.

Nevertheless, given that this project appears to be in the housing sector, it should be pointed out that this sector is not eligible under the Structural Funds.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 33/162

(2004/C 33 E/159)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1737/03

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(26 May 2003)

Subject: Maritime transport of agricultural products from Almeria

Shipping agents, agricultural exporters and the Almeria port authority (Spain) are conducting a short study into the cost of a project to link Almeria to the Dutch port of Rotterdam. This maritime link would enable farmers in Almeria to begin exporting fruit and vegetables in November.

The proposal is for a boat carrying 80 lorries to sail from Almeria each week from November to March. The produce would be distributed by road from the Dutch port within a 350-kilometre radius (northern France, Belgium and Germany).

Given that this is a ground-breaking proposal which would facilitate the export of Almerian agricultural products to the heart of Europe while reducing goods traffic on the roads of central Europe, will the Commission make a significant contribution to the project to establish this shipping route?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(2 July 2003)

The Commission has an established policy to promote Short Sea Shipping as a complement and alternative to road transport. Increased use of Short Sea Shipping does not only alleviate land bottlenecks and congestion on the road network, but can also help reach environmental and safety targets. Consequently, it can play a major role in achieving the policy targets indicated in the Commission White Paper on European Transport Policy for 2010 (1).

In this framework the Commission welcomes the willingness of agricultural exporters and importers and the port authority of Almeria to study the possibility of using Short Sea Shipping to replace the general trend of utilising road transport to export those products from Spain to Benelux, Germany and France.

The Commission will be very interested in learning the results of the feasibility study and the commercial viability of the planned service. In this context factors such as frequency, regularity, availability of return cargo and type of ship and cargo carried (accompanied or unaccompanied trailers, containers, swap bodies) will undoubtedly be carefully considered.

In this context the Commission would like to draw the attention to the new Marco Polo programme which is scheduled for adoption in July 2003, with a call for proposals to be launched as soon as possible after adoption. The Programme is concerned with the implementation international freight services shifting freight of all segments of the market from road to short sea shipping, rail or inland waterway. If adopted, the programme will run from 2003 to 2010, with annual calls for proposals. For further details the Commission would refer to the new Marco Polo web site and helpdesk (http://europa.eu.int/comm/ transport/marcopolo/indexen.htm and tren-marco-polo@cec.eu.int).

(1) COM(2001) 370 final.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 65/88

(2004/C 65 E/099)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1684/03

by Jens-Peter Bonde (EDD) to the Commission

(20 May 2003)

Subject: Definition of ‘contracts with the Commission’

Further to the Commission's answer of 11 February to my question, E-2968/02 (1), concerning the recruitment competition, I should like a more detailed definition of the term ‘contracts with the Commission’.

The answer reads as follows: ‘x candidates were called to the oral test exam. Of these, x had or have had contracts with the Commission’.

Will the Commission say whether the term ‘young national expert’ falls within the definition of ‘contracts with the Commission’?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(20 June 2003)

In the Commission's response of 11 February 2003, the reference to candidates having or having had ‘contracts with the Commission’ meant that those candidates had or have had ‘permanent’, ‘temporary’ or ‘auxiliary’ contracts with the Commission, under the provisions of Article 1 (18) and Article 2 (18) of Title I — General provisions of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the Communities.

‘Seconded national expert’ contracts are not encoded in the Commission's database, nor is this information requested from those taking part in competitions.

(1) OJ C 192 E, 14.8.2003, p. 88.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 65/169

(2004/C 65 E/186)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2528/03

by David Bowe (PSE) to the Council

(29 July 2003)

Subject: Body piercing

Does the Council consider it necessary to make proposals for minimum common standards for licensing and operation for the commercial provision of the services of tattooing or body piercing in the EU in order to protect the health of the general public and to avoid needless tragedies like the recent death of Daniel Hindle in Sheffield in the UK? If not, why not?

Reply

(17 November 2003)

The Council would remind the Honourable Member that it is for the Commission to submit proposals to the Council within the scope of the powers laid down by the Treaty.

No proposal in this area has been submitted to the Council so far.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 33/167

(2004/C 33 E/166)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1765/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(28 May 2003)

Subject: Palco layoffs

The decision of the Schiesser-Palco company to close down its production plant in Greece on 30 May 2003 and transfer its manufacturing operations to Bulgaria will result in over 500 job losses among its workers, the majority of them affecting women, who, having been employed by the company for decades, will have difficulty in finding other jobs. Furthermore, despite its participation in various European Union-funded programmes, the company in question has already dismissed 3 60 workers over the last three years.

1. In what type of subsidised programme did Schiesser-Palco participate and was this accompanied by stipulations requiring the company to keep on its workers?

2. Given that Schiesser-Palco until recently had establishments in various Member States of the European Union, has the Commission set up a European works council for consultation of the workers affected in accordance with Directive 94/45/EC (1)?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(16 July 2003)

The above mentioned company has not been financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) in the framework of any Operational Programme in the period 2000-2006.

With regard to the application of Council Directive 94/45/EC of 22 September 1994 on the establishment of a European Works Council or a procedure in Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings for the purposes of informing and consulting employees, the Commission would remind the Honourable Member that negotiations on the establishment of such a body are begun only at the written request of 100 employees or their representatives in at least two Member States or on an initiative of the central management of the groups of undertakings in question. It is not, therefore, up to the Commission to encourage these negotiations, which require only that those benefiting from the rights created by the Directive indicate their interest.

