ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0975/00

by Christel Fiebiger (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(31 March 2000)

Subject: Savings to be made in Subsection B1 Agriculture of the 2001 budget and modification of the financial planning for 2000-2006

Numerous Commission proposals concerning savings in the 2001 budget for Subsection B1 Agriculture have recently been made public. Are these savings intended primarily to help achieve the funding required in the foreign policy area (reconstruction measures in Kosovo of the order of 300 million a year)? Is the Commission also planning changes in relation to the financial framework in Agenda 2000 adopted by the European Council in Berlin?

What savings in financial resources would the Commission like to make, in particular through the following measures:

- changes to the common organisations of the market (COM), inter alia for sugar, hops, rice, olives, flax and hemp;

- new legislation, e.g. creation of a regulatory fund applicable to the pig sector;

- reform of the Financial Regulation, inter alia by changing the allocation of the negative expenditure of Subsection B1-Agriculture;

- decisions in the management committees, e.g. reduction of subsidies by modification of the quality requirements for cereals;

- fixing of prices for agricultural products?

Does the Commission intend not to adhere to the financial planning adopted by the Berlin European Council for the budget years 2000-2006 for Subsection B1-Agriculture and are the press reports, indicating that the Directorate General for the Budget considers that these are in no way inviolable, correct?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(15 May 2000)

The Commission is proposing a reduction in the ceiling for subheading 1.a. of 300 million in each of the years 2001 and 2002.

The latest estimates on expenditure under subheading 1.a. are for a non-utilised margin of 400 million for 2001. These are based on current legislation and the proposals already submitted by the Commission. For 2002 the changes envisaged in the sugar market organisation should yield a saving of the same amount.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0985/00

by Bill Miller (PSE) to the Commission

(31 March 2000)

Subject: Loi Evin Case

Commissioner Bolkestein has previously stated that the previous Commission decided that a non-statutory Code of Conduct is an appropriate means of dealing with National Legislation which infringes the single market. Will the Commissioner make the procès verbal of the meeting at which this decision was taken available to the Parliament?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-0984/00, E-0985/00 and E-0986/00 given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(3 May 2000)

The Commission would reiterate that it is examining this case very carefully, not only because of the great concern in the Parliament but also because it is keen to ensure that the rules of the internal market are respected.

The Commission's main objective in this case is to ensure that the extra-territorial effects of the Loi Evin are compatible with Article 49 of the EC Treaty (ex Article 59), namely that they are proportionate to the objective of protecting public health, an objective which the Commission fully supports. In this respect, the Commission is of the view that the 1995 Code of Conduct could in principle be an adequate means to ensure that the requirement of proportionality is satisfied. However, the Commission takes the view that the French authorities need to further improve the Code with a view to limiting its application to a limited number of well defined cases and to ensuring that it provides greater legal security and predictability for all parties, including organisers of sports events in other Member States. The Commission intends to discuss these points in the near future with the French authorities. When the Commission reaches a final decision on this case this decision will be made public according to the normal procedures and the Commission would, of course, be pleased to answer any further questions Honourable Members may have.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1636/00

by Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(29 May 2000)

Subject: Lack of job security and industrial accidents in Spain and in the region of Murcia

At the Lisbon Summit a commitment was made to pursue full and high quality employment within the EU. While the French Government pointed to the experience of the reduction of working hours as a means of creating stable high quality jobs, it is the formula

pursued by the Spanish and British Governments of further deregulating employment conditions in order to increase employment which has gained acceptance. The Spanish experience over the last four years has shown that jobs are indeed created this way but that job insecurity is high and casual employment frequent, with a high incidence of industrial accidents, Murcia being the region with the highest industrial accident rate in Spain.

In 1999, there were a total of 1 671 000 industrial accidents in Spain (12,44 % more than in the previous year),resulting in 930 151 workers having to take sick leave and in 1 572 fatalities, most of them at the work place. In the Region of Murcia, there were 68 587 industrial accidents last year, resulting in 29 deaths at the workplace. The region has seen the death of 17 workers at the workplace in the first quarter of the year 2000 alone.

This is the result of the working conditions which prevail, and in particular of the extreme lack of job security and the high incidence of casual employment. In Spain, 92 % of employment contracts signed each day are of a temporary nature and over 32 % of workers have no fixed contract. As yet, the Region of Murcia does not have a significantly higher level of temporary employment and lower job security than average.

Does the Commission not consider that the conditions under which jobs are being created in the various countries and regions in the EU need to be monitored in order to ensure that such job creation is not at the cost of the stability and dignity of workers, and notably of young people entering the labour market for the first time?

Does the Commission consider that it would be appropriate to analyse the conditions and consequences of job creation in the Murcia region where it leads to a greater lack of job security and a higher incidence of industrial accidents?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(20 June 2000)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the reply it gave to his oral question H-0419/00 during question time at Parliament's May II 2000 part-session(1).

(1) Debates of the Parliament (May II 2000).
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0999/00

by Neil MacCormick (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(31 March 2000)

Subject: Ferry services in remote areas

Is the Commission aware of the absolute dependency of remote island communities, e.g. in the Hebrides, the Orkneys and the Shetland Islands on adequate ferry services, and of the need to keep open routes that would not be commercially viable in themselves? Does the Commission agree that merely dogmatic moves to privatise such services would be regarded with great disfavour by communities served by ferries such as those of Caledonian MacBrayne?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(15 May 2000)

The Commission is fully aware of the dependency of remote island communities such as the Hebrides, the Orkneys and the Shetland islands on adequate ferry services and the need to keep open routes that would not be commercially viable in themselves. Council Regulation (EEC) No 3577/92 of 7 December 1992 applying the principle of freedom to provide services to maritime transport within Member States (maritime cabotage)(1) specifically takes into account the transport needs of island regions and establishes in its Article 4 the conditions under which Member States may conclude public service contracts with or impose public service obligations as a condition for the provision of cabotage services, on shipping companies participating in regular services to, from and between the islands.

Concerning the privatisation of such services, it is recalled that the Treaty establishes both the principle of impartiality with regard to the system of property ownership and the principle of equality between public and private undertakings.

(1) OJ L 364, 12.12.1992.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0497/00

by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(24 February 2000)

Subject: Revision of the EWC Directive

The German parent company of Fujitsu Siemens Computers has closed its company in Finland for reasons which are clearly not economic, in order to preserve jobs in Germany. In this connection the company was clearly in breach of its consultation and information obligations under the EWC directive, and of its obligation to discuss its decision with the managers and decision-makers responsible (COM(1998) 612 fin.(1). Is it within the Commission's power to monitor compliance with this directive and does it have plans to amend the directive to make it more binding?

(1) OJ C 2, 5.1.1999, p. 3.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 2000)

The Commission does not have any information at its disposal which enables it to conclude that the employee information and consultation obligations under 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(1) have not been respected in the case referred to by the Honourable Member. In any event, as this Directive has been properly incorporated into German law, it is first and foremost the task of the national authorities to assess any infringements of the rules in force which may be brought to their attention by those who feel they have been wronged.

The Commission is currently looking at how this Directive has been implemented. Within the next few weeks it will adopt a report to the European Parliament and Council on this subject.

The Commission has on several occasions emphasised the need for the proposal for a Council Directive establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees to be adopted by Parliament and the Council without delay. Clearly, the provisions contained in the proposal are not yet in force.

(1) OJ L 254, 30.9.1994.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1533/00

by Marie-Thérèse Hermange (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 May 2000)

Subject: Protection of families and children

In its resolution A4-0004/1999(1) of 28 January 1999 on the protection of families and children the European Parliament proposed, in order to prevent the mistreatment and violence suffered by children, the creation of a European centre for children.

Could the Commission state what action it has taken, or intends to take, to put this proposal into practice?

(1) OJ C 128, 7.5.1999, p. 79.

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1530/00, E-1531/000, E-1532/00, E-1533/00, E-1534/00, E-1535/00, E-1536/00 and E-1537/00 given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 2000)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its findings as soon as possible.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-0791/00

by Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 March 2000)

Subject: Early Retirement from Farming Programme

The Greek Government has drawn up a table of minimum sizes of agricultural holdings for selecting Greek farmers for inclusion in the Early Retirement from Farming Programme under Regulation (EEC) No 2079/92.

The limits set out include:

- for non-irrigated crops: 2,5 hectares

- for tobacco: 0,5 hectares + quota

Since many Greek agricultural holdings are in mountain regions, it follows logically that the above minimum areas per farmer are rare exceptions. As a rule, in the mountain regions of Greece very few hectares are used for non-irrigated crops and even fewer for tobacco.

The result of this state of affairs is that many farmers who fall within the spirit of the regulation may not be included in the programme because their crops do not cover the minimum area laid down.

1. Does the Commission consider that areas of this kind, which are excessive in the case of large numbers of Greek farmers, are in keeping with the objective of Regulations (EEC) No 2079/92 and (EC) No 1257/1999?

2. Is the Commission prepared to advocate the following criteria, to be applicable only to mountain regions of Greece: 0,5 hectares for non-irrigated crops and a simple quota, irrespective of land area, for tobacco?

3. For the purposes of the application of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999, does the Commission propose to collaborate with the Greek Government to ensure that farmers in mountain regions, who are already at a disadvantage, are not put in a worse position through the deficient application in Greece of EU regulations which are supposed to be applied for their benefit?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(6 April 2000)

1. Article 6(3) of Regulation (EEC) No 2079/92(1) stipulates that the size of the agricultural holdings resulting from the transfer of land released by the transferor (i.e. the farmer taking early retirement) must be increased so as to improve their economic viability. The successor's holding must be economically viable. Articles 10 and 11(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999(2) contain the same requirement. The Commission therefore takes the view that granting early retirement aid to a farmer whose holding is too small jeopardises the economic viability of the holding transferred to the successor.

2. That is why the Commission is not prepared to see the minimum size of the transferred holding reduced below an economically viable threshold, account also being taken of the other contributory factors which define this viability concept.

3. The Commission intends to work together with the Greek Government on negotiating the rural development plan which Greece has submitted under Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999, in order to determine the implementation requirements for the future early retirement scheme including of course the parameters for ensuring the economic viability of agricultural holdings resulting from the transfer of land.

(1) OJ L 215, 30.7.1992.

(2) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1132/00

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 April 2000)

Subject: White Paper on Food Safety and the European Food Authority

The White Paper on Food Safety (COM(1999) 719 final) was published in January 2000. Chapter 4 is concerned with establishing a European Food Authority (EFA). Chapter 5 considers legislation on food safety.

The Commission does not rule out an extension of the Authority's competencies in the future (section 40).

1. What new competencies does the Commission have in mind?

2. When will this extension of competencies take place?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1121/00, E-1124/00, E-1126/00, E-1129/00, E-1130/00, E-1131/00, E-1132/00, E-1135/00, E-1136/00, E-1137/00, E-1138/00 and E-1139/00 given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(8 June 2000)

In the White Paper on Food Safety(1), the Commission set out the general guidelines it intends to adopt concerning the future establishment of the European Food Authority and invited all the parties concerned to respond and contribute to the discussion during the consultation period. Regarding many of the points raised by the Honourable Member, the Commission is unable to finalise its proposals or fix the details of operational mechanisms until it has had an opportunity to consider the opinions expressed during the consultation procedure.

However, with regard to the question of responsibilities, the White Paper states that risk assessment, the gathering of data and providing information to consumers in areas for which the Authority is responsible should be a matter for that Authority. For legal reasons and reasons of democratic responsibility, the Commission believes that, under the current framework, the transfer of regulatory powers to an independent authority cannot be justified. However, any future extension of the Authority's powers would have to be considered in the light of the Commission's assessment of the Authority's performance and the degree of confidence that it has generated without ruling out a possible need to amend the Treaty.

(1) COM(1999) 719 final.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0945/00

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(29 March 2000)

Subject: Release of airspace

At a meeting of the federation of European civil aviation, the French representatives insisted that the steady increase in air traffic which was responsible for delays at airports was due chiefly to the poor organisation of existing slots and recalled that military aviation used 60 % of France's airspace for long periods of time.

Since the problem of flight delays affects all the Member States, will the Commission say:

1. What percentage of airspace is reserved from military use in the other Member States?

2. Do any figures exist for Greece?

3. Does the parallel use of airspace by military aviation pose any safety risk to flights?

4. What are its proposals and those of Eurocontrol on this matter, and specifically on the reduction of the amount of airspace set aside for military flights, so as to increase the airspace for civil aviation flights, thereby increasing their safety?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(22 May 2000)

1. and 2. The percentage of airspace used for military purposes varies between Member States, but is also not constant over time or even over airspace altitude. In addition some military airspace can be used flexibly and will be open to civil use as military operations allow.

