ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1300/96 by Gerhard Botz (PSE) to the Commission (31 May 1996)

Subject: The Commission's participation in the Norwegian 'Maricult' research project involving the treatment of the sea with nitrogen

On page 223 of its 9/1996 edition the German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that the Commission is contributing ECU 1.8 m to the Norwegian 'Maricult' research project. This project includes the treatment of the sea with nitrogen.

Is the Commission in fact participating in this project? If so, can it explain what justifies its participation in so environmentally hazardous projects?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (25 July 1996)

Maricult is a long-term research programme developed by Norwegian scientists as part of a multiannual process involving international expertise. The main purpose of Maricult is to improve our still very incomplete understanding of marine ecosystems in order to provide a basis for management decisions in future. The Maricult programme will be implemented in the form of separate national or international projects.

In the framework of the Specific Research and Technological Development Programme in the field of Marine Science and Technology, the Commission is providing MECU 1.85 over 3 years to support the Comweb project (Comparative analysis of food webs based on flow networks: effects of nutrient supply on structure and function of coastal plankton communities). The main aim of the project is to develop analytical, numerical and experimental methods to facilitate decision-making in the decades to come as to whether increasing the production of marine biomass is possible, feasible and acceptable from an environmental point of view. Comweb is therefore contributing to the overall aims of Maricult.

Comweb was set up on the basis of recommendations of outside experts in the framework of the normal authorization procedure which requires contractual assurances of conformity with all relevant, national and international environmental legislation. The experts considered the environmental risks of the project to be low and controllable, as most of the project is to be carried out in the laboratory, and the amount of nutrients to be introduced during the field experiments is very low. The project is being carried out by 7 partner-institutions from 5 countries (Belgium, Germany, Spain, Norway and Finland), with the Norwegian participants receiving only 23% of the grant.

Please also refer to the answer given by the Commission to written question E-748/96 from Mrs Alvoet ((OJ C 322, 28.10.1996, p.6. )) on the same subject.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0134/96 by Honório Novo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (1 February 1996)

Subject: Environmental impact assessment of the IP1 between Freixo and Vilados Carvalhos

In reply to my questions Nos 2804/94 ((OJ C 139, 5.6.1995, p. 32. ))and 1861/95 ((OJ C 311, 22.11.1995, p. 19. )), Commissioner Bjenegard claimed on 21 September 1995 that the Commission had examined the observations forwarded by the Portuguese authorities and believed that 'further information was necessary'. As a result, the Commission had contacted the Portuguese authorities 'once more'.

Has the Commission received further explanations in connection with the possible violation of Directive 85/337/EEC ((OJ L 175, 5.7.1985, p. 40. )) with regard to the way in which the environmental impact assessment of the building work on the IP1 between Freixo and Vilados Carvalhos was carried out? If so, are these explanations satisfactory?

If they are not, what is the Commission going to do?

Additional answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (25 June 1996)

In addition to its answer of 19 April 1996 ((OJ C 185, 25.6.1996, p. 39. )), the Commission is able to inform the Honourable Member of the following.

Under Directive 85/337/EEC ((OJ L 175, 5.7.1985. )) on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, projects likely to have significant effects on the environment must be assessed for their impact before being granted authorization.

Additional information supplied by the Portuguese authorities indicates that building work for the IP1 project between Freixo and Carvalhos was started before the completion of the environmental impact assessment procedure provided for in the abovementioned Directive.

The Commission will bring these facts to the attention of the Portuguese authorities and will ask them to take all appropriate measures to ensure that the principles laid down in the Directive are fully respected.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1461/96 by Antonio Tajani (UPE) to the Commission (12 June 1996)

Subject: Minimum fish sizes

The Commission has published a proposal for a Regulation laying down transitional measures on minimum fish sizes (Annex IV to Regulation 1626/94 ((OJ L 171, 6.7.1994, p. 1. ))) limited to hake and mullet and applicable solely to the Adriatic.

The proposal does not seem to be definitive since it

- was drawn up without taking any account of the growth curves for the species concerned,

- is confined to only two of the species that have created problems for fishermen, a large proportion of undersize fish having been caught,

- is applicable only to the Adriatic although scientific data in the Commission's possession show that the problem concerns the entire Mediterranean, and thus also the other Italian seas,

- was drawn up without allowing time during the transitional period for specific scientific research programmes to obtain the further data needed to check whether the minimum sizes laid down in Regulation 1626/94 were actually practicable.

1. On what premises was the proposed amendment of Regulation 1626/94 based?

2. Why was consideration not given to suspending Annex IV to Regulation 1626/94 in the case of Italy?

3. What will the Commission do by way of response to the concerns of Italian fishermen?

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (1 July 1996)

Council Regulation (EC) n° 1626/94 stipulates certain minimum landing sizes, in particular for hake and red mullet, whose aim is to protect small fish from exploitation, thus allowing these fish to develop most of their growth potential, in order that fisheries can achieve higher yields in the framework of a responsible fishing activity.

However, in view of the difficulties certain Italian fishermen of the Adriatic Sea have in adapting their fishing practices to the situation, the Commission has recently proposed certain transitional measures which allow for a progressive integration in the general regime for the Mediterranean Sea.

This responds to a compromise between the immediate needs of certain Italian fishermen and the Community's commitment to responsible exploitation of marine resources on a sustainable basis in the long term. Suspension of the provisions of Article IV of Regulation (EC) n° 1626/94 would put in danger the marine resources concerned and, consequently, the continuity of fishing activities.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1918/96 by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler (V) to the Commission (16 July 1996)

Subject: Animal consignments - Bavaria

1. At what locations are slaughterhouses to be found?

2. Who are the operators of the slaughterhouses?

3. What capacity do the slaughterhouses have?

4. What are the places of origin of the animals slaughtered?

5. What haulage undertakings deliver to the slaughterhouses?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1917/96, E-1918/96, E-1920/96 and E-1922/96 given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (1 August 1996)

The Commission does not have sufficient, up-to-date information and is therefore unable to answer the questions put. This being the case, the Commission recommends that the Honourable Member approach the German authorities, including those of the Free State of Bavaria, which are more competent to answer this question.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1925/96 by Jesús Cabezón Alonso (PSE) to the Commission (16 July 1996)

Subject: Staff of the Committee of the Regions

Can the Commission state which authority, body or institution can provide details of the criteria used to select, engage and appoint the current members of the staff of the Committee of the Regions?

Answer given by Ms Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (29 July 1996)

The recruitment policy of the Committee of the Regions is entirely a matter for the Committee. The Commission therefore suggests that the Honourable Member address his query to the Committee itself.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1308/96 by Undine-Uta Bloch von Blottnitz (V) to the Commission (31 May 1996)

Subject: Animal experiments and pentachloropherol

1. Does the EU provide funding for animal experiments designed to prove the carcinogenic effects of pentachloropherol?

2. If so, what level of funding is provided and where and by whom are such experiments conducted?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (23 July 1996)

At present, the Community is not involved in any research projects which use animals for experimentation purposes and which aim to form a link between exposure to pentachlorophenol (PCP) and cancer.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1368/96 by Jean-Yves Le Gallou (NI) to the Commission (3 June 1996)

Subject: Community subsidies for associations, NGOs and various bodies

For Article B7-707 (Support for rehabilitation centres for torture victims and for organizations offering concrete help to victims of human rights abuses), can the Commission provide a full list of the associations, NGOs or other bodies benefiting from Community subsidies, together with the exact amount of such subsidies during the last financial year for which the accounts have been closed?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1363/96, E-1367/96 and E-1368/96 given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (10 July 1996)

The Commission seeks to ensure the greatest possible openness in the use made of the Community budget, including those parts of it covering human rights activities.

Specific information is provided for headings B7-7000, 7040 and 7070. At the end of the financial year, a report on the use these headings have been put to is sent to the President of Parliament and the Chairman of the relevant parliamentary committee along with full details of the recipient associations, NGOs and other bodies awarded grants and the amount of support each has received.

This year, a report on the use made of funding for all human rights budget headings was set out in a Commission communication. ((COM(95) 191 final. ))

The Honourable Member will find all the information he requests in these reports.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1649/96 by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Commission (24 June 1996)

Subject: Unauthorized subsidies by the Hamburger Elektrizitäts Werke (HEW)

1. Is the Commission aware that HEW (in which the City of Hamburg is a majority shareholder) is selling electricity to companies such as the Hamburger Stahlwerke and the Vereinten Aluminiumwerke at dumping prices, under a special tariff for large customers?