(1) OJ L 254, 30.9.1994, p. 64.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 33/190

(2004/C 33 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1934/03

by Marie Isler Béguin (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(5 June 2003)

Subject: Prospects for LIFE

The Directorate-General for Environment recently published on its website (1) the final report of the Expert Group on the financing of the Natura 2000 network (Article 8 of the Habitats Directive). The cost estimate may well be adjusted, but the major institutional guidelines have been set down with a request that, after 2006, the cost be shared between the various Community funds (ERDF, EAGGF, etc.) and a separate financial instrument. That concept needs to be introduced into the various frameworks provided to that end and, in particular, into that of the major policy and budgetary reviews envisaged after 2006.

On the other hand, the report neatly sets out the problem of the link between the current LIFE financial instrument, which comes to an end in 2004, and the findings of the debate on Natura 2000 which will be implemented after 2006. LIFE-Nature is, currently, the only Community financial instrument which is exclusively dedicated to one of the objectives of the Sixth Environmental Action Programme — halting the decline in biodiversity in the Union between now and 2010.

Given the time required at institutional level to put in place a new Regulation, the Commission needs to submit a proposal by early September 2003 at the latest. After that date, it would be too late to select new projects in 2005 — as was the case in 2000 between LIFE II and LIFE III. Nature conservation experts seriously fear that the instrument will be purely and simply abandoned. Several recent meetings about Natura 2000 have prompted doubts about the Commission's willingness to pursue its short-term funding policy for LIFE-Nature.

What plans does the European Commission have in this respect?

Is a two-year renewal along the lines of the current Regulation a possible option?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(9 July 2003)

The Commission is aware of the important role that the LIFE-Programme plays in supporting Community nature conservation policy.

Since the new financial perspectives will not come on stream until 2007, consideration is now being given to a proposal to extend the LIFE-Programme for three years in an adapted form. The objective is to bridge the gap in co-funding from 2004 until 2007.

Rapid adoption by the Parliament and Council of such a Proposal would be required to avoid any interruption in the present scheme of financing.

(1) http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/nature/natura_articles.htm.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 65/63

(2004/C 65 E/067)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1211/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(2 April 2003)

Subject: Use of funds under the Framework for action on sustainable urban development in the European Union by the municipality of Carrara

In September 2002, the monitoring committee of the Italian Ministry for Economic Affairs issued a report on the spending of EU funds.

The report reveals the alarming slowness and inefficiency with which EU funds are allocated to projects by some regional authorities.

The grave concerns about the inadequate use of European funds by local authorities have frequently been echoed by the Commission.

Bearing in mind that some local authorities, such as the municipality of Carrara, urgently need to use European funds to promote sustainable urban development,

can the Commission state:

1. whether the municipality of Carrara has submitted projects for the Framework for action on sustainable urban development in the European Union?

2. whether the municipality of Carrara has secured funding for these projects?
2.

The Commission Reform White Paper of March 2000 aimed inter alia to clarify the responsibilities of the major actors managing Community resources. The Commission has just completed a major overhaul of its disciplinary provisions and structures. Firstly, a specialised Investigation and Disciplinary Office of the Commission (IDOC) was established under the administrative reform by Commission decision of 19 February 2002. This decision provides in its Article 6(6) that IDOC shall report on each inquiry and shall address in these reports the individual responsibilities of the official(s) concerned in relation to possible infringements of applicable rules, including the Financial Regulation. IDOC has a general investigatory responsibility on matters not falling within the scope of OLAF's investigative responsibilities. In order to avoid conflicts of responsibilities, Article 5 (2) of the same decision provides that before opening an administrative inquiry, OLAF mustbe consulted to check if OLAF itself is undertaking an inquiry or does intend to do so, and if so, IDOC would have to give priority to OLAF. In addition, the Commission has proposed amendments to the Staff Regulations in order to improve the way in which disciplinary proceedings are conducted. By virtue of the Commission Decision of 19 February 2002, the permanent Disciplinary Board must be chaired by a former member of one of the other Union institutions or a former official; the current chair is a former President of the Court of First Instance. The Commission has adopted on 24 July 2003 a consultative document containing detailed Draft Guidelines on the application of Article 22 of the Staff Regulations concerning remedies in the case of financial irresponsibility or negligence and leading to recovery or reparation for ‘damages suffered by the Communities’. The recast Financial Regulation (FR) adopted on 25 June 2002 set out the responsibilities of financial actors, described in the detailed implementing rules adopted in December 2002. Article 66(4) FR, created the legal base and the obligation for each institution to set up a specialised financial irregularities panel functioning independently, whose main task is, without prejudice to the power of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), to provide the Appointing Authority (AA) with an expertise on potential financial irregularities. The Commission has approved on 9 July 2003 the creation of an internal Financial Irregularities Panel (FIP), which will assess potential breaches of the Financial Regulation. The Commission Reform requires the delegated authorising officers, that is the Directors General and the Heads of Service, to submit annual activity reports and statements of assurance, accompanied by observations and reserves, if appropriate, for their areas of competence. The Commission prepares a Synthesis Report on these, and sends both the Synthesis and the Annual Activity Reports to the European Parliament and the Court of Auditors. The first set of reports were submitted in July 2002 for the 2001 year.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 65/67

(2004/C 65 E/074)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1218/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(2 April 2003)

Subject: Use of funds under the Framework for action on sustainable urban development in the European Union by the municipality of Pisa

In September 2002, the monitoring committee of the Italian Ministry for Economic Affairs issued a report on the spending of EU funds.

The report reveals the alarming slowness and inefficiency with which EU funds are allocated to projects by some regional authorities.

The grave concerns about the inadequate use of European funds by local authorities have frequently been echoed by the Commission.

Bearing in mind that some local authorities, such as the municipality of Pisa, urgently need to use European funds to promote sustainable urban development,

can the Commission state:

1. whether the municipality of Pisa has submitted projects for the Framework for action on sustainable urban development in the European Union?

2. whether the municipality of Pisa has secured funding for these projects?