ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1372/01

by Carlos Carnero González (PSE) to the Council

(21 May 2001)

Subject: Store closures and mass redundancies at Marks and Spencer

Marks and Spencer has announced that it is closing down several of its stores in various European countries, including Spain (four in Madrid, two in Barcelona, and one each in Seville, Valencia, and Bilbao) and consequently making huge numbers of workers redundant.

The decision was announced without warning, the Marks and Spencer management having acted without first approaching the staff trade unions.

The company employees in the countries and stores concerned, in particular, and the public in general have reacted with amazement and indignation to a measure inimical to employment that violates the basic principle of consultation between management and labour and manifestly lies beyond the pale of the European social model.

In France, the courts have successfully intervened to prevent Marks and Spencer from implementing its decisions without any form of supervision.

The Marks and Spencer decision is absolutely reprehensible and, moreover, as the Secretary-General of ETUC, Emilio Gabaglio, has pointed out, highlights the need to build a genuinely social Europe. To that end, the EU must, as a matter of urgency, lay down effective rules on worker information and consultation to prevent large employers adopting decisions inspired by untrammelled capitalism such as the one described here.

What steps will the Council take to defend the European social model and prevent Marks and Spencer from achieving its antisocial aims, thus ensuring that other companies of comparable size will not unhesitatingly take decisions along similar lines in the future? Will it, without further delay, adopt the directive on the right of workers to be informed, making provision in the text for penalties for non-compliance?

Reply

(6 December 2001)

The Council is conscious of the fact that certain recent cases of company restructuring are likely to have serious economic and social consequences for their employees and members of their families. The Council is also conscious of the fact that the employers in some of these cases have been accused of not having informed and consulted their employees and/or their representatives in accordance with national legislation in force to that effect. It is, however, not up to the Council to determine whether or not the relevant legislation has been violated.

The attention of the Honourable Member of the European Parliament is drawn to the fact that work on the Commission's proposal for a Directive establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees in the European Community has now advanced to a stage where the Council, at its meeting on 11 June 2001, reached a political agreement on a common position.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1609/01 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Council. Maltese as an official EU language.



Official Journal 081 E , 04/04/2002 P. 0041 - 0042



WRITTEN QUESTION E-1609/01 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Council (1 June 2001) Subject: Maltese as an official EU language Will Maltese become an official language of the EU if Malta joins the European Union and what preparations are being made for Maltese becoming an official EU language? Reply (21 November 2001) It is recalled that according to Article 290 of the EC Treaty, the rules governing the languages of the institutions of the Community shall be determined by the Council acting unanimously. These rules are laid down in Regulation No 1 of the Council of 15 April 1958, last amended when new Member States joined the Community in 1995, which enumerates the official languages of the EU. The question of Maltese as a future official language of the Union has not yet been addressed in the framework of the ongoing accession negotiations with Malta. As for all the candidate countries with which negotiations have been started, the negotiating chapter Institutions still remains to be opened.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1534/01

by Ioannis Souladakis (PSE) to the Council

(7 June 2001)

Subject: Measures to prevent the cultivation of cannabis and opium in Lebanon

According to articles appearing in the international press, one of the consequences of the long drawn-out civil war in Lebanon has been the illegal cultivation of cannabis and opium, replacing agricultural crops. To date, aid measures seeking to restore a healthy and developing agricultural economy in Lebanon, putting a definitive end to cultivation connected with drugs trafficking, have not produced the hoped-for results. The press reports in question also mention US aid but make no reference to similar efforts by the European Union.

Given the major importance of combating drug trafficking and preventing this major scourge from afflicting the European Community:

1. What specific programmes of aid for Lebanon are being considered by the Council?

2. Is the Council considering funding for programmes to combat the cultivation of cannabis and opium and strengthen Lebanon's agricultural economy? If so, what are these programmes?

3. Can the Council provide any information concerning MEDA funding for programmes to assist Lebanon?

4. Have specific initiatives been taken to cooperate with the Lebanese authorities in combating illicit cultivation activities and networks trafficking in illegal drugs?

Reply

(26 November 2001)

1. Following the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam and the adoption of the Common Strategy on the Mediterranean region by the Feira European Council on 19 and 20 June 2000, the Council in May 2001 adopted an addition to the negotiating directives of 1995 for the EU-Lebanon Euro-mediterranean Association Agreement. This addition refers to the strengthening of cooperation in different areas of justice and home affairs, including cooperation on illicit drugs.

