problemseven onapproved beaches? Ifthe Commissionis notfullysatisfied,whatmeasures doesit
proposetointroducetoimproveseaandbeachcleanliness?
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(11September2003)
TheCommissionisawareofthefactthatcurrenthealthstandards,takenupbytheCouncilDirective
1976/160/ECof8December1975onthequalityofbathingwater(1)areoutdated,astheyarebasedon
scientificevidenceofthenineteensixties.Thisisoneofthemainreasonswhy,inOctober2002,theCommissionproposedarevisionoftheDirective(
2).Comparedtothe1976Directive,whichisstillin
force,thisproposedDirectivereducestherisksforbathersofcontractinggastro-enteritis(stomachupset)andAFRI(respiratoryillnesses)almostbyafactor3(
3).
Asitsnamestates,theDirectivedealswiththe(bacteriological)qualityofbathingwater,notwiththe
cleanlinessofthebeach.TheCommissionisnotinpossessionofscientificevidence,showingadose-response relation between beach contamination and visitor health problems. Nevertheless, the newDirectiveforeseesbeachinspectionsonalgae,tar,plasticandglassresidues.
TheproposedDirectiveiscurrentlybeingnegotiatedbytheParliamentandbytheCouncil.Untilentryinto
forceofthenewDirective,reportingwillbecarriedoutaccordingtothe1976BathingWaterDirective.Baseduponmeasuredbathingwaterquality,theCommissionindicatesannuallywhetherbathingwaterscomplywithImperativeorGuidevalues.Otherorganisationsmayusethisindicationforestablishingaflaggingscheme,but‘flags’arenotawardedbytheCommission.
(1) OJL31,5.2.1976.
(2) OJC45E,25.2.2003.
(3) BaseduponWorldHealthOrganisation(WHO)research,(Kayetal.,1994),publishedi.a.inFarnhamreport(2001).
(2004/C58E/187) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2508/03
byPaoloBartolozzi(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(29July2003)
Subject:ProceedingsforinfringementofCommunitydirectives
In response to reports from a number of private shipping companies, the Commission instituted
infringementproceedingsconcerningthecompaniesmakinguptheTirreniaGroupand,on21June2001,issuedDecisionC(2001)1684concerningtheTirreniadiNavigazionecompany(
1).
Tosumupthedecision,Tirreniaisrequiredto:
/dash separatethecostaccountingrelatingtopublicservicesfromthatrelatingtocommercialservices,
specifyingthecostofeachrouteplied;
/dash defacto,terminatethesixagreementsconcludedwiththeItalianstateforthe20yearsfrom1989to
2008;
/dash approve the 2000/2004five-year plan and the corresponding economic aid on condition that it
reducesitstransportcapacityinthesummerseasonby30%onanannualbasis.
Nostepshaveapparentlybeentakentodatetocomplyinfullandattherighttimewiththedecisions
issuedbytheCommission.
CouldtheCommissionmaketheappropriaterepresentationstotheItalianauthoritiestoensurethatthe
necessaryactionistakentoenforceDecisionC(2001)1684andhencethatthecriteriaimpliedinfaircompetitionarenotundermined?
(1) OJL318,4.12.2001,p.9.C58E/174 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
AnswergivenbyMrsdePalacioonbehalfoftheCommission
(11September2003)
As the Honourable Member notes, following a number of complaints the Commission launched an
investigation procedure on6August1999(1)inrespectofaidpaidtothecompaniesoftheTirrenia
Group(TirreniadiNavigazione,Adriatica,Siremar,Saremar,ToremarandCaremar)withintheframeworkofsixpublicserviceagreementsbetweenthosecompaniesandtheItalianState.
InitsfinalDecisionof21June2001(
2)concerningTirreniadiNavigazione,theCommissionauthorised
theaidpaidtothatcompanybetween1990andtheendof2000andmadeanyfutureaidwhichmightbepaid to Tirrenia di Navigazione, until the public service agreement expires, subject to the followingconditions:
/dash overtheperiod2001-2004,aidpaidtoTirrenia diNavigazione mustbelimitedtocovering the
additionalcostsarisingfromthelossincurredduringtheprovisionofthepublicservices;
/dash any change to the level of such services over the period 2001-2004 must be notified to the
Commissioninadvance.ThepublicserviceobligationsimposedonTirreniadiNavigazionefortheperiod2005-2008mustbenotifiedtotheCommissioninadvance;
/dash asof2001,the additionalcostsderiving fromthe lossincurred during the provisionofservices
imposedbyItalyonTirreniadiNavigazionemustbethesubjectofseparateaccountsforeachofthelinesconcerned.
TheaidpaidtotheothercompaniesintheTirreniaGroupisstillbeingexamined,thoughafinaldecision
isduetobereachedveryshortly.
InaccordancewithArticle5oftheDecisionof21June2001,theItalianauthoritiescommunicatedtothe
Commissiontheinterdepartmentaldecreeformalisingthecommitmentstheyenteredintointhecontextoftheexaminationprocedureforthe2001-2004period.
Sincethen,theCommissionhasreceivedseveralcomplaintsfromprivateoperatorsallegingthattheItalian
authoritieshavefailedtocomplywiththefinalDecisionof21June2001.ThosecomplaintsarebeinginvestigatedandtheItalianauthoritieshavebeencontactedregardingthematter.
(1) CaseC64/99,exNN68/99.
(2) OJL318,4.12.2001.
(2004/C58E/188) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2509/03
byRobertoBigliardo(UEN)totheCommission
(29July2003)
Subject:Observanceofmultilingualism/dashEPSOwebsite
NoonelanguagespokenintheMemberStateshaseverbeendesignatedtheofficiallanguageoftheUnion.
Furthermore,Parliament’sandtheCommission’sinformationpolicymustconformtocriteriaguaranteeingawidemeasureoftransparency.
1. Couldthe Commissionexplain why the material presented onthe EPSO (European Communities
PersonnelSelectionOffice)websitecanbereadinEnglish,French,andGermanonly?
2. GiventhateveryUnioncitizenhastherighttobeinformedinhisorherownlanguage,doesthe
Commissionnotthink that the situation described above is tantamounttodiscrimination against
millionsofcitizens?
3. WhatwilltheCommissiondotoputmattersright?6.3.2004EN C58E/175 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion