(2004/C58E/114) WRITTENQUESTIONP-1814/03
byMarioBorghezio(NI)totheCommission
(23May2003)
Subject:MarioCipollini’sarbitrarydisqualificationfromtheTourdeFrance
Theworldroadcyclingchampion,MarioCipollini,aprofessionalsportsmanandhenceaworker,hasbeen
barred,alongwithhisteam,fromcompetingintheTourdeFrance,eventhough,ascanbeseenfromhislatestbrilliantvictoriesintheGirod’Italia,heiscurrentlyinsuperbform.
DoesnotthisdisqualificationsignifyaninstanceofdiscriminationcontrarytoUnionrules,inparticular
theprincipleofequaltreatmentandfreemovementofCommunityworkersonUnionterritory?
AnswergivenbyMrBolkesteinonbehalfoftheCommission
(20June2003)
TheHonourableMemberhasquestionedtheCommissionaboutthefactthattheracing cyclistMario
Cipolliniandhisteam were notselectedforthe Tour deFrance. However, onthe basisofthe facts
presentedintheWrittenQuestion,theCommissiondoesnothaveanyinformationthatwouldleaditto
identifythepresenceofsomeformofdiscriminationorinfringementofEUrules.
Morespecifically,theinformationavailabledoesnotmakeitpossibletoestablishwhetherthedecision
takenbytheorganisersoftheTourdeFrancebreachestheprincipleofequaltreatmentandfreedomofmovementwithintheinternalmarket.
Furthermore,inaccordancewiththeestablishedcaselawoftheCourtofJustice(
1),itshouldbepointed
outthattheCommunityprovisionsonthefreemovementofpersonsandservicesdonotexcluderulesorpractices(suchasselectioncriteria)whicharejustifiedonnon-economicgroundsrelatingtothenatureandspecificcontextofcertainsportsmeetingsandevents,providedthattheserulesorpracticesarenon-discriminatoryandproportionate.
(1) Case 13/76, Donà / Mantero, ECR 1976, p. 1333 Case C-415/93, Bosman, ECR 1995, p. 5040 Joined
CasesC-51/96andC-191/97,Deliège.
(2004/C58E/115) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1822/03
byAlexandrosAlavanos(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(2June2003)
Subject:TransfertoairforceofEKAB(NationalFirstAidCentre)airrescueoperations
In2000,theEKABairrescuefleetwassetupwith75%ofthefundingbeingprovidedunderthesecond
Community Support Framework. Following a series of accidents, the Greek Government decided totransferthefleettotheairforceandreregisteritaccordinglywiththeAirTransportUtilitiesCommand(DAYKO)forwhichtheairforcewillassumeresponsibilityby20May2003.However,theunithasnotyetbeenlegallyformalised.Thisiscausingseriousconcern,giventhatthestrictJAA(JointAviationAuthority)standardsdonotapplytothearmedforcesandthattheaccidentinvolvingtheEKABhelicopterwaslargelycausedbyinadequatesafetyspecifications.
1. Isthetransfertothearmedforcesofhelicoptercrewswho,underthesecondCSF,wereconsidered
tobecivilianemergencyrescuepersonnel,therebyincreasingtheCommunitybudgetforthearmedforces,inaccordancewiththeprinciplesgoverningCSFfunding?6.3.2004EN C58E/99 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
2. DoestheCommissionacceptsomeoftheresponsibilityforthefactthat,followingitstransfertothe
armed forces, the European Union-funded EKAB helicopter fleet will no longer be governed by thestringentJAAsafetyrulesand,inparticular,JARCode145ontechnicalbackupforaircraftandJAROPS-1andJAROPS-3whichlaydownstringentstandardsregardingaircraftandhelicopters,theirequipment,thesafetyandflightexperienceofaircrewsandJAAlicensing,sinceitisspecificallystatedthattheserulesarebindingonemergencyairambulanceservicesbutnotonflightsbyaircraftbelongingtothearmedforces?
3. HastheCommissioninvestigatedthewayinwhichCommunityfundsarebeingusedfortheair
ambulancefleetinGreece,thereasonsfortheaccidentsinvolvingtheA109PowerAgustahelicopterandways of preventing this from occurring again in the future? Has it also lookedinto the decision topurchasetwoPiaggioaircraftsubsequentlyrevealedtobeunsuitable,leadingtocancellationoftheorder?
4. WhatrepresentationswilltheCommissionmaketotheGreekGovernmentwithaviewtoensuring
thatemergencyairrescueservicesremaininthecivilaviationsector,ratherthantheairforce,asisthecasein all other Member States of the European Union, so as to guarantee full compliance with JAAspecifications?
AnswergivenbyMrsdePalacioonbehalfoftheCommission
(23July2003)
1. ThehelicoptercrewsandotheroperationalcostsoftheGreekNationalFirstAidCentre(EKAB)have
neverbeenfinancedundertheEuropeanUnion’sCommunitySupportFrameworkforGreece.
2. The Commission does not bear any responsibility for the operational safety of these aircraft.
TheGreekauthorities’decisiontotransfertheoperationofemergencyairrescueservicestothearmedforcesmeansthattheiroperationisnotcoveredbyJAArequirements.Furthermore,theprovisionsofJAR
OPS1and3havenotbeentransposedintoCommunitylaw.
3. TheHonourableMemberisreferredtotheCommission’sanswertoPriorityQuestionNoP-546/03
fromMrXarchakos(
1).
4. TheCommissiondoesnothavethepowertomakerepresentationstoaMemberStateaboutthecivil
ormilitarynatureofthebodyresponsibleforitsemergencyairrescueservices.Theseservicesarecoveredby Community rules on freedom of movement of services, freedom of access to the market and
competition.Therefore,measurestoexcludeortoprohibitactivitiesbyserviceprovidersmayonlybe
takeniftheywillguaranteethattheirintendedobjectivewillbeachieved,buttheymaynotgobeyondwhatisnecessaryforthatobjectivetobeattained.Itmustbeimpossibletoachievethesameresultbyimposinglessrestrictiverules.Furthermore,suchmeasuresmustbejustifiedbyoverridingpublic-interestrequirementsandnotbyeconomicfactorsandmustbeinproportiontotheaimspursued.
(1) OJC192E,14.8.2003,p.199.
(2004/C58E/116) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1823/03
byMonicaFrassoni(Verts/ALE)totheCommission
(2June2003)
Subject:Failure tocarry outa ‘preliminary inspection’ in respect ofthe entire CostaDoradaproperty
complexonthecoastbetweenMalfatanoandCapoSpartivento,Teulada(Cagliari),Sardinia,Italy
Along the coast between Malfatano and Capo Spartivento (Teulada district, Sardinia), five holiday/
residentialdevelopments(apartmentblocks,hotels,holidayhomes,serviceunits,golfcourses,andsoon)havebeenapproved(
1).Theylieadjacenttooneanotherandtheyformpartofasingle189000m3
complex, the plans for which have been submitted by the SITAS SpA company. The environmentalassociationsAmicidellaTerraandGruppod’interventogiuridicohaveonanumberofoccasionsaskedtheC58E/100 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion