ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1443/96 by Christine Oddy (PSE) to the Commission (12 June 1996)

Subject: Homeworkers and vocational training

Will the Commission give an undertaking to act upon the recommendations in its publication 'Social Europe - homeworking in the European Union' Supplement 2/95 and ensure that homeworkers are included in all European Union vocational training programmes?

Will the Commission also undertake to introduce special training programmes to upgrade homeworkers' skills?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1441/96, E-1442/96, E-1443/96 and E-1444/96 given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (31 July 1996)

The Commission has fully recognised the need to strive at European level to improve the working conditions of homeworkers and to increase the range of their employment options by including homeworking in the priorities for social policy in the Commission's medium term social action programme (1995-1997) ((COM(95) 134 final. )).

In the light of the recently adopted international convention and recommendation on homeworking, the Commission is currently reviewing its policy to take account of the International labour organisation (ILO) texts. The work of the United Nations institution will be an excellent starting point in this respect.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2119/96 by José Valverde López (PPE) to the Commission (26 July 1996)

Subject: Liability of manufacturers of meat-and-bone meal made from cattle with BSE

All the evidence so far indicates that meat-and-bone meal made from BSE-infected cattle offal is a means by which BSE is transmitted.

Does the Commission know whether the cattle-breeders concerned in the UK have submitted compensation claims to manufacturers of such meal?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (23 September 1996)

The Commission does not have the information requested.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1840/96 by Sir Jack Stewart-Clark (PPE) to the Commission (5 July 1996)

Subject: Observatory on Older People

What steps does the Commission plan to take to act on the conclusions of its report 'the Demographic Situation in the European Union 1995'? Does the Commission have any plans to re-establish the Observatory on Older People? and if so, when?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (31 July 1996)

The report on the demographic situation in the European Union 1995' has developed the theme of ageing, with a comparative analysis of national structures as its main approach.

The Commission will continue the work in this field in particular through supplementary analysis at regional level.

The conclusion of the Social Affairs Council of 3 June 1996, requests the Commission to work more closely with national bodies and to define jointly a new set of priorities.

In this context the opinion of the Parliament on the 1995 demographic report will be very useful.

The re-establishment of an observatory with the aim of drawing up regular comparative reports on the socio-economic situation of older people throughout the Community is envisaged in the proposal for a Council decision on Community support for actions in favour of older people adopted by the Commission on 1 March 1995 ((OJ C 115, 9.5.1995. )).

The proposal has still not been adopted by the Council. In this context, the Commission has not seen fit to re-establish the observatory. This situation is being kept under review.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1268/96 by Miguel Arias Cañete (PPE) to the Commission (24 May 1996)

Subject: Attacks on Spanish goods in France

Attacks have begun in France on lorries carrying Spanish goods. On 25 April 1996, French farmers overturned the cargoes of lorries carrying Spanish strawberries, potatoes, peppers and exotic fruit.

Given that these attacks by French farmers recur every year, causing serious damage to Spanish farmers and jeopardizing the free movement of goods within the European Union:

- what measures will the Commission take to ensure effective freedom of movement of goods within the single market?

- will the Commission take action against France, which repeatedly allows illegal actions of this kind to take place?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1254/96, E-1268/96 and E-1381/96 given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (27 June 1996)

The Commission has already, on a number of occasions, stated its views on the systematic acts of violence perpetrated by various French producer groups or organizations against consignments of fruit and vegetables from Spain and the obligation of Member States in that connection to maintain public order, with particular reference to the right of free movement of goods.

As it said in its answer to written question 1818/94 from Mr Colino Salamanca, ((OJ C 24, 30 January 1995, p. 30. )) under Community law Member State authorities are required to take the measures necessary to prevent acts which undermine the effective operation of the internal market and the free movement of goods. Failure to comply with this duty constitutes a breach of a Member State's obligation under Article 30 and the common organization of the market, in conjunction with Article 5 of the EC Treaty.

Since the French authorities have been unable to show unequivocally that the police took adequate and appropriate action to counter this quite unacceptable impediment to the free movement of goods, the Commission initiated infringement proceedings under Article 169 of the Treaty and ultimately, on 4 August 1995, referred the matter to the Court of Justice. ((Case C-265/95. ))

Following the recent recurrence of these violent attacks on the free movement of goods the Commission reminded the French authorities of their obligations under Articles 5 and 30 of the EC Treaty, and it will be drawing the Court's attention to the persistent repetition of the offence.