It is, however, clear that the percentage of airspace used for military purposes is significant and imposes a constraint on civil flights.

The Commission's communication of 1st December 1999(1) on the creation of the European single sky sets out some further information on this subject in its fourth annex.

3. and 4. Each Member State should possess a well-regulated air-traffic control sector, with access to all necessary information, in particular strategic planning data, flight plan data and air picture. Mutually coherent management of airspace by civil and military controllers is essential for smooth air-traffic control, which in turn maximises safety. If this is the case, there should be no safety issues arising from use of airspace by military and civilian flights and other activities affecting airspace.

The Commission has established a high level group constituted of representatives of Member States' civil and military air management authorities, which is currently preparing a report to assist the Commission to prepare proposals on the integrated management of airspace and on the development of new concepts, procedures and practices for air traffic management. The group will report in June 2000. The issue of a more efficient use of the available airspace, including current military restrictions, is closely examined in this context.

(1) COM(1999) 614 final.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0264/00

by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 February 2000)

Subject: Light pollution

What is the Commission doing to combat light pollution around large cities, an environmental problem that, as well as presenting a substantial obstacle to the work of astronomers, contributes to global warming due to the carbon dioxide emissions of high powered light bulbs?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2000)

The Commission is currently not undertaking any work on so-called light pollution around large cities in the Community. Insofar as light pollution is a problem, solutions need to take into account other factors such as safety and security. This could best be done at the local level given differing circumstances in line with the principle of subsidiarity.

The Commission is very much aware that the wasteful and inefficient use of energy for lighting, including public lighting, and the associated greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the production and use of this energy from fossil fuels can contribute to global warming. In the framework of the SAVE programme the Commission has taken a number of initiatives to promote more energy efficient lighting technologies and reduced energy use for lighting in buildings. These initiatives range from minimum efficiency standards for ballasts for fluorescent lighting to voluntary programmes such as the Greenlight programme aimed at encouraging public and private companies to install energy efficient lighting technologies. In many of these initiatives the Commission is working closely with national energy agencies which can provide appropriate technical support. Technologies are also being developed by European industry for public lighting that can reduce considerably the amount of energy used by such installations. To stimulate the market for these technologies, the Commission has recently issued a mandate to the European standardisation bodies.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1385/00

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 May 2000)

Subject: Education and training as a means of preventing inequality between women and men

The old saying prevention is better than cure has successfully stood the test of time. Since much remains to be done to bring about the equality of women and men in many working environments, particularly in management posts, and this is due, according to scientific surveys, primarily to a lack of training among women, will the Commission state whether, as part of the new EQUAL Programme, it intends to devote special attention to educational and training measures in favour of women so as to remedy this situation at the earliest opportunity?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(23 June 2000)

The guidelines for EQUAL have taken into account the training deficit of women, in particular by requiring the Member States to include in their programme proposals a description of the actions and methods planned to implement the gender mainstreaming approach effectively (§ 61)(1).

In addition, the guidelines specify that one of the thematic fields serving as a basis for the first call for proposals will be promoting lifelong learning and inclusive work practices which encourage the recruitment and retention of those suffering discrimination and inequalities in connection with the labour market (§ 16).

(1) OJ C 127, 5.5.2000.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1788/00

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 June 2000)

Subject: Asturian Rural Accommodation Network

At a meeting recently held by the Spanish Rural Tourism Association, attention was once again drawn to the importance which has been acquired, in the Community tourism sector, by the activities of those who promote this type of tourism in rural areas of the Community.

In this connection the activities pursued by the Asturian Rural Accommodation Network may be highlighted. This body operates in one of the most scenically attractive regions of the Community and the direct technical assistance which it provides to new promoters of rural tourism in Asturias has led to the creation of many direct jobs in the region and approximately half as many indirect jobs.

What Community aid has been provided for the development of the Asturian Rural Accommodation Network and to what extent, and in what way, can the promoters of this type of rural tourism in Asturias gain access to the Community aid available to the sector?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(3 July 2000)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its findings as soon as possible.