ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/650

(2004/C 84 E/0732)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0659/04

by Roger Helmer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 March 2004)

Subject: NGO and civil society funding — European Convention

Can the Commission please tell me specifically which NGOs and/or civil society representatives/organisations received funding, grants or expenses of any kind for their participation in the European Convention?

Can they further tell me how much each specific organisation, individual or NGO received, on what date and for what purpose any monies were paid?

Answer given by Ms Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(2 April 2004)

As the Commission indicated in its recent reply to Written Question P-0074/04 (1), the Honourable Member can obtain more detailed information from the General Secretariat of the Council, which provided the secretariat for the two conventions.

(1) See page 144.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/245

(2004/C 88 E/0248)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0913/04

by Philip Bradbourn (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 March 2004)

Subject: Driver attestation checks

Could the Commission inform me what percentage of HGV drivers entering the EU from non-member States are regularly checked in accordance with driver attestation regulations upon reaching the EU's common frontiers, especially Germany and Austria?

What minimum percentages of such checks are the European Commission and Member States proposing in order to ensure that following enlargement the new frontiers will be fully policed in respect of driver attestation?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2004)

Regulation (EEC) No 881/92 (1) as amended by Regulation (EC) No 484/2002 (2) foresees that a driver attestation shall be issued by the Member State at the request of the holder of the Community authorisation for each driver who is a national of a non-member country whom he lawfully employs or who is lawfully put at his disposal. This entails that only those drivers that are nationals of a non-member country driving a Community registered vehicle performing international carriage of goods (under the cover of a Community authorisation) must be in the possession of a driver attestation when checked, among others also at the border when entering the Community.

In principle at present all drivers covered by the scope of Regulation (EC) No 881/92 are checked at the external border when first entering the Community. This situation will not change after enlargement.

Moreover, the regulation mentioned provides that the competent authorities of the Member State of establishment shall regularly verify, by carrying out checks each year, covering at least 20 % of the valid attestations issued in that Member State, whether the conditions under which a driver attestation has been issued are still satisfied.

Finally, the objective of the Regulation (EC) No 484/2002 is not the protection of the internal market from competitive enterprises of non-member countries but the proper functioning of the Community's internal market for road transport.

(1) OJ L 95, 9.4.1992.

(2) Regulation (EC) No 484/2002 of the Parliament and of the Council of 1 March 2002 amending Council Regulations (EEC) No 881/92 and (EEC) No 3118/93 for the purposes of establishing a driver attestation, OJ L 76, 19.3.2002.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/238

(2004/C 88 E/0240)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0864/04

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(22 March 2004)

Subject: Linguistic diversity

With reference to my question E-2825/03 (1) of 23 September 2003 and the answer of 23 October 2003 given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission, I should like to put the following supplementary question.

The Copenhagen criteria cite the protection of minority languages as one aspect of a good minority policy. Will this no longer apply after accession? How do the European Union and the European Commission intend to monitor this in practice?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

From 1 May 2004 the Acceding Countries will become full Member States of the European Union. The framework that applies will therefore no longer be the Copenhagen Accession Criteria, but rather, the Union's standard working arrangements.

In this context, and as set out in Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), the Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, which are common to the Member States. If there is a serious or persistent breach of the principles, the Commission or one third of the Member States may refer the matter to the Council, meeting in the composition of the Heads of State or Government.

Those rights have been solemnly reaffirmed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Article 21(1) refers to the prohibition of discrimination based, among other things, on ethnic origin, language, religion or membership of a national minority, and Article 22 requires that the Union respect cultural, religious and linguistic diversity.

(1) OJ C 65 E, 13.3.2004, p. 225.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/527

(2004/C 84 E/0602)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0022/04

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Support for the Po Valley dairy farmers' campaign

Does the European Commission not consider that the current milk quota scheme, is particularly hard on dairy producers in the Po valley as Italy is the only one of the Member States where consumption is much higher than production quotas?

Is the European Commission aware that this anomaly has had serious repercussions on farmers in the Po Valley who are even now still being forced to leave their farms to take part in demonstrations or man roadblocks in Milan and Rome to demand that the Italian Government safeguard the rights of Po Valley dairy production at European level?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(23 February 2004)

Milk quotas were introduced by the Council in 1984 to reduce the imbalance between supply and demand in the milk sector. The production quotas were allocated on the basis not of consumption per geographical area but of the output of each individual producer over a specified period. That was the only way of avoiding discrimination between producers.

Since introduction of the quota scheme the reference quantities allocated to Italy have been increased considerably, by 19,6 % over the period 1984 to 2004, whereas in most of the other Member States quotas have been either stabilised or reduced.

We consider that the milk quota scheme holds out the prospect of stable production and income security to farmers without impeding restructuring of milk production in the Union, and take the view that full and correct application is a guarantee of its being comprehensively effective.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/629

(2004/C 84 E/0707)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0566/04

by Marco Cappato (NI) to the Commission

(26 February 2004)

Subject: Music censorship in China

The Commission is apparently ready to upgrade its policy of cultural cooperation with the People's Republic of China under the Unesco General Assembly negotiations aimed at the creation of an international instrument for the preservation of cultural diversity, as Commissioner Reding stated to the House during the debate on the Prets report last January 2004 in Strasbourg.

It would appear that the rock star David Bowie's concert at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Entertainment Centre next month is under threat because of his drummer's links to the Falun Gong movement.

A spokeswoman for the Hong Kong Association of Falun Gong has declared: ‘I am confident that the authorities in Hong Kong will still allow freedom of expression …’, but the Hong Kong Immigration Department has refused to comment on the rumours and has not yet confirmed its authorisation.

1. What information does the Commission have about this issue?

2. How does the Commission intend to approach the Chinese authorities in order to ensure that Mr Bowie's professional artistic activities will not be subject to the same sort of political censorship as that suffered by the Falun Gong movement?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(5 April 2004)

The concert to which the Honourable Member refers was held in Hong Kong on Sunday 14 March. David Bowie's drummer, Mr Sterling Campbell, took part as planned.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/174

(2004/C 84 E/0214)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0197/04

by Ward Beysen (NI) to the Commission

(29 January 2004)

Subject: Use of State funds to reduce electricity prices for industrial users

The latest figures from Eurostat show that the downward trend in the cost of electricity to industrial users is coming to an end. With this in mind, I have noted the statements emanating from Britain that it is proposed to grant industrial customers a generous (10 %) State subsidy on electricity prices.

According to my information, the statement issued on this subject was based on consultation with the Commission.

In view of the vital role of industrial electricity prices in attracting domestic investment, I should be interested to know the Commission's opinion of this approach. Does the Commission intend to make this instrument available to all Member States?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(10 March 2004)

The Commission is not aware of any British proposal to grant industrial customers a ten per cent State subsidy on electricity prices that the Honourable Member refers to in his written question.

The Commission is watching developments in the energy market with all due attention. It will request information from the United Kingdom authorities to investigate the alleged subsidy. The Commission will not fail to take appropriate action if infringements of the relevant Community legislation are discovered.

All due attention would be given to any more detailed information on such proposals that the Honourable Member might provide to the Commission.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/153

(2004/C 84 E/0190)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0021/04

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Urgent adoption of a directive on aircraft safety imposing stringent and uniform checks

A proposal for a directive requiring all Member States to report the results of national inspections carried out on defective aircraft has been in existence since 1997; the proposal also provides for mandatory inspections even in the case of the slightest suspicion in terms of aircraft safety but it has still not been adopted.

Why has this directive not been adopted?

Does the Commission not consider that it should require checks in all Member States to satisfy the same standards of thoroughness and stringency?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(2 March 2004)

The European Parliament and Council directive on the safety of third countries' aircraft using Community airports will be adopted shortly.

The Commission's initial proposal of 1997 could not be adopted within the timeframe laid down by the EC Treaty on account of divergences within the Council. Once these problems were overcome, the Commission presented a new proposal in January 2002. It is on the basis of this text that the abovementioned directive will be adopted.

The directive makes provision ‘inter alia’ for measures to be taken to adapt inspection procedures, thus enabling the quality of inspections to be ensured.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/183

(2004/C 88 E/0190)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0413/04

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) and Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 February 2004)

Subject: Migrating birds and Habitat Directives with regard to the republic of Malta

In May of this year Malta will be joining the European Union. It is alleged that Malta is making little effort to enforce the EU Bird and Habitat directives. The bi-annual slaughter of exhausted migrating birds of prey continues unabated.

Will the Commission join Parliament in condemning Malta for its stance on this important issue and take effective action to ensure that the Maltese authorities fulfil their obligations in the area of nature protection and animal welfare?

This issue is especially important, as next year is the 25th anniversary of the Bird and Habitat Directives which many individuals, organisations, agencies and governments have fought to introduce and implement.

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(12 March 2004)

Malta will be required to implement and enforce the Wild Birds Directive as from its accession on 1 May 2004, with the exception of the transition period granted for the trapping of seven species of finches until 31 December 2008 to allow Malta to establish a full captive breeding system. If Community legislation is not implemented and enforced from the first day of membership, the Commission will take the necessary action to achieve Malta's compliance with existing Community legislation and procedures.

In the meantime, the Commission has already specifically drawn the attention of the Maltese authorities to the problem of weak enforcement of the existing legislation on the protection of birds. While the Maltese Ornis Committee (Committee in charge of bird protection) has taken steps such as the establishment of a warden system, to better enforce the legislation, the Commission has pointed out that priority should be given to produce a comprehensive strategy for the enforcement of legislation. The Commission continues to monitor and report on the progress made by Malta in working towards compliance with obligations stemming from the Birds Directive, and has published a strategy for monitoring the process leading up to the first day of membership.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/705

(2004/C 88 E/0727)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0682/04

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(9 March 2004)

Subject: Bushmeat: Development Strategies

Following the European Commission's support for the African Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Ministerial Declaration, what discussions has the Commission held with the governments of Cameroon and Ghana, concerning the implementation of the indicative actions relating to bushmeat? And what support does the Commission plan to provide to help these countries implement the indicative actions relating to bushmeat and integrate them into their development strategies?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(27 April 2004)

Indicative actions relating to bushmeat form part of the declaration adopted at the launch of the Africa Ministerial Process for Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (AFLEG) in Yaoundé in 2003. The main objective of this declaration is to build commitment to strengthen forest sector governance and combat illegal logging. As yet, the Commission has not held discussions with the governments of Ghana and Cameroon regarding the specific implementation of indicative actions relating to bushmeat set out in the declaration. No specific provision of support outside existing co-operation is foreseen to help countries implement indicative actions relating to bushmeat and integrate these into their development strategies.

However, the Commission is working to ensure strong follow-up to the AFLEG ministerial process, including through the provision of financial support and in dialogue with partner countries. Dialogue with partner countries has focused on the attainment of the overall objective of the declaration, which is to strengthen forest sector governance in Africa. Strengthened forest sector governance will in turn support improvements in many aspects of forest management in Africa, including matters relating to bushmeat.

Follow-up to the AFLEG ministerial conference must reflect commitment from African governments, African civil society and the private sector. Follow-up activities will be subject to a loose form of central co-ordination, but the emphasis is firmly on governments and organisations contributing in the best ways they see fit. The Commission is providing technical, political and financial support for these activities.

In Cameroon an ‘Environment and Forests Cell’ is funded from the European Development Fund. This provides support to assist the government to address challenges which arise in relation to forests and the environment, including bushmeat.

In numerous other African countries, the Commission provides support to governments, civil society and local people to facilitate the sustainable management of protected areas, forest concessions and the wildlife resources found therein. This support will continue to be made available.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/306

(2004/C 84 E/0354)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0112/04

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(22 January 2004)

Subject: Dolphins

Is the Commission aware that over the weekend of 10/11 January, 15 dolphins were washed up on the coast of south west England in my constituency?

Whilst I am aware of and support the changes made by Commissioner Fischler to support and protect dolphins and other cetaceans from being killed as by-catch, does the Commission know of similar kinds of large-scale deaths elsewhere? Has the Commission considered whether further and stronger measures may be necessary?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(25 February 2004)

The Commission is well aware of the problem of dead dolphins being washed ashore on the beaches of Member States, in particular in winter periods in the South of the United Kingdom, and of the fact that these deaths are due in part to incidental catch in fishing activities. However, the Commission is not aware of all detailed figures on stranding events.

The Commission considers that the first step to address the problem of cetacean by-catch in fisheries, and the issue of cetacean conservation in more general terms, should be the adoption and full implementation of the measures already proposed by the Commission to the Council (1), as well as a proper and full implementation of the ‘Habitats Directive’ requirements by the Member States (2). Further measures could only be considered after this first step has been taken.

(1) COM(2003)451 final.

(2) Council Directive 92/43/EEC, OJ L 206, 22.7.1992; Directive as last amended by Directive 97/62/CE of 27 October 1997 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, OJ L 305, 8.11.1997.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/335

(2004/C 84 E/0394)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0211/04

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(30 January 2004)

Subject: Allegations of manoeuvring to seize property owned by building cooperatives in Greece

There has been a stream of allegations from numerous building cooperatives in Greece (such as ‘I YGIA’, which owns land at Saronida, Attica, and whose members have already appealed to Parliament's Committee on Petitions, the cooperative of employees of the Bank of Greece, which owns land at Anavissos, Attica, etc.), that the Greek authorities are continually obstructing the development of the property of which the cooperatives are the legal owners. They allege that the ultimate objective is the seizure of their property by the Greek State. The executive committees of numerous building cooperatives (which represent 500 000 Greek citizens according to the Greek press) point out that, although they hold the legal deeds to the property and have been recognised officially by the Greek State for almost 40 years, the Greek authorities constantly create obstacles through their administrative departments, compelling the cooperatives continuously to bring actions before the Greek courts, which duly rule in their favour. Despite that, the Greek authorities (in particular the Ministry for the Environment, Planning and Public Works) continue to concoct further obstacles with the aim — allegedly — of confiscating the cooperatives' property in violation of court rulings.

Is such alleged manoeuvring in order to seize property belonging to building cooperatives consistent with Community law? What action can the Commission take to put an end to the tactics adopted by the Greek authorities and to ensure that the members of the above cooperatives obtain the land to which they are entitled?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 2004)

Since this matter is not covered by Community law, the Commission does not consider itself competent to reply to the questions put by the Honourable Member.

The Commission would also point out that any person who considers their fundamental rights to have been violated may appeal to the European Court of Human Rights once they have exhausted all the legal remedies available in their own country.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/200

(2004/C 84 E/0244)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0340/04

by Benedetto Della Vedova (NI) to the Commission

(4 February 2004)

Subject: Compatibility of Law 69 of 3 February 1963 with the free movement of workers within the European Community

On 4 December 2002 question P-3549/02 (1) brought to the Commission's attention the case of Mr Claude Marie Jenacolas, a French citizen and professional journalist, who was denied the opportunity of acting as editor-in-chief of a number of magazines in Italy on the basis of Italian legislation concerning the work of professional journalists.

The questioner asked the Commission whether it did not consider that Article 46 of Law 69 of 3 February 1963 (the Italian law establishing the professional register of journalists) was incompatible with Article 39 of the EC Treaty, which provides for the free movement of workers within the Community.

On 9 April 2003 the Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou, after a provisional preliminary answer, gave a supplementary answer saying that she had asked the Italian authorities for clarification of how the legislation in question works and — more importantly — that the case had been registered as a suspected infringement of Community law.

In view of the time which has elapsed since then, can the Commission say what further action it has taken on this suspected infringement of Community law?

Answer given by Ms Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2004)

Under the procedure for dealing with an assumed contravention of Community law (No 2003/2004), the Commission has written to the Italian authorities on several occasions asking how this Italian legislation works, in particular with regard to the obligation for journalists to be entered on occupational registers and the conditions for this, in particular for journalists from other Member States.

However, no reply has yet been received from the Italian authorities, so a final letter will be sent shortly.

(1) OJ C 192 E, 14.8.2003, p. 122.