The Commission does not believe the reform of the common organization of the market will extend the strawberry problem to other sectors, on the contrary, it should help and encourage Community producers to meet the challenges ahead and become more competitive and capable of adapting to a changing market.

Agreements and contacts between producers in different Member States should also play an important part in organizing the marketing of Community produce. Accordingly, as an incentive to promote operational measures by groups of Member States, the threshold for official financing of the operational funds provided for in the reformed common organization of the market is to be raised to 60%.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1822/96 by José Apolinário (PSE) to the Commission (5 July 1996)

Subject: Information on MGP III

Can the Commission provide a table by Member State showing the objectives for reducing the fleet under MGP III, per year and in total, and indicating what fleet reductions have been achieved in each Member State (number of vessels, GRT and capacity)?

Answer given by Ms Bonino on behalf of the Commission (25 July 1996)

The Honourable Member is asked to refer to Parliament's annual progress reports on the multiannual guidance programmes (MGP) for fishing fleets, in which he will find described by the Commission in fullest detail the situation of each Member State vis-à-vis its MGP. The reports published give the situation as at the end of 1993, ((COM(94) 208 final. )) 1994 ((COM(95) 463 final. )) and 1995. ((COM(96) 305 final. ))
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2089/96 by Peter Skinner (PSE) to the Commission (26 July 1996)

Subject: The practice of first aid in the workplace

Can the Commission inform Parliament of the measures and legislation taken at national level to ensure that there is adequate first aid cover or protection for workers in the workplace?

Can it also comment on any legal implications of first aid intervention in the event of an accident and any national measures or legislation which would prevent an effective first aid policy?

Can the Commission please state what measures it will be taking to assure adequate first aid cover if the answers to my questions above do not provide comprehensive first aid cover for employees in the workplace across the EU?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (4 October 1996)

As regards first aid at the workplace, Article 8 of Council Directive 89/391/EEC ((OJ L 183, 29. 6.1989. )) on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work provides that employers shall take the necessary measures. Notably, they shall arrange any necessary contacts with external services, particularly as regards first aid, emergency medical care, rescue work and firefighting. They must also designate the workers required to implement such measures and these workers must be trained and provided with adequate equipment.

Supplementary provisions in this area are contained in the directives on minimum safety and health requirements for the workplace (89/694/EEC) ((OJ L 393, 30.12.1989. )), temporary or mobile construction sites (92/57/EEC) ((OJ L 245, 26. 8.1992. )), the mineral-extracting industries (92/91/EEC ((OJ L 348, 28.11.1992. )) and 92/104/EEC) ((OJ L 404, 31.12.1992. )), and vessels (92/29/EEC ((OJ L 113, 30. 4.1992. )) and 93/103/EEC) ((OJ L 307, 13.12.1993. )).

Pursuant to Article 118a(3) of the EC Treaty, Member States are free to maintain or introduce more stringent measures for the protection of working conditions.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2424/96 by Claude Desama (PSE) to the Commission (11 September 1996)

Subject: European Identity Card

Can the Commission say when the European Identity Card will be introduced?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (22 October 1996)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the reply it gave to Oral Question H-0445/95 by Mrs Dury during question time at Parliament's July 1995 part-session ((Debates of the Parliament (July 1995). )).
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2390/96 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission (6 September 1996)

Subject: Pharmaceutical retail price maintenance

Can the Commission confirm that the retail price maintenance scheme for pharmaceutical products currently operated in the UK is not in contravention of EU competition law?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission (20 September 1996)

The question raised by the Honourable Member is the subject of an investigation currently being carried out by the Commission in the framework of a complaint lodged by Asda stores limited against the Proprietary articles trade association and certain of its members.

The Commission considers the issue to be of significant economic importance in view of its impact on the pharmaceutical industry, as well as on consumers of non-prescription medicines. As the issue is being looked at by both the British and the European competition authorities, the Commission is carrying out its investigation in close co-ordination with the Office of fair trading.

The Commission is therefore not in a position to provide the requested clarification before the completion of this investigation.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2012/96 by Miguel Arias Cañete (PPE) to the Commission (17 July 1996)

Subject: Density of olive groves in Italy

According to the information available to the Commission, what is the current average density per hectare of olive trees growing in Italy?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-2006/96, E-2007/96, E-2008/96, E-2009/96, E-2010/96, E-2011/96, E-2012/96 and E-2013/96 given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (9 September 1996)

Statistics for olive cultivation coming from different sources tend to vary considerably depending on the definitions on which they are based, and need to be treated with caution. However, on the specific points requested by the Honourable Member, the following figures may be advanced.

The total number of productive olive trees in each of the Member States in question, according to the official returns received by the Commission from the national authorities for the purposes of setting annual fruit and oil yields for the 1994/95 marketing year, was as follows:

>TABLE>

The average density of olive plantations in those Member States (trees per hectare) is:

>TABLE>

The average density thus varies considerably between Member States and may also vary significantly from region to region - or even farm to farm - within Member States, depending on the degree of local specialization or industrialization of olive growers.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1914/96 by Charlotte Cederschiöld (PPE) to the Commission (16 July 1996)

Subject: Unemployment benefit in another EU country

In its answer to my question no. H-0106/96 ((Debates of the European Parliament No. 4-479, March 1996. )), the Commission indicates that it does not approve of the Swedish requirement that an unemployed person should have drawn unemployment benefit for three months in Sweden before being eligible to look for work in another country while retaining such benefit. The Swedish employment authorities are apparently unwilling to acknowledge the unconditional right of individuals to move across borders and the right to look for work in other Member States even if work is available in the home country. The employment authorities claim that they need the time to make sure that there are no jobs in Sweden and that, if there are, the unemployed must take them and not carry on going abroad. This attitude is in even starker contrast to the Commission's aim to allow freedom of movement for the unemployed with no waiting period.

The Commission requires Sweden also to comply with Article 69 of Regulation 1408/71 ((OJ L 149, 5.7.1971, p. 2. )). Should that not be the case, the Commission intends to initiate infringement proceedings (Art. 169). I am informed that the Swedish employment authorities are waiting for notification from the Commission. The losers in this situation are young people wishing to look for work in other countries.

What measures does the Commission intend to take to move this matter forward and what is its timetable for such measures?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (1 October 1996)

As indicated in the replies to the Honourable Member's previous questions on this subject, the Commission has been aware of the condition imposed by the Swedish authorities that a person must have been unemployed for three months in Sweden before being eligible to seek employment in another Member State while retaining their right to Swedish unemployment benefits.

This practice conflicted with the applicable provision of Community law on the coordination of social security schemes for migrant workers, Article 69(1)(a) of Regulation 1408/71, which states that a person must have been registered as unemployed for at least four weeks prior to departure to another Member State to look for work.

The Swedish ministry for labour has written to inform the Commission that following the correspondence with the Commission on this issue, it understands that Article 69(1)(a) of Regulation 1408/71 does not allow Sweden to impose a minimum period of unemployment greater than the four-week limit defined in this provision. The Ministry has stated that the Labour market board will now change its practice and apply the rule of Community law according to which four weeks of unemployment is the minimum period required.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2041/96 by Freddy Blak (PSE) to the Commission (19 July 1996)

Subject: European works councils

A large number of voluntary agreements have been reached to pre-empt the directive on European works councils before it enters into force on 22 September 1996.

Does the Commission know how many voluntary agreements have been concluded? Are there any plans for compiling a central data base of voluntary agreements?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (2 October 1996)

The Commission understands from unofficial sources that more than 200 agreements were concluded in multinational companies in anticipation of the transposition into national legislation of Directive 94/45/EC 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 by 22 September 1996, the final date for this kind of agreement to enter into force.

The Commission has been working in close cooperation with the European foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions (Dublin) in order to compile and publish all the existing agreements. As a result of this cooperation, two editions of the collection of agreements have already been published, the last covering the first 51 agreements concluded in multinational companies ((OJ L 254 of 30.9.1994. )).

By the end of 1996 the Commission intends to publish, jointly with the Dublin Foundation, a final collection of all the agreements concluded under Article 13 of Directive 94/45/EC.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2009/96 by Miguel Arias Cañete (PPE) to the Commission (17 July 1996)

Subject: Olive trees in Portugal

According to the information available to the Commission, how many olive trees are currently growing in Portugal?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-2006/96, E-2007/96, E-2008/96, E-2009/96, E-2010/96, E-2011/96, E-2012/96 and E-2013/96 given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (9 September 1996)

Statistics for olive cultivation coming from different sources tend to vary considerably depending on the definitions on which they are based, and need to be treated with caution. However, on the specific points requested by the Honourable Member, the following figures may be advanced.

The total number of productive olive trees in each of the Member States in question, according to the official returns received by the Commission from the national authorities for the purposes of setting annual fruit and oil yields for the 1994/95 marketing year, was as follows:

>TABLE>

The average density of olive plantations in those Member States (trees per hectare) is:

>TABLE>

The average density thus varies considerably between Member States and may also vary significantly from region to region - or even farm to farm - within Member States, depending on the degree of local specialization or industrialization of olive growers.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1395/96 by Leen van der Waal (EDN) to the Commission (6 June 1996)

Subject: Rapid depletion of the plaice quota

The Reformatorisch Dagblad of 20 April announced that during the past three months the Netherlands fishing fleet had caught 10% more plaice than in the same period last year. Combined with the drastic reduction of the plaice TAC this has resulted in the Netherlands fishermen having already caught 38% of their plaice quota, despite the fact that the sector has itself restricted its fishing activities, with 24% fewer days at sea than in the same period last year.

1. Can the Commission confirm this information?

2. Can the Commission indicate whether depletion of plaice is in line with the expectations of biologists (expressed as catches per day at sea)?

3. Is the Commission willing to step up research into trends in plaice stocks and to produce a report on this subject by the summer?

4. Does the Commission share my view that there must be an interim increase in the plaice quota if the research referred to above indicates that fish stocks are better than expected so that fishermen do not have to cope with major social and economic problems unnecessarily?

5. Under what conditions will the Commission reconsider the agreement with Norway to reduce the plaice TAC for 1997 by 20%?

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (3 July 1996)

According to the official landings data received by the Commission, the Netherlands fleet had landed 12 777 tonnes of plaice by the end of March, 14.6% less than the corresponding figure for 1995 (14 964 tonnes).

Landings in the first quarter of 1996 constitute 37.4% of the quota allocated to the Netherlands. In the same period of 1995, landings made up 33.9% of the total landings for the year. While admitting that comparison of these figures indicates a slightly higher rate of fishing in 1996, the difference is however small and lies within the range of expected year-to-year variability of fishing activities. No significant deviations become evident, therefore, as regards scientists' forecasts. Examination of rates of quota consumption by the end of April and for the whole Community lead to similar conclusions.

In any case, the Commission is ready to intensify its follow-up of the evolution of catch rates during the whole year. Should it appear that the likely effects of fishing by the end of the year will deviate substantially from the management objectives pursued by the Council in its Regulation (EC) No 3074/95 of 22 December 1995 ((OJ L 330, 30.12.1995. )), the Commission will consider the possibility of a revision of the total allowable catches (TAC) for 1996. This will inevitably require consultation with Norway, in the framework of our agreements on reciprocal fishing rights.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2308/96 by Josu Imaz San Miguel (PPE) to the Commission (27 August 1996)

Subject: Cohesion Fund - 1994

Can the Commission state what projects were approved and subsidized by the Cohesion Fund for the Spanish state in 1994, with a breakdown of funding by project?

Can it specify which projects concerned transport and the environment respectively?

Can it also provide a breakdown by Autonomous Community?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-2307/96, E-2308/96 and E-2309/96 given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (14 October 1996)

The Commission is sending the information requested direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-2599/96 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission (24 September 1996)

Subject: SAFE programme

What proposals, if any, does the Commission have to resolve the current delay in the Council with regard to the SAFE programme which is effectively being blocked by the German Government?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (18 October 1996)

In May 1996, the Parliament delivered an opinion on this programme, in which, in particular, reference was made to the appropriateness of using Article 235 of the EC Treaty as the legal basis of the programme.

The Commission considers that the above opinion is positive enough to encourage the Member States to reconsider their position.

An amended proposal for a Council decision will soon be adopted by the Commission, in which the amendments proposed by the Parliament and accepted by the Commission will be included.