2. According to the addition to the mandate, the Parties, within their respective powers and competencies, will co-operate to ensure a balanced and integrated approach towards drugs. Drug policies and actions should be aimed at reducing the supply, trafficking and demand of illicit drugs as well as at a more effective control of precursors. In order to attain these objectives, the Parties will, in the framework of these provisions, agree on the necessary methods of co-operation. These actions shall be based on commonly agreed principles along the lines of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session 1998. The co-operation between the Parties is also envisaged to comprise technical and administrative assistance in particular in the following areas: drafting of national legislation and policies; establishment of institutions and information centres; training of personnel; drug related research; and the prevention of diversion of precursors used for the illicit manufacture of drugs. The Parties may also agree to include other areas.

3. The question raised by the Honourable Member of Parliament in regard to the MEDA funding for programmes to assist Lebanon in preventing the cultivation of cannabis and opium in Lebanon, falls into the competence of the European Commission.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2388/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(20 August 2001)

Subject: Cost of health care

Will the Commission give its best estimate of the average typical cost in each Member State for any recent period of a:

(a) cataract removal;

(b) heart bypass operation;

(c) hernia operation;

(d) knee replacement.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(26 September 2001)

The present Action Programme on health monitoring and the future Action Programme on Public Health aim at developing and making available adequate, reliable and comparable data sets and indicators of public health. The indicators will cover the entire public health field including the area mentioned by the Honourable Member for which data will have to be collected from the Member States. The proposed Public Health Action Programme is currently before the Parliament and the Council.

In the interim, the Commission has not at its disposal the information requested.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1311/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(4 May 2001)

Subject: Freedom of information in Italy and Article 11 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union reads: 1. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. 2. The freedom and pluralism of the media shall be respected.

Can the Council state whether Italy's national law No 62 of 7 March 2001: New rules on publishing and on publishing products and amendments to Law No 416 of 5 August 1981, published in Italy's Official Journal No 67 of 21 March 2001, is not in open breach of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union?

Reply

(21 November 2001)

The Council would inform the Honourable Member that, apart from the cases provided for in Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union, it is not for the Council to express an opinion on the observance of fundamental rights in the Member States.

The Council would also draw the Honourable Member's attention to the fact that, pursuant to Article 51 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, its provisions are addressed to the institutions and bodies of the Union with due regard for the principle of subsidiarity and to the Member States only when they are implementing Union law.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2067/01

by Sir Robert Atkins (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 July 2001)

Subject: Erika II Package Establishing a COPE Fund

What steps does the Commission intend to take to ratify the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001, and the International Convention on liability and compensation for damage in connection with the carriage of hazardous and noxious substances by sea, 1996? If ratification of the Convention on Bunker Fuel Oil 2001 and the Hazardous and Noxious Substances Convention 1996 is delayed by other non-EU-member States, what action does the Commission intend to take to implement the substance of the Conventions within EU waters?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(2 October 2001)

The Commission is concerned about the lack of international rules for the liability and compensation of the substances in question. In its Communication on a second set of measures on maritime safety following the sinking of the oil tanker Erika(1), the Commission held that an advancement regarding the regime for liability and compensation for hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) is necessary and needs to be addressed as a matter of priority at international and European level.

The Transport Council, at its meeting on 20 December 2000, called upon Member States and encouraged third parties to ratify the 1996 International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea. The Commission will follow this undertaking up and take the necessary steps to facilitate the ratification in accordance with Community law.

As a first step, the Commission will propose a decision authorising Member States to ratify the Bunkers and HNS Conventions. This is a necessary precondition, in light of existing Community law and the exclusive Community competence in certain matters regulated in the two conventions.

If, despite these efforts, there would be no appropriate liability and compensation regime at an international level, the Commission will make a proposal for adopting Community legislation introducing a Europe-wide maritime pollution liability and compensation regime.

(1) OJ C 120 E, 24.4.2001.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-2249/01

by Gianfranco Dell'Alba (TDI) to the Council

(20 July 2001)

Subject: Europol

On 2 June 2001, Europol's offices were searched and one of its officers was questioned by the Dutch police at some length on suspicion of fraud.

In view of the status of Europol which polices other police forces neither the Commission nor Parliament can consider instituting an inquiry.

As a branch of the budgetary authority, it is not acceptable that Parliament should be unable to ascertain the full facts about a case which tarnishes the image of the whole European Union and its institutions, and that it should have to make do with gleaning information from the press.

Does not the Council agree that this anomaly ought to be corrected and that the Court of Auditors and the European Parliament, in their respective roles, ought to be assigned powers of supervision over such bodies as Europol?

Has the Council instituted inquiries to ascertain whether fraud has been committed against the Community budget?

Reply

(27 November 2001)

1. The Honourable Member of the European Parliament is informed that Europol presently is financed by the Member States and thus not financed from the Community budget. Therefore direct fraud against the Community budget is excluded. In as far as it has been alleged that fraud was committed in the framework of Community programmes, it is the task of the Commission bodies (for instance OLAF) to further investigate the issue.

2. The system of Member State financing is laid down in the Europol Convention. Any amendment of this system would require the Convention to be amended which in turn requires a ratification procedure in all Member States.

3. The Europol Convention lays down a thorough system of financial controls, which include an independent financial controller and a joint audit committee, composed of members of the Court of Auditors. So although the Court of Auditors is not directly competent to supervise Europol, Europol has in place effective financial controls.

4. It should be noted that the alleged irregularities referred to in the question of the Honourable Member of the European Parliament have been discovered by the financial controller. On the basis of his report the Europol Management Board set up a committee which has further investigated the issue. The financial controls in the Europol framework have therefore proved to be effective.

5. The Members of the Council are informed, through their national representatives in the Management Board of Europol of the findings of this committee.

6. Given that Europol on the basis of the information that came to light informed the competent Dutch public prosecutor of the alleged irregularities and that the public prosecutor thereupon has started criminal investigations against one official of the Staff of Europol, the Council considers it inappropriate to take any action which might interfere with these investigations.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-1384/01

by Marco Pannella (TDI) to the Commission

(27 April 2001)

Subject: Vietnam

On 10 April 2001 the deputy leader of the Unified Buddhist Church in Vietnam, the Venerable Thich Quang Do, informed the International Buddhist Information Office that the Vietnamese police had cut the telephone lines of the Thanh Minh Zen monastery in Ho Chi Minh City. Communications by means of mobile telephones were subsequently jammed, since when nothing more has been heard of Mr Thich Quang Do.

On the eve of the Ninth Congress of the PCV [Vietnamese Communist Party], Mr Thich Quang Do issued a call for democracy in Vietnam to the country's leaders, whom he asked to initiate a process, based on a broad popular alliance of groups and individuals of every political and religious hue, which would bring about a peaceful transition to democracy. Following this call, Mr Thich Quang Do was threatened with arrest.

What information does the Commission hold regarding Mr Thich Quang Do's whereabouts and his state of health? Has the Commission already taken (or does it intend to take) steps to remind the Vietnamese communist authorities of their obligation to guarantee freedom of opinion and association in Vietnam?

More generally, what action does the Commission intend to take in order to ensure that the new leaders of the PCV finally initiate the political and institutional reforms which will enable democracy, constitutional government and a proper market economy to be established?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(31 May 2001)

Mr Thich Quang Do has been located at the Than Minh Zen Monastry in Ho Chi Minh City. He is reported to be in good health, taking into account his age (75 years) and the fact that he suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure.

The Delegation of the Commission in Hanoi, together with the diplomatic missions to Vietnam of the Member States, follows closely matters of concern in the field of human rights and participates in all actions to convey the Union's concerns to the Vietnamese authorities. The Commission will continue to raise particular issues of concern in the course of these contacts.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2498/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(13 September 2001)

Subject: Inadequate view of traffic approaching from the right at T-junctions for drivers of coaches with an elevated passenger compartment

1. Is the Commission aware that drivers of coaches with a very elevated passenger compartment have great difficulty in seeing traffic coming from the right at an angle less than 90 degrees, that side mirrors also fail to provide adequate visibility and that drivers can only avoid accidents by asking passengers help them look or even by standing up while they are driving?

2. Can the Commission indicate how many accidents occur because of this blind spot? What are the consequences for highly populated urban areas and for T-junctions on winding roads in hilly areas where visibility is restricted?

3. What can the Commission do to ensure that new coaches in the EU Member States no longer have this safety fault and that, as far as possible, modifications are made to existing coaches?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(29 October 2001)

The Commission is not aware of any accident accumulation of coaches due to problems of indirect vision, neither have Member States informed the Commission thereof.

Virtually all coaches on the European market today have an elevated passenger compartment in order to provide for sufficient trunk space and to improve the sight for passengers. Therefore the driver's seat is on a lower level than the passenger's seats. Although this construction characteristic prevents the coach driver from having a direct view through the side windows of the passenger compartment, there is sufficient view of vehicles and other road users coming from the rear through the exterior and interior rear view mirrors.

At T-junctions, which are mentioned in the question, the front view and the view to both sides is particularly good for the driver. The large rounded windscreen and the large windows in the front door of coaches provide a good direct view for the driver. Right side view is similarly good.

However, there are other situations in which it would be beneficial for coach drivers to have a wider view to the rear. The Commission can therefore inform the Honourable Member that the Commission is preparing an amendment of Council Directive 71/127/EEC of 1 March 1971 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the rear-view mirrors of motor vehicles(1). In this proposal certain characteristics of mirrors, e.g. the curvature of the surface, are modified according to technical progress in order to increase the field of indirect view. Such an extension of the view will also have positive effects for the indirect view of coaches.

(1) OJ L 68, 22.3.1971.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2197/01

by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission

(23 July 2001)

Subject: Transport of animals in Italy

The Commission has recently published a report on a mission to Italy in November 2000. This report exposes widespread breaches of Community animal protection laws by transporters importing animals into Italy or transporting them through Italy to Greece or third countries. It also indicates a poor level of enforcement by Italy of Council Directive 91/628(1). Problems include the transport of animals with chronic injuries over long distances, journeys that exceed the maximum permitted journey times, Italian officials failing to require animals imported from third countries to be given 24 hours' rest at the border, and the use for long journeys of vehicles that fail to comply with the standards required by law for journeys of over eight hours.

What steps is the Commission taking to persuade Italy to enforce Community laws on the protection of animals during transport properly?

(1) OJ L 340, 11.12.1991, p. 17.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(25 September 2001)

The Commission, on the basis of evidence obtained during earlier missions of the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) and certain information provided by animal welfare societies, is aware that the implementation and enforcement of Community law concerning the protection of transported animals in Italy has been inadequate. The Commission has intervened on a number of occasions with the Italian authorities about the matter and received assurances from the Italian government that various steps had been taken to improve the situation.

However, although Italy claimed to have taken certain actions to rectify deficiencies noted in previous FVO reports the recent Commission inspection report mentioned by the Honourable Member concluded that serious deficiencies in implementation and enforcement of Council Directives 91/628/EEC as amended by Directive 95/29/EC(1) remained.

In the light of these deficiencies the Commission will adopt a decision on the matter of infringement proceedings in the near future.

(1) OJ L 148, 30.6.1995.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2708/01

by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(3 October 2001)

Subject: Availability of animal insulin

For decades, the auto-immune disorder diabetes mellitus has been treated successfully using animal insulin. Animal insulin is now to be taken off the market completely, in favour of genetically engineered insulin. Tests using GM human insulin have shown that many patients suffer a massive deterioration in their health and impairment of their quality of life after being taken off animal insulin.

1. Can the Commission guarantee the availability of animal insulin on the European market?

2. If so, what action will it take?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(7 November 2001)

Insulin of animal origin has gradually been replaced by human insulin of biotechnological origin. It is now almost twenty years since work stopped on insulin of animal origin. It has, in effect, disappeared from most Member States even if it can still be found in some such as the United Kingdom or Germany.

Patients have changed over from insulin of animal origin to insulin of biotechnological origin without any major problems other than some slight temporary imbalances. New patients are systematically put onto insulin of biotechnological origin. Patients who do well on insulin of animal origin will not necessarily have their treatment changed if this insulin remains available. However, in view of the fact that no new patients are now being put onto insulin of animal origin, the use of this insulin will be phased out in the course of time.

The scientific and medical community considers insulin of biotechnological origin to be an alternative which just as effective and well tolerated as insulin of animal origin, with the added advantage of having a lower antigenicity. Finally, there is, at least in theory, a lesser risk of transmitting infectious, and in particular viral, agents.