ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1366/96 by Jean-Yves Le Gallou (NI) to the Commission (3 June 1996)

Subject: Community subsidies for associations, NGOs and various bodies

For Article B7-703 (Democratization process in Latin America), 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?

Answer given by Mr Marin on behalf of the Commission (24 June 1996)

In view of the length of its answer, the Commission is sending it direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0931/96 by Shaun Spiers (PSE) to the Commission (23 April 1996)

Subject: Extradition procedures within the EU

What plans does the Commission have to introduce proposals to harmonize extradition procedures between the Member States of the EU?

Answer given by Mrs Gradin on behalf of the Commission (15 May 1996)

Judicial cooperation in criminal matters is a matter of common interest under Article K.1(7) of Title VI of the Treaty on European Union. The Commission is fully associated with the work in this area in accordance with Article K.4 but it does not have a right of initiative in this area under Article K.3 and cannot, therefore, introduce proposals to harmonize extradition procedures.

A Convention on simplified extradition procedures between the Member States was signed on 10 March 1995 ((OJ C 78, 30.3.1995. )) and work is in progress on drawing up a further, more comprehensive convention on the improvement of extradition between the Member States.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1098/96 by Jesús Cabezón Alonso (PSE) to the Commission (13 May 1996)

Subject: Tax arrangements for SMEs

With a view to promoting investment in SMEs in the European Union, what initiatives will the Commission take to recommend a less complex tax system for such undertakings and introduce mechanisms which will prevent tax discrimination, which might distort free competition in the setting-up of small and medium-sized undertakings?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission (18 June 1996)

In its communication of 25 May 1994 on the improvement of the tax environment of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) ((COM(94)206. )), the Commission stated that, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, the problems faced by SMEs concerning their capacity to attract sufficient financial resources and their inability to cope with administrative complexity need to be addressed at national level.

However, the Commission has made recommendations to Member States to encourage specific improvements in the tax environment of SMEs. The recommendation concerning the taxation of SMEs ((OJ L 177, 9.7.1994. )) invited Member States to adopt tax measures needed to correct dissuasive effects of progressive income tax on the reinvested profits of unincorporated enterprises and to eliminate tax obstacles to changes in the legal form of enterprises. The recommendation on the transfer of SMEs ((OJ L 385, 31.12.1994. )) included an invitation to Member States to reduce the burden of taxation on the transfer of businesses, especially inheritance and gift tax, with the aim of ensuring that their taxation policy is better adapted to ensuring the survival of businesses.

Furthermore, the Commission asked the Member States to encourage, through appropriate fiscal measures, the reinvestment of the proceeds from the sale of an enterprise into another enterprise, and hence to encourage the continuity of the enterprise when its ownership changes.

In its report on SMEs ((CSE(95)2087. )) to the Madrid European Council, the Commission recommended that Member States should develop a bold strategy of administrative and regulatory simplification in favour of SMEs, including a simplified VAT system. Furthermore, the Commission called for a convincing initiative on the part of Member States in order to make equity financing for SMEs more attractive than debt financing, thereby improving their financial stability and their survival rate under difficult economic conditions.

Finally, the Commission underlines the importance of taking forward the work on taxation set out in the document on taxation in the European Union ((SEC(96)487. )) discussed by economic and finance ministers at Verona. The document proposes a new global approach to taxation and social security issues which takes into account the objectives of the single market, economic and monetary union and the fight against unemployment.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0502/96 by Sebastiano Musumeci (NI) to the Commission (1 March 1996)

Subject: Exemption from taxes on petroleum products in Sicily

- The Italian Government, in the person of Mr Fantozzi, Minister of Finance, has stated that it is opposed to the introduction of tax exemptions for petroleum products in Sicily. This attitude undoubtedly constitutes discrimination against Sicily, since two regions of Northern Italy obtained that concession some time ago.

- The Italian Government's refusal to grant any such exemption is even less justifiable in view of the fact that, for many years, Sicily has had to put up with extremely polluting oil refineries along its coastline (at Gela, Priolo and Milazzo) to enable refined oil to be sold to other regions at a much lower price than that demanded of local consumers.

- Tax exemptions for petroleum products in Sicily would provide an unprecedented boost for the island's tourist industry and its boat services, which hitherto have been at a disadvantage compared to those of other Mediterranean countries.

Does the Commission agree that it should approach the Italian Government to overturn an arbitrary and discriminatory decision in relation to a region which has suffered serious environmental damage and under-development?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (15 April 1996)

According to Article 8(4) of Council Directive 92/81/EEC on the harmonisation of the structures of excise duties on mineral oils ((OJ L 316, 31.10.1992. )), the Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission, may authorise any Member State to introduce exemptions or reductions in the rates of duty on mineral oils, for specific policy reasons.

On a request from the Italian authorities the Council has decided to authorise Italy to apply reduced rates or exemptions on mineral oils for consumption in the regions of Val d'Aosta and Gorizia and the regions of Udine and Trieste¹.

It is for the Italian authorities to decide if further derogations should be requested.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0442/96 by Hans-Gert Poettering (PPE) to the Commission (29 February 1996)

Subject: Adjustment of national laws of association to accord with European law

There have recently been growing numbers of complaints from European umbrella organizations representing the most widely varied association organizations that have applied to be placed on the appropriate register of associations in the Member States of the European Union and have had their applications turned down by the courts holding jurisdiction. Why? Because only in the most exceptional cases - and how could it be otherwise? - do European articles of association concur with the requirements of the national law of association concerned. Legal capacity is consequently refused.

1. Is the Commission aware of these problems?

2. What steps will the Commission take to rectify this situation, which denies legal capacity to European associations in the Member States?

3. Would it be possible, pending definitive adjustment of national laws of association to accord with European law, for an interim solution to be created by means of a regulation?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission (15 March 1996)

1. The Commission is aware of the problems encountered by associations when they try to develop transnational activities, particularly since if their legal personality is not recognised they are obliged to acquire a new legal personality in the Member State in which they wish to become established or carry out their activity, and this entails setting up a new association.

2. It is for this reason that in December 1991 the Commission adopted a proposal for a Council Regulation on the statute for a European association ((OJ C 99 of 21.4.1992. )). This optional statute will enable associations which so desire to have a legal personality at Community level. Registration in one Member State will be sufficient for them to enjoy legal capacity in all the Member States. The European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee gave their opinions on 20 January 1993 and 26 May 1992 respectively. The amended proposal ((OJ C 236 of 31.8.1993. )) for this statute was submitted to the Council on 6 July 1993 and is currently being considered.

3. Pending the adoption of the regulation on the statute for a European association, no interim solutions can be envisaged. There is, nevertheless, a European convention on the recognition of the legal personality of non-governmental international organisations, which was agreed within the Council of Europe and entered into force in 1991, but it is not in operation throughout the Community ((The only countries to ratify the convention to date are Belgium, Greece, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia. )).
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0589/96 by Ernesto Caccavale (UPE) to the Commission (11 March 1996)

Subject: ERDF Regulation for the 1994-1999 period - Objective 1 Abruzzi, Italy

- Under the Community Support Framework (1994-99), measures cofinanced by the ERDF for the Abruzzi Region are admissible only in respect of the 1994-96 period. Delays in approving the operational programme have given rise to delays in the publication of the relevant notices, which even now has not yet been completed.

- The aids to businesses provided for under the multiregional operational programme (Section 2 - Industry and Services) will only be available following publication by the Ministry for Industry of the notice of implementation of Law 488/92e, and in any case no earlier than October 1996.

- As from 1 January 1997, businesses established in the Abruzzi Region will no longer benefit from the present reductions in contributions and State subsidies to cover labour costs.

1. Does the Commission agree that the operational programme's period of implementation should be extended proportionally to the delays in payments if the Abruzzi Region has not completed the development programme by the end of that period?

2. Should the Commission not produce an accurate description of the situation of the Structural Funds, in terms of commitments and payments, before suspending the Abruzzi Region's eligibility for Objective 1 classification as of 31 December 1996?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (23 April 1996)

The duration of the eligibility of the Abruzzi region under objective 1 from 1994 to 1996 is laid down in the structural funds regulations ((OJ L 193, 31.7.1993. )).

The Commission is conscious of the delays in implementing the Abruzzi regional programme and is pressing for an acceleration of commitments at regional and national levels in order to make full use of the funds available. It should be borne in mind that two further years, 1997 and 1998, are available for payments to be made in respect of these commitments.

The Commission will keep the matter under close review. Given the delays in the negotiation process before the approval of the regional operational programmes, the Commission may have an open approach with respect to the request from the Member State to consider extensions of the existing deadlines for commitments and payments.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0356/96 by Jesús Cabezón Alonso (PSE) and Juan Colino Salamanca (PSE) to the Commission (22 February 1996)

Subject: Structural Funds and employment

At its meeting in Madrid in December 1995 the European Council stated that structural fund programmes in the 1994-1999 period 'provide a useful contribution to the implementation of the Essen priorities'.

Does the Commission intend to introduce measures to assess the impact of structural funding on job creation in the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (11 April 1996)

In the next few months the Commission intends to send a communication to the Council and Parliament on Community structural policy and employment. This document will identify the different channels whereby the Structural Funds influence employment and will set out broad lines of policy for strengthening those links within the framework of the current programmes.

First estimates indicate that structural assistance will help support 1,2 million jobs in Objective 1 regions for the period 1994-99, while an analysis of the Single Programming Documents for Objectives 2 and 5b zones shows, on the basis of information provided by the Member States, support for an estimated 580 000 and 518 000 jobs respectively for the programming period.

These figures should however be used with care, in view of the lack of a common methodology for measuring the impact the funds will have on employment. Which is why, in order to assess the range of existing methods for calculating employment impacts of policies, with their advantages and weaknesses, a study and technical handbook were published through the Means (methods for evaluating actions of structural nature) programme launched last year by the Commission. During 1996 work on this basis will continue. The handbook in particular should be useful for those who have to consider and assess the impact of measures on employment.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0682/96 by Thomas Megahy (PSE) to the Council (27 March 1996)

Subject: Treatment of British football supporters in other Member States

British football supporters are being placed on international 'hooligan' blacklists despite not having been convicted of any offence. Some have already suffered imprisonment and deportation without trial in the Netherlands and other Member States. The problem appears to arise from the practice of entering the name of any British person arrested at a football match (or during a journey connected with one) on to a computer record, even if no charges are brought, if the individual concerned is subsequently acquitted, or if the offence is a trivial matter involving no disorderly or violent conduct (as was the case for 123 supporters of Leeds United arrested in Eindhoven for the technical offence of not carrying their passports). These computer records are then made available to police forces in different Member States.

Will the Council take steps to ensure that systems established to control violent criminals will no longer be used to harass innocent people exercising their right to move freely around the European Union in the course of a lawful activity?

Reply (27 June 1996)

1. Public safety at sporting events is the subject of the European Convention of 19 August 1985, prepared under the auspices of the Council of Europe, and of two Council Recommendations of 30 November 1993 and 22 April 1996 respectively. The European Convention covers spectator violence and misbehaviour at sporting events and in particular at football matches. The Council's Recommendation of 30 November 1993 concerns the responsibility of organizers of sporting events and that of 22 April 1996 contains guidelines for preventing and restraining disorder connected with football matches.

2. The organizers of sporting events and the police services of the Member States are responsible for applying the Convention and the Recommendations. To that end, a network of correspondents has been established which enables the Member States to exchange information on the number of spectators and the different means of transport likely to be used by them. The sole aim of this exchange of information is to strengthen security at sporting events.

3. It will be recalled that the protection of information is covered by the European Convention of 28 January 1981 for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data and Recommendation R(87)15 of the Committee of Ministers (Council of Europe) of 17 September 1987 regulating the Use of Personal Data in the Police Sector.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-0955/96 by David Bowe (PSE) to the Commission (22 April 1996)

Subject: United Utilities

United Utilities and the US construction group Bechtel, are currently involved in a trades union de-recognition dispute in the UK involving the GMB, AEEU, and the TGWU.

Has the Commission granted any current contracts to United Utilities and/or Bechtel and/or their subsidiaries? If so, what does this say about the EU's attitude to a social Europe?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (30 May 1996)

The Commission confirms that contracts were granted for oil equipment in Russia under the 1993 TACIS programme and for technical assistance in the energy sector in Uzbekistan under the 1994 TACIS programme.

A company or consortium is included in the short list on the basis of its capability to implement a projet in the Commonwealth of independent states. Companies or consortia respond to a call to tender based on a set of technical terms of reference. Disputes between companies and trade unions are subject to the law of the Member States.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-0831/96 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission (28 March 1996)

Subject: European Health Card

There has been a steady increase in certain serious infectious diseases such as hepatitis, HIV, and, in some countries at least, tuberculosis. Would it be possible to introduce a 'smart' health card which could be linked up to a central or regional data bank in the various countries and immediately provide full information on an individual's health background - a kind of detailed, effective, individual computerized health record?

Can the Commission find out whether such a scheme already exists in any Member State?

Does it not consider that it would be extremely useful, in view of the spread of the above-mentioned diseases, to introduce a compulsory European Health Card in all the Member States?

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

The Commission is not aware that any Member State has installed 'smart card' systems on infectious diseases.

The Commission has put forward a proposal for a Parliament and Council decision to support Member States' efforts in this field by creating a network for the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the Community ((COM(96) 78 final, 7.3.1996. )).

The Commission has no evidence that there is a need for such a card to be introduced at Community level and has therefore no intention of putting forward a proposal for a compulsory health card to support disease control.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1100/96 by José Apolinário (PSE) to the Commission (13 May 1996)

Subject: Enlargement - assessment of fulfilment of the economic and political conditions for the accession of Central and Eastern European countries adopted in Copenhagen

In the course of 1996 the Commission is to consult the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe on the basis of a questionnaire chiefly designed to assess the fulfilment of the economic and political requirements for the accession of these countries to the European Union as adopted in Copenhagen.

Up to now, the Commission has not provided specific information to the Member States on the content of this document. Even though this consultation of candidate countries, which has also taken place in connection with previous enlargements, is the responsibility of the Commission, it would be of interest to know what are the immediate objectives and content of the questionnaire, and in particular whether it will be used only in drawing up opinions on applications for membership or also in drawing up the documents requested in Madrid so that an in-depth assessment might be made of the impact of enlargement?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (13 June 1996)

The Copenhagen European Council in June 1993 defined the economic and political conditions to be satisfied for the accession of associated countries from Central and Eastern Europe. The opinions which the Commission will give on the applications of the associated countries to join the Union, as soon as possible after the conclusion of the inter-governmental conference, will provide an evaluation of the situation of the countries in relation to these criteria.

The questionnaires, which were presented to the governments of the associated countries on 26 April 1996, are designed to obtain the necessary information for that evaluation. They include questions of a factual and technical nature concerning all the main areas of the acquis communautaire. The applicant countries are asked to reply to the questionnaire within three months.

The Commission intends to make use of the information obtained from the replies to the questionnaires, among other sources, when it draws up the other papers requested by the Madrid European Council.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1117/96 by Undine-Uta Bloch von Blottnitz (V) to the Commission (13 May 1996)

Subject: Disposal of nuclear waste - Kola Peninsular in Russia - EU involvement

According to the managing director of DBE - which has been commissioned by the Federal Republic of Germany to plan and build a nuclear-waste repository - the company is also carrying out projects on the Kola Peninsula in Russia. Those projects too are connected with the disposal of nuclear waste. The European Union is providing assistance for the projects.

1. What precisely is the purpose of the above-mentioned projects on the Kola Peninsula in Russia, and what progress has been made with them so far?

2. What nuclear waste will be stored there and what countries will it come from?

3. What form does EU involvement take and from which budgets is it funded?

4. Is the European Union involved in any other research or pilot projects for the purposes of the disposal of nuclear waste on the territory of the former Soviet Union? If so, which ones and how is the EU involved?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (20 June 1996)

Improvements in safe storage and the preparation of the disposal of radioactive waste are necessary in the north west region of Russia, as elsewhere in the former Soviet Union.

1. The Commission cooperates with safety authorities and operators of installations in this region in the framework of an action on the 'safety of radioactive waste management and the conceptual design of repositories at the Murmansk and Arkangelsk regions of north west Russia'. In a first phase, the consortium of Community radioactive waste management agencies named Cassiopee, with the 'Deutsche gesellschaft zum Bau und Betrieb von Endlagern für Abfälle' (DBE) as the lead agency, has established an inventory of radioactive waste in storage in the region and has provided a computerised data base to the local safety authorities.

2. The Russian authorities decide on type, volume and origin of radioactive waste to be stored in north west Russia. To the best of the Commission's knowledge, only radioactive waste currently stored and generated in the region will be stored in the future. Spent nuclear fuel is not included. The present Russian policy is to send spent fuel assemblies to the Mayak plants in the Urals.

3. The first phase of the above study has been financed through the budget line 'Cooperation on nuclear safety with the Commonwealth of independent states' (CIS). The continuation of this work is part of the Tacis nuclear assistance programme.

4. The Commission also supports, through its cooperation programmes, work on radiological consequences from earlier disposal practices in the Russian Federation (release of liquid radioactive waste in surface water systems, injection of liquid waste in deep geological layers, dumping of radioactive waste in the Northern Seas).