2. Have these subsidies been duly notified?

3. Does the Commission see a case for proceedings in view of infringement of the subsidy rules laid down in Articles 91 and 92 of the EC Treaty?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission (17 July 1996)

1. The Commission has not received any notification concerning state aid in favour of Vereinte Aluminiumwerke and Hamburger Stahlwerke GmbH in the form of abnormally low energy charges for the supply of electrical energy by Hamburgische Electricitätswerke.

2. Neither does the Commission have any indication of the existence of a hidden state aid constituted by special prices charged for electricity supplied to these two enterprises.

3. Following the Honourable Member's question the Commission will ask for further information in order to investigate the issue, and, if appropriate, it will take the necessary action.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1866/96 by Antonio Tajani (UPE) to the Commission (5 July 1996)

Subject: Statement by the Italian Finance Minister, Mr Visco, on the taxation of income from stock market investments

With regard to income generated by stock market investments the Italian Finance Minister, Mr Visco, has declared that he intends to propose a form of taxation to be levied via investment managers and intermediaries on the income earned over the year. This anticipates fiscal solutions currently being studied by the relevant Community bodies, which will probably be the subject of future directives.

- Mr Visco has also said that he hopes to keep this special tax within the parameters to be determined by the EU. It seems clear that this tax

- view of the free movement of capital and investments within the European Union - has to be the same on all the Community's markets.

- Mr Visco's statements have been the cause of apprehension and disorientation and have had an obvious impact on stock market transactions.

- The Italian financial market is due to undergo profound restructuring as a result of the recent adoption of a number of legislative provisions transposing Community directives on the subject.

- Since statements inconsistent with features of the Community market, including taxation, are likely to exclude Italian markets from transactions involving securities usually carried out in the context of the European market, what steps does the Commission intend to take to prevent harmful initiatives of this kind, which may upset the operational equilibrium of the European financial markets?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (19 September 1996)

It is Commission policy not to comment on public statements by politicians in the Member States.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1322/96 by Felipe Camisón Asensio (PPE) to the Commission (3 June 1996)

Subject: The Tagus in Spain and Portugal: environmental requirements

The course of the Tagus through Spain and Portugal is affected by a range of environmental factors, from urban waste to the siting of 2 units of a nuclear power plant and the building of a new bridge in Lisbon.

Does the Commission believe that the river's environmental requirements are adequately respected?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (9 July 1996)

The question raised by the Honourable Member is not specific enough to allow the Commission to give a precise answer. There is no Community legislation on 'river environmental requirements' so the Commission is not in a position to assess whether these are adequately respected in this case.

The Commission is not aware of any problems caused to the Tagus by urban waste or nuclear plants.

The Commission has, however, information on the Tagus bridge project. The Commission is holding discussions with the Portuguese authorities on the environmental problems raised by the project. These problems concern wildlife rather than water issues because the area likely to be affected by the project is a special protection area classified by the Portuguese authorities pursuant to Article 4 of Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservatiion of wild birds ((OJ L 103, 25.4.1979. )).
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1307/96 by Undine-Uta Bloch von Blottnitz (V) to the Commission (31 May 1996)

Subject: EU funding for experiments involving animals

At Berlin Free University research is conducted into and using animals. In the field of basic research, for example, experiments are conducted using ticks on domestic rabbits. The rabbits are killed at the end of the series of experiments. It is said that European funding is available for these and similar experiments.

1. Have other German research establishments applied for funding from the Commission for such or similar series of experiments?

2. If so when, which establishments were involved and what was the level of funding?

3. Has the Commission given financial support to such or similar experiments and will it continue to do so?

4. If so, when, to whom and what will the level of funding be?

5. Does the Commission consider such experiments useful and necessary?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (10 July 1996)

There is no research project involving tests with ticks on domestic rabbits which is currently funded by the Community.

Moreover, the Community research programme on biomedicine and health lays down that animals should be used for experiments only in the absence of alternative methods.

As regards the measures taken by the Commission to limit the number of animals used in experiments, reference should be made to Council Directive 86/609/EEC of 24 November 1986 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes. ((OJ L 358, 18.12.1986. )) Under this Directive, the Commission set up, in 1993, the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM). This Centre, which forms part of the Joint Research Centre of the Commission, is primarily concerned with coordinating the validation of alternative methods to in vivo tests at Community level.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1744/96 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission (3 July 1996)

Subject: Liberalization of the telecommunications sector

Telecommunications are a sector of vital importance to the social and economic development of the EU countries, provided that they can be regulated in such a way as to protect new economic operators vis-à-vis existing public concession-holders and their dominant position.

Could the Commission draw up a directive to regulate the complexity of the sector, with particular reference to:

1. access to, and use of, the public telecommunications network;

2. the setting up of an independent, autonomous authority to establish the use of radio frequencies and the technical standards and constraints imposed on service suppliers, and to settle any disputes between operators;

3. the arrangements for the provision of telecommunications services;

4. the resale of transmission capacity;

5. the confidentiality of personal data and of telephone communications;

6. tariff liberalization through the imposition of a maximum charge based on the average level of charges within the EU?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (25 July 1996)

The Commission shares the view expressed by the Honourable Member about the importance of the telecommunications sector. Indeed, this assessment motivated the development of the Community's telecommunications policy which was initiated by the Commission's 1987 green paper on the development of the common market in telecommunications services and equipment ((COM(87) 290 final. )). That policy led to an ambitious legislative programme opening up telecommunications services to competition and culminating in the liberalisation, on 1 January 1998, of public voice telephony and of networks by means of Commission Directive 96/19/EC ((OJ L 74, 22.3.1996. )).

In parallel, harmonisation legislation was proposed which led to the development of open network provision on the basis of Council Directive 90/387/EEC ((OJ L 192, 24.7.1990. )). This legislation provides inter alia for access to networks by service providers and to the mandatory supply of leased lines in accordance with certain minimum standards.

A specific directive providing for the protection of personal data and of privacy in telecommunications network ((OJ C 200, 22.7.1994. )) has also been submitted to the Council and Parliament.

One of the requirements underlying the development of a competitive telecommunications services markets is the establishment of an independent authority in each Member State. This requirement has been introduced by Commission Directive 90/388/EEC (3) and is being refined in the Commission's proposal to adapt ONP legislation to the competitive environment ((OJ C 62, 1.3.1996. )) which is currently being discussed by Council and Parliament.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1609/96 by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission (24 June 1996)

Subject: ERDF and people with disabilities

Could the Commission outline which studies, consultations or other initiatives have taken place concerning the benefit of European Regional Development Fund actions to unemployed disabled people?

Could the Commission outline how many disabled people are being trained or supported in Objective One and Two Programmes this year and what proportion of infrastructure investment is being used to create an accessible workplace environment in which disabled people are able to work?

Does the Commission plan any initiatives in this respect?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (16 July 1996)

The European Regional Development Fund may be used to finance investment in productive enterprises or infrastructure benefiting people with disabilities or catering to their needs. However, support for projects aimed directly at people with disabilities is primarily the task of the European Social Fund, and in particular the 'Horizon' Community Initiative.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1421/96 by Joan Vallvé (ELDR) to the Commission (6 June 1996)

Subject: Application of the ACNAT and LIFE programmes in the Autonomous Region of Valencia

In 1992 the Valencian Regional Government submitted to the Commission, pursuant to Regulation (EEC) 3907/91 ((OJ L 370, 31.12.1991, p. 17. )) on action by the Community relating to nature conservation (ACNAT), a project for the acquisition of around 1300 hectares of land with a view to restoring the former marsh of 'Oliva-Pego' and creating a protected nature reserve.

The Autonomous Region of Valencia has received considerable aid under the LIFE Regulation. In 1994, the Valencian Cortes (the regional legislative body) adopted the declaration establishing a nature park.

The Environmental Councillor of the Valencian Regional Government stated before the Valencian Cortes on 7 May 1996 that the proprietors of the land did not know what to do. The Mayor of Pego, where part of the land is situated, has set in motion an agricultural project which may damage the ecosystem of the park, a situation which has been denounced by Seprona (the Environmental Civil Guard).

What measures has the Valencian Regional Government taken to comply with the aid received on the basis of the measures envisaged in the ACNAT and LIFE programmes?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (17 July 1996)

On the basis of scientific studies co-financed by the Community, the Spanish authorities classified the Pego-Oliva marshes as a special protection area under Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds ((OJ L 103, 25.4.1979. )).

The Commission learned recently that certain work, presumed illegal, of an agricultural nature has been carried out by the Pego municipal authorities. The Commission has approached the Spanish authorities for information. It is prepared to suspend LIFE financing and to take appropriate legal action if the response is not satisfactory.