ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1252/96 by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission (23 May 1996)

Subject: Seizure of churches in Albania

In an interview with the organization 'Droits de l'homme sans frontières', Archbishop Anastasios of Albania, protested at the decision taken by the Albanian Government in a decree of 25 January 1996 to place under the control of the Ministry of Culture 18 Orthodox churches, one Catholic church and two mosques, and to forbid the holding of religious services in these places. The Archbishop sees this action by the Berisha government as yet another example of discrimination against the autocephalous Orthodox church in Albania.

1. Is the Commission aware of the action taken by the Albanian regime?

2. What steps will it take to ensure freedom of religion and the basic right of all Albanian citizens to have access to a place of worship?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (28 June 1996)

1. The Commission is aware that on 25 January the Albanian government issued a decree aimed at bringing a number of churches and places of worship belonging to the various religious communities in Albania under the control of the Ministry of Culture. However, this decree has not yet been enforced and, with the current political situation in Albania, it would appear highly unlikely that such a measure will actually be taken.

2. The cooperation agreement between the Community and Albania clearly establishes the general principle that respect for democratic principles and human rights, as defined by the Final Act of the Helsinki Conference and the Charter of Paris for a new Europe, shall be the basis for the domestic and international policies of the two parties and is an essential element of that agreement. Respect for human rights includes freedom of thought, conscience and religion as laid down in Article 9 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which Albania is bound to respect as a member of the Council of Europe.

As in the past, the Commission will keep a close eye on the human rights situation in Albania, notably as regards freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1112/96 by Gerardo Fernández-Albor (PPE) to the Commission (13 May 1996)

Subject: Statements by the President of the Portuguese Assembly in favour of legalizing drugs

Speaking before more than 150 specialists from all over the world at the International Conference on Drugs, the President of the Portuguese Assembly declared himself emphatically in favour of legalizing drug use and urged those attending the meeting to consider and discuss, in depth and without prejudice, the liberalization of narcotics consumption.

The specialists meeting in Lisbon to discuss the impact of drugs on present-day society were clearly astonished at this statement by the person holding the second highest office of state in Portugal.

Given that there should be a clear synchronization of Community views on this issue in order to tackle the scourge of drug addiction and combat its spread, which causes serious damage to society as such and the individual in particular, can the Commission say whether, in accordance with Community provisions on the subject, the statements by the above Portuguese dignitary may be considered to be in line with these provisions or contrary to the spirit of social protection consistently upheld by the Community philosophy?

Answer given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission (19 July 1996)

The Commission is not aware of the statements which the Honourable Member attributes to the President of the Portuguese Parliament.

It should be borne in mind that the Treaty on European Union leaves the question of legalisation of drugs to the exclusive responsibility of Member States. The Commission shares the view of the Honourable Member that global and integrated action at Commuinity level is of primary importance to tackle the scourge of drugs.

Moreover, the Commission adopted in June 1994 a communication, on an action plan to combat drugs covering the period of 1995 to 1999. This was welcomed by the Parliament and endorsed by the European Council in Cannes in June 1995. Improved cooperation and coordination between all authorities constitute an important part of this action plan.

To implement this plan, the Commission jointly organised with the Parliament and the Spanish Presidency a conference on drugs policy in Europe which took place in Brussels on 7-8 December 1995. This conference was particularly aimed at identifying the common elements in the Member States' drugs policies including legislation. It initiated a reflection on the comparison of legislation and its implementation in practice.

The reflection on the judicial implementation of national drugs legislation was pursued in the framework of a follow-up seminar jointly organised by the Commission, the Parliament and the Italian Presidency on 25-26 March 1996. As was confirmed at the European Council in Florence, the results of this seminar bring together the necessary material to allow for the completion of the study requested by the Madrid European Council on the extent to which possible harmonisation of Member States'legislation could contribute to a reduction in the consumption of drugs and unlawful trafficking in them.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0933/96 by Shaun Spiers (PSE) to the Commission (23 April 1996)

Subject: Labelling of animal feed products

In view of public concern about the contents of feedstuffs for farm animals and the possible link between certain foodstuffs and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), does the Commission propose to tighten the regulations concerning animal feed products and, in particular, does it plan to improve the labelling of such products?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-0933/96 and P-1232/96 given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (3 June 1996)

In the light of the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), many animal feed manufacturers, livestock producers and consumers have become genuinely concerned over the use of certain by-products of animal origin in animal feed.

Council Directive 79/373/EEC of 2 April 1979 ((OJ L 86, 6.4.1979. )) sets out in great detail rules to be observed for the labelling of compound feedingstuffs intended for animals as a whole.

As regards the declaration of the ingredients of compound feedingstuffs for animals other than pets, i.e. production animals such a bovine livestock, the Directive lays down that all the ingredients shall be listed in descending order of their proportion in the feedingstuff.

For the purposes of the declaration, the ingredients may also be listed according to the categories laid down by Commission Directive 91/357/EEC. ((OJ L 193, 17.7.1991. ))

In the light of the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the Commission will examine whether it is necessary to tighten the current rules on labelling in order to provide livestock producers with yet more precise information on the rules governing the use of certain products of animal origin.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0919/96 by Ulpu Iivari (PSE) to the Commission (23 April 1996)

Subject: Simplification of export subsidies for food products

Food products are exported from Finland to Russia with EU export subsidies. The consignments concerned can be very small, particularly in the case of those despatched to neighbouring regions, for example those supplied by meat processors direct to individual shops. Each consignment must be notified separately, which involves considerable paperwork. For example one Finnish food supplier had to complete a form concerning a consignment on which 1.43 Finnish marks was paid in export subsidy. The cost of processing the form is many times greater than this.

In view of the above, what will the Commission do to simplify the inconvenient and costly bureaucracy involved in exporting foodstuffs to neighbouring areas of third countries so as to avoid the necessity of submitting a separate notification for each consignment?

Supplementary answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (10 July 1996)

Further to its answer of 30 May 1996 ((OJ C 217, 26.7.1996, p. 128. )), the Commission is now able to provide the following information.

It is possible for a Member State to allow the use of the simplified procedures in export declarations. With regard to such procedures, Article 76 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the common customs code ((OJ L 302, 19.10.1992. )) and Articles 253 and 279 to 287 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93, laying down provisions for the implementation of the common customs code ((OJ L 253, 11.10.1993. )), establish the rules for incomplete declarations, simplified procedures and local clearance procedures.

Article 289 of Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 goes further, offering to the Member States the possibility of the use of commercial or administrative documents and, where the whole of an export operation takes place on the territory of a single Member State, to provide for more simplification.

An 'approved exporter' may be allowed by the customs authorities to carry out export procedures at his premises and to use commercial documents to forward the goods to the external border.

As regards export refunds, there should be no difficulties between the procedures mentioned above and the requirements prescribed in Article 3 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3665/87 ((OJ L 351, 14.12.1987. )).

In connection with its work on simplification of the common agricultural policy, the Commission is currently reflecting on the possibilities to simplify further the provisions concerning export restitutions.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0700/96 by José Valverde López (PPE) to the Commission (26 March 1996)

Subject: Aid for building desalination plants in Andalusia

Following the severe drought over the last few years in Andalusia, thanks to which 60% of the population has suffered from severe restrictions on domestic water use, the Spanish authorities have decided to build new desalination plants in Seville, Cadiz, the Costa del Sol and Almería.

It has been suggested that these investments could benefit from Structural Fund and Cohesion Fund aid.

Can the Commission state whether these projects have been approved or are in course of being approved?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (19 April 1996)

The Commission is aware of the severe problems that have been caused by the drought, especially in Andalusia. One of the priorities of the Cohesion Fund is indeed to improve the management of water resources, and in certain cases desalination projects might be of some help.

With a view to obtaining Cohesion Fund cofinancing, the Spanish authorities had planned to submit a number of desalination projects towards the end of March this year. However, no major project of this nature has as yet been proposed.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1210/96 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (15 May 1996)

Subject: Protection of agricultural land and renewable energy resources

Under Council Regulation (EEC) No 2080/92 ((OJ L 215, 30.7.1992, p. 96. )), the European Union introduced incentives for the afforestation with eucalyptus, conifers and broadleaves of land set aside from agricultural production. However, despite specific European Union recommendations concerning the development of renewable energy resources, the regulation makes no reference to biomass crops. In view of this, does the Commission envisage:

1. extending the list of crops covered by the aid scheme for southern Europe to include:

(a) reed (arundo donax)

(b) wild artichoke (cynara cardunculus) and

(c) miscanthus gigandeus,

which provide raw material for biomass production;

2. increasing aid to encourage the production of crops which provide raw material for biomass production so as to encourage agricultural land set-aside schemes?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (2 July 1996)

With Council Regulation (EEC) No 2080/92 a Community afforestation scheme has been instituted in order to accompany the changes introduced under the market organization rules (reform of the common agricultural policy) through an improvement in forest resources and a countryside management which is more compatible with good environmental practices. At the same time the scheme aims to combat the greenhouse effect and the negative impact of erosion on agricultural land.

Although an improvement in forest resources could contribute to the development of renewable energy resources (wood), the afforestation scheme is not specifically established for the promotion of biomass crops. Regulation (EEC) No 2080/92 is therefore restricted to afforestation, and will not be extended with biomass crops such as reed, wild artichoke and miscanthus.

For the cultivation of non-food crops on set-aside land, the non-food set-aside scheme, Commission Regulation (EEC) No 334/93 ((OJ L 38, 16.2.1993. )), has been established. This scheme makes it possible for farmers to use their set-aside land for the production of non-food raw materials. The non-food set-aside scheme includes a broad range of biomass crops. Reed, wild artichoke and miscanthus are eligible under this scheme and have been produced under the scheme in various Member States.

For set-aside land which is used for non-food production under Regulation (EEC) No 334/93 the same amount of area aid is granted as for normal set-aside land. However, Member States are allowed to grant national aid to producers to help them to cover the costs of planting multiannual crops for biomass production. The aid may not be more than the equivalent of the interest rate on 5 years' set-aside premia.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-1493/96 by Jaak Vandemeulebroucke (ARE) to the Council (31 May 1996)

Subject: Recruitment procedures

I understand that in recruitment procedures the Council is increasingly taking the applicant's nationality into consideration. That criterion is even said to take priority over examination results.

Can the Council state if that is in fact the case? If so, does the Council not consider that it is acting contrary to the prohibition on discrimination on grounds of nationality?

Can the Council inform me how many cases of judicial proceedings have been brought hitherto in this connection and in how many such cases judgment was given against the Council?

Reply (14 October 1996)

1. Article 27 of the Staff Regulations of officials of the European Communities provides, inter alia, that:

- recruitment shall be on the broadest basis from among nationals of Member States of the Communities;

- no posts shall be reserved for nationals of any specific Member State.

The Council organises its recruitment procedures in strict accordance with these provisions of the Staff Regulations and the case law established by the Court of Justice.

The Council therefore formally denies the Honourable Member's assertion that in recruitment procedures it is increasingly taking the applicant's nationality into consideration, or that nationality takes priority over examination results.

2. The Council does not have records of judicial proceedings in connection with staff matters. The Council will nevertheless carry out a research of staff cases against the Council in which discrimination on grounds of nationality was invoked, and communicate directly to the Honourable Member the result of this research.
WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1317/96 by Felipe CAMISÓN ASENSIO to the Council. Prospects for implementing the Spanish Plan Director de Infraestructura (Infrastructure Guideline Plan)



Official Journal C 356 , 25/11/1996 P. 0027



WRITTEN QUESTION E-1317/96 by Felipe Camisón Asensio (PPE) to the Council (4 June 1996) Subject: Prospects for implementing the Spanish Plan Director de Infraestructura (Infrastructure Guideline Plan) Last year the Spanish Parliament approved the Infrastructure Guideline Plan, which includes a range of major projects. Given that the Community debate about the trans-European Transport Network is continuing, does the Council think that the projects included in the Spanish Infrastructure Guideline Plan can be viably implemented with Community financial involvement? Reply (14 October 1996) It is not for the Council to comment on the viability of implementing a Member State's transport infrastructure guideline plan, irrespective of the possibility of some projects under that plan being eligible for Community financial assistance.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1389/96 by Gianni Tamino (V) to the Commission (6 June 1996)

Subject: Minimum standards for the protection of calves

Directive 91/629/EEC lays down minimum standards for the protection of calves. ((OJ L 340, 11.12.1991, p. 28. )) In Italy the Directive has been transposed by means of Legislative Decree No 533 of 30 December 1992. Article 6(2) of that Decree contains a stipulation whereby not later than 30 April 1996 and every two years thereafter, before the last working day in April, the Ministry of Health is required to inform the Commission of the findings of the inspections carried out in the two preceding years and the number of inspections compared to the number of holdings operating on national territory as a whole.

Has the Commission received the above-mentioned report from all the Member States?

What conclusions can be drawn from the data supplied?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (8 July 1996)

The Commission has not so far received any information on the results of inspections as laid down in Article 7.3 of Directive 91/629/EEC. The Commission has asked all Member States to supply the results of the inspections as soon as possible.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0917/96 by Josep Pons Grau (PSE) to the Commission (23 April 1996)

Subject: Presidential elections in Mauritania

On 11 October 1996, parliamentary elections are to be held in Mauritania.

What action is the Commission intending to take in order to help ensure that the elections proceed smoothly?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission (24 May 1996)

The Commission has received a request for financial aid from the Mauritanian authorities for the organization of a general election in October 1996. Consultations are currently taking place between the Head of the Commission Delegation in Mauritania and the representatives of Member States with a residency in Nouakchott to see whether the various types of assistance requested from the Community and other potential donors could be made available jointly and in coordination.

In the light of these consultations, the Commission will indicate the likelihood of an eventual favourable response. Having said that, because of the large number of applications for assistance, the Commission gives priority to elections, which mark a transition to democracy and the rule of law. The Commission made an important contribution to the 1992 elections in Mauritania on that basis and will look very carefully at ways of ensuring effective coordination with other potential donors before reaching a decision with regard to aid for the forthcoming poll.

At all events, any new financial assistance must be reflected in procedural improvements which will help to ensure a significant qualitative improvement in the election process.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1473/96 by Richard Howitt (PSE) to the Commission (12 June 1996)

Subject: Reasonableness of the Local Government Review in Essex - UK

Given the Europe-wide harmonization of voting rules in municipal elections, is the Commission aware of any aspect of European Union law which might be used to challenge the failure of the UK Local Government Minister to allow Billerloay in Essex to be split from Basildon, against the wishes of the vast majority of its residents, and recommended by his own Commission in 1994 and again last year? Is the Commission further aware of any possible human rights implications which might justify a reference to the Council of Europe in this regard?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (19 July 1996)

The application of Article 8B(1) of the EC Treaty and of Directive 94/80/EC ((OJ L 368, 31.12.1994. )) does not presuppose the harmonization of Member States electoral systems. The main aim of these provisions is to abolish the nationality requirement and to extend to Union citizens living in a Member State of which they are not nationals, the right to vote and to stand as candidates in municipal elections on the same conditions as nationals of that Member State.

The Commission monitors local government review in all the Member States to ensure that any reorganisation fully respects the exercise of these rights and it will also do so in the case of the review currently under way in the United Kingdom.

However, the reorganization of local government and consequent changes to electoral boundaries is a matter solely for Member States and the Commission has no jurisdiction to deal with the question asked.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-1913/96 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (5 July 1996)

Subject: State involvement in the management of Olympic Airways

In its answer to question 1048/96 ((OJ C 305, 15.10.1996. )), the Commission expresses its concern that 'certain other conditions have not, as yet, been entirely fulfilled', emphasizing that 'This relates, in particular, to the degree of apparent involvement by the state in the management of the airline beyond its obligations as a shareholder'.

Will the Commission give specific details of the involvement by the state going beyond its obligations as a shareholder towards Olympic Airways?

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

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the Decision of the Commission on this matter which was published in the Official Journal No C 176 of 19 June 1996.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1554/96 by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler (V) to the Commission (17 June 1996)

Subject: Beef storage costs

Can the Commission say how many cattle produced in the Community were transported between 1990 and 1995 as livestock

(a) in intra-Community trade;

(b) in trade with third countries?

Can the Commission provide any information in terms of tonne-kilometres?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (18 July 1996)

The Commission will forward tables containing available information (1990-1994) directly to the Honourable Member and Parliament's Secretariat.

The Commission does not have any information on the distances over which animals have been transported in intra and extra-Community trade.