ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1071/96 by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission (13 May 1996)

Subject: Fishing issues in Essex and Kent

Does the Commission accept that the common fisheries policy rules are giving incentives for the building of 70 - 80 foot 'Eurocutters' in order to employ intensive 'factory fishing' techniques, but which are allowed access to fish up to three miles off shore? Does the Commission also agree that small under-10m boats are being built precisely because they can avoid the limits altogether? If so, what actions are proposed to rectify these blatant distortions in the markets, and attempts to evade proper conservation targets?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1071/96, E-1072/96 and E-1073/96 given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (6 June 1996)

Community aid is provided for measures adopted in Community programmes for fisheries within the framework of Regulation (EC) No 3699/93 of 21 December 1993 ((OJ L 346, 31.12.1993. )). Individual fisheries projects, including construction or modernisation of fishing vessels cited by the Honourable Member are considered by the Member State in accordance with the programme indicated above and having regard to the capacity reduction targets fixed in the multiannual guidance programmes (MAGP) for the United Kingdom fishing fleet.

The Commission does not feel that the above-mentioned measures favour construction or modernisation of vessels of a particular length, design or type of fishing gear. Also, it is not correct to say that incentives are used to finance new constructions under 10 metres in length to avoid conservation or territorial limits.

The purpose of a measure such as decommissioning is to reduce fishing capacity in line with MAGP targets. The United Kingdom decommissioning scheme requires the surrender and suppression of the licence attached to the decommissioned vessel. The fleet capacity is, therefore, reduced irrespective of whether the owner purchases another existing licence or not. The measure satisfies the purpose for which it was introduced by reducing the size of the United Kingdom fishing fleet.

Provided that national legislation does not contravene the fundamental principles of the EC Treaty, in particular the prohibition of discrimination, and provided that exemptions from taxation do not amount to unlawful state aids, Community law cannot interfere with the autonomy of a Member State in matters of taxation. Member States can apply their own social and fiscal law in relation to matters of income, as long as they are in conformity with the Treaty and the aims of the common fisheries policy are not impeded.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1863/96 by José Valverde López (PPE) to the Commission (5 July 1996)

Subject: Phytosanitary protection measures and the agreement on the EU's common external borders

Rising imports of subtropical fruit such as mangos are not only causing problems to Community production; the sector is worried by lacklustre phytosanitary controls. The provinces of Granada and Málaga (Spain) have so far succeeded in remaining free from 'esternoquetus manguiferae' a pest which attacks mango seeds. Current legislation theoretically protects trade in seeds, but makes no reference to fresh fruit, which may be coming in already carrying the infection in its stones.

What measures could the Commission put forward to prevent this dangerous mango pest from infecting European crops?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (29 July 1996)

As the Honourable Member points out, the Community plant-health arrangements set up by Council Directive 77/93/EEC, ((OJ L 26, 31.1.1977. )) as subsequently amended, provide protection against the mango weevil (Sternochetus mangiferae) entering the Community in seed. It should be pointed out in that connection that at the request of Spain and Portugal the Commission acknowledged the designation of a protected area, using the provisions of the Directive, after checking that the weevil was not present in the two countries.

The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that these arrangements also provide that mangoes from outside the Community must undergo a plant-health inspection in their country of origin or dispatch before being allowed to enter. The main purpose is to prevent fruit-fly from being brought in. When the fruit is imported, the Member States are responsible for checking that the inspection has taken place and that the fruit is genuinely free of the fly.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1855/96 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission (5 July 1996)

Subject: Trafficking in dogs and cats

Illegal trafficking in dogs and cats in the Community is possible because of the lack of uniform laws in defence of animal rights.

The legislation in force in Italy and thus the monitoring and defence of animal rights does not apply in other countries where today illegal trafficking occurs.

Will the Commission propose a directive providing that legislation in force in one Member State on the protection of pets is also applicable in the other Community countries?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (30 July 1996)

Trade in dogs and cats is subject to two Council Directives, namely 91/628/EEC ((OJ L 340, 11.12.1991. )) and 92/65/EEC ((OJ L 268, 14.9.1992. )). If the Honourable Member is aware of any specific breaches of the above mentioned Directives, she is requested to notify full details to the national authorities and also the Commission.

However, questions such as cruelty to animals and the maintenance of zootechnical standards are not harmonized at Community level and continue to fall within the power of the Member States. It is not the intention of the Commission to propose any additional welfare legislation regarding dogs and cats at the present time.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1334/96 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission (3 June 1996)

Subject: Trade in puppies

To my mind, Question E-0785/96, ((OJ C 297, 8.10.1996, p. 26. )) on the sale of puppies from Eastern Europe, has not been properly dealt with, and the answer given was incomplete. I therefore wish to ask the following questions once again:

1. A cruel trade in puppies from Eastern Europe is being carried on in Milan. In many cases, the puppies die when they are only a few weeks old, and they pose a risk to the health of Italian dogs, which are infected with the diseases carried by imported dogs.

(a) Can the Commission subject this trade to stringent supervision, both as regards the dogs and as regards the persons who buy them?

(b) Can it also ensure that the relevant Community legislation is duly observed?

(c) Lastly, will it read questions carefully, thus removing the need for questioners to table the same text twice over?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (5 July 1996)

In its reply to the Honourable Member's written question E-785/96, the Commission indicated the provisions of Community law which govern the import of dogs as a trading activity and the transport of these animals within, to and from Member States.

The answers to the additional questions by the Honourable Member are as follows:

a. - b. All Member States are required to implement and enforce the Council Directives concerned (92/65/EEC ((OJ L 268, 14.9.1992. )) and 91/628/EC ((OJ L 340, 11.12.1991. ))). As, according to the Honourable Member, there are problems of enforcement of these texts in relation to puppies traded between Eastern Europe and Italy, the Commission will contact the Italian authorities with regard to the matter.

c. The Commission always endeavours to provide adequate answers to the questions asked by Honourable Members.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1348/96 by Jean-Yves Le Gallou (NI) to the Commission (3 June 1996)

Subject: Community subsidies to associations, NGOs and various bodies

Can the Commission provide a full list of the associations, NGOs and bodies receiving Community subsidies under budget heading B7-217 (Operations to help refugees and displaced persons)? Can it state the exact total of these subsidies at the close of the last financial year?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1346/96, E-1347/96 and E-1348/96 given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (15 July 1996)

The budget headings referred to by the Honourable Member concern humanitarian aid, which is aid for the victims of natural or man-made disasters, such as wars or other conflicts. Such aid goes directly to the victims, on an impartial basis and irrespective of ethnic origin and religious or political beliefs, and is generally channelled through the Commission's 'traditional' partner organizations.

Some 170 international and non-governmental organizations, including a number of United Nations institutions and Red Cross, are working with the Commission under the framework partnership contract which provides them with an appropriate framework to carry out humanitarian operations.

A table of appropriations allocated under budget headings B7-210, B7-211 and B7-217 to NGOs, international organizations and other partners that have carried out operations financed by the Commission, together with a full list of the humanitarian organizations that have signed the framework partnership contract with the Community will be sent directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1516/96 by Mark Killilea (UPE) to the Commission (17 June 1996)

Subject: The European Commission and the role of NGOs

On matters concerning disability, does the Commission agree that it is important to maintain NGO involvement at as high a level as possible, and can it give information on what criteria will be used to select NGO involvement over the next two years? What is the overall level of NGO funding proposed, and what activities will be eligible?

Given the excellent focus of the Communications on Human Rights, will the Commission use the UN Standard Rules as a framework for NGO involvement?

The Commission plans to put in place an Observatory and a high level group on disability. What will its formalized links be with NGOs representing disabled people and their families, i.e. can the Commission give assurances that the Observatory will not be just confined to government representatives or academics?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (17 September 1996)

The Commission agrees on the importance of the high-level involvement of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in matters concerning disability issues and has supported such involvement during the Helios II programme.

The Commission adopted a communication on equality of opportunity for people with disabilities and a draft resolution of the Council and of representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on equality of opportunity for people with disabilities on 30 July 1996 ((COM(96) 406 final. )) in which it reaffirms the principles and values that underline the United Nations standard rules on the equalisation of opportunities for persons with disabilities.

In its above communication, to the extent that the Community budget allows, the Commission intends to continue to provide support to organisations working in the field of disability to encourage European cooperation. The primary criterion in this regard will be the contribution made to the promotion of equal opportunities at European level.

The Commission also intends to set up a high level group of Member States' representatives on disability aiming at consolidating the valuable cooperation that has been developed during recent years under Helios II both with and between the Member States. It also intends to establish an observatory or network on national disability policies drawing on independent expertise in the Member States. The Commission intends to take part in the nomination process for the latter in cooperation with the Member States. Members of such an observatory or network could be expected to have expertise in the field and report in an objective way.

With regard to formal links with the NGOs, the Commission's thinking is that there should be a joint meeting of the high level group and the new independent European disability forum at least once a year.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-2503/96 by Stanislaw Tillich (PPE) to the Commission (23 September 1996)

Subject: Anti-competitive advertising of a public institution

Is the Commission aware that the firm of FERATEL Italia S.r.l. has filed a complaint against Tirol Werbung and its wholly-owned subsidiary TIS GmbH? This was done on the ostensible grounds that the business activities of Tirol Werbung / TIS as public bodies should be regarded as anti-competitive and as contravening the relevant EU standards.

What is the current state of the proceedings, and when will they be completed?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission (30 September 1996)

The Commission does not have sufficient details of the matter to be able to investigate the problem raised and is not therefore in a position to answer the question at the moment. It would ask the Honourable Member to provide more details.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1067/96 by Winifred EWING to the Council. Persecution of the Baha'is in Iran



Official Journal C 356 , 25/11/1996 P. 0011



WRITTEN QUESTION E-1067/96 by Winifred Ewing (ARE) to the Council (8 May 1996) Subject: Persecution of the Baha'is in Iran Will the Council raise with the Government of Iran the breach of human rights towards the Baha'is yet again, and in particular the case of Mr Dhabihu'llah Mahrami. He was charged with the crime of apostasy, found guilty and sentenced to death. He is currently awaiting execution. Will the Council intervene at once to stop this execution? Reply (14 October 1996) The Council remains concerned about the situation of the Baha' is in Iran and Mr Mahrami's case in particular. The Iranian authorities are well aware of our views. The Council understands that an earlier court verdict sentencing Mr Mahrami to death has been overruled by the Iranian Supreme Court and that legal proceedings are continuing. The Council will continue to monitor the situation closely.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-1574/96 by José Apolinário (PSE) to the Commission (12 June 1996)

Subject: CSFs for Portugal - late payments

Can the Commission explain the delay of four months (January to May 1996) in the payment of funds relating to CSFs in Portugal, involving around 50 billion escudos, despite all the Commission's declared intentions of simplifying the procedures?

What practical steps have been taken to avoid any repetition of these occurrences?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (22 July 1996)

The gap between submission of the proposal to reprogramme the operational programme for development of support infrastructure at the monitoring committee meeting of 29 November 1995 and the actual Commission decision (20 May 1996) did exceed the four months allowed for the procedures to amend operations.

This is because the programme is a complex one, consisting of three subprogrammes (transport, telecommunications and energy) involving substantial funding (ECU 1 987 million). The importance of the programme and complexity of issues requiring examination meant that completion took longer.

Ways of shortening the delay are now being looked into.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1708/96 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (25 June 1996)

Subject: Competition, telecommunications and employment

With regard to the draft Commission Directive (C(95)1843 ((OJ C 263, 10.10.1995, p. 6. ))) amending Commission Directive 90/388/EEC ((OJ L 192, 24.7.1990, p. 10. )) regarding the implementation of full competition in telecommunication markets, what impact does the Commission think this liberalization will have on employment?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission (16 July 1996)

One of the Commission's priorities is to give the utmost encouragement to the development of new markets and to the creation of jobs on those markets. In its 1994 White Paper on growth, competitiveness and employment, ((COM(93) 700. )) the Commission stressed the importance in this respect of eliminating the remaining exclusive rights that were causing fragmentation of the single market and restricting new investment. Directive 96/19/EC on the implementation of full competition in telecommunications markets, ((OJ L 74, 22.3.1996. )) which the Commission adopted on 13 March 1996 following wide-ranging public consultations, forms part of this approach.

In the United States the number of new jobs created by telecommunications firms (equipment and services) since 1985 exceeds by more than 100 000 the number of redundancies at ATT. In Finland employment in the telecommunications sector rose by 4% between 1987 and 1993 following the opening-up of the market to competition; this contrasts with an average fall of 16% in all sectors.

The liberalization of telecommunications also has an impact on other sectors of the economy. An econometric study ((The WEFA Group, 'Economic impact of deregulating US communications industries', Burling (Mass) - Bala Cynwyd (Penn), February 1995. )) envisages growth in total employment in the United States of 3.4 million units over ten years following a combination of cheaper services, easier network access, innovation and the spin-off from new services (health, distribution, multimedia). Similar effects are expected in the Community.

At this juncture, it is not yet possible to quantify the impact of Directive 96/19/EC on employment. This will depend to a large degree on the regulatory framework set in place by Member States in accordance with that Directive and with the Council and Parliament directives in the process of being adopted that relate inter alia to interconnection ((Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive amending Directives 90/387/EEC and 92/44/EEC for the purpose of adaptation to a competitive environment in telecommunications (OJ No C 62, 1.3.1996). )) and licences, ((Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on a common framework for general authorizations and individual licences in the field of telecommunications services (COM(95) 545). )) particularly inasmuch as investors are of the opinion that this framework affords them the legal certainty necessary to undertake long-term investments in new infrastructures.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1477/96 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission (12 June 1996)

Subject: Number of rabies cases

Can the Commission indicate how many rabies cases there have been in each EU country each year over the last five years?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (28 June 1996)

Recorded rabies cases in the Member States in the years 1991 to 1995

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WRITTEN QUESTION E-1150/96 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (15 May 1996)

Subject: Misuse of antibiotics for preventive purposes

According to consumers' associations, antibiotics are being widely used in stock-farming for preventive rather than therapeutic purposes, with the result that they are having adverse effects on human health via the food chain.

Is the Commission looking into these reports and what measures does it intend to take?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (14 June 1996)

The Commission has no knowledge of any recent complaints from Greek consumer associations about widespread misuse of antibiotics for preventative purposes in stock herds.

However, a new Council Directive, 96/23/EC, adopted on 29 April, which lays down measures for monitoring certain substances and residues thereof in livestock and animal produce, ((OJ L 125, 23.5.1996. )) enables Member States to tackle any such misuse by stepping up checks on the illegal use of veterinary medicines in stockbreeding.

The measures aim to protect consumers by stopping any meat or meat products with more than the authorized level of residues from being eaten by humans or animals. They also include severe penalties for farmers or businesses issuing or administering authorized substances for purposes other than those prescribed by national or Community law.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1580/96 by Jannis Sakellariou (PSE) to the Commission (24 June 1996)

Subject: Rejection of EU nationals as law assessors

In Bavaria citizens were recently called on to apply to become lay assessors. A citizen with Italian nationality was refused inclusion on the list because the office of lay assessor is reserved for German nationals.

Does the Commission consider that this practice is in line with the idea of European citizenship?

Is this practice compatible with the principle of non-discrimination against nationals of EU Member States?

Are steps being taken if necessary to halt such inequalities?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (5 September 1996)

Law assessors perform a judicial role in that they exercise the State's power to administer justice. Accordingly, the manner in which this function is to be carried out is exclusively the responsibility of the Member State in question.

Furthermore, even within the scope of the EC Treaty, certain specific activities of the public service, where those involve the exercise of public authority, may be reserved exclusively for citizens of the Member State in question. This does not constitute discrimination against citizens of other Member States but is a derogation laid down by Community law. ((Freedom of movement of workers and access to employment in the public service of the Member States - Commission action in respect of the application of Article 48(4) of the EEC Treaty (OJ C 72, 18.3.1988). ))

Accordingly, the Commission takes the view that the Bavarian law is compatible with Community law where it reserves the function of law assessor solely for German nationals.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1687/96 by Michl Ebner (PPE) to the Commission (24 June 1996)

Subject: Expansion of voluntary fire-fighting services in the Mediterranean countries

In view of the fact that, during the summer months in particular, the Mediterranean EU countries repeatedly suffer devastating forest fires that can be brought under control only with major effort and with the assistance of a large number of volunteers, will the Commission state whether it supports an expansion of voluntary fire-fighting services in the Mediterranean countries as well on the lines already found, for example, in South Tyrol, Austria and Germany?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (26 July 1996)

As part of its activities in the field of Community cooperation on civil protection, the Commission recently began talks with the civil protection services of the Member States on volunteer work, which is an important component of the Member States' civil protection systems.

The issue of encouraging the expansion of voluntary fire-fighting services may be tackled at a later stage if appropriate.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1444/96 by Christine Oddy (PSE) to the Commission (12 June 1996)

Subject: Homeworking and legislation

What steps is the Commission taking to implement the recommendations in its publication 'Social Europe-Homeworking in the European Union' Supplement 2/95, in particular will the Commission extend the EC framework directive to cover homeworking?

Will the Commission introduce special legislation to cover:

The legal status of homeworkers, responsibilities of subcontractors,equal pay and fair wages, protection of children, access to social security benefits and effective enforcement procedures?

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.