ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1300/02

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(7 May 2002)

Subject: US National Missile Defence Programme

Have any consultations been held between the Commission and the Member States on the US National Missile Defence Programme, with a view to adopting an EU position? If not, are there any plans to schedule discussions on this matter?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(12 June 2002)

The US National Missile Defence Programme is not designed to prevent missile proliferation as such, but rather to protect the United States territory against its potential consequences. However, in this capacity, it may have an impact on strategies implemented at international level to fight missile proliferation.

The proliferation of missiles, that can be the carriers of weapons of mass destruction, is a matter of concern for the international community as a whole and needs to be analysed from the perspective of the consequences of its development on global security. There is broad consensus over the necessity to fight missile proliferation, mainly by the development of multilateral legally binding frameworks and by export controls.

The Union plays a leading role in this effort, notably through its strong support of the adoption of the International Code of Conduct for Ballistic Missiles drafted in the framework of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). The Union is now promoting its wider adherence also by non MTCR Members.

The CONOP/CODUN (Council Working Groups on Non Proliferation and Disarmament) are the fora where proliferation-related matters are discussed at Union expert level, and where proposals for common positions to be adopted by the Council are prepared. So far, there is no Union Common Position on the United States's National Missile Defence Programme.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0539/02

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(27 February 2002)

Subject: Role of Commissioners

Last week, Commissioner Diamantopoulou attended a party rally for the youth wing of the governing party PASOK at which she launched a vehement and bitter attack on a number of leading Greek intellectuals who had criticised her for her views on establishing English as the second official language in Greece.

The tone and acrimonious nature of her views were sharply criticised in Greece and many were left to wonder whether Commissioners could attend party functions, bitterly attack eminent individuals who take a different view from their own and interfere in the political life of their country. It should be borne in mind that six months ago Mrs Diamantopoulou also attacked the Archbishop of Athens, the Most Reverend Christodoulos, who held a different view from the government on the matter of identity cards and the protection of civil rights.

This issue, in fact, has no connection whatever with Mrs Diamantopoulou's sphere of responsibility, which is EU social policy, and her conduct has rightly raised questions in the Member States about her future and her effectiveness following the Commission's recent calculation that 20 million additional jobs must be created (11 million of them for women) to achieve the EU's target of full employment.

What is the Commission's view of Commissioners interfering in party political debate in the Member States? How does it react to Mrs Diamantopoulou's scornful description of leading intellectuals (such as the philologist Sarantos Kargakos) who command all-round respect for their progressive and democratic credentials as nationalists. Is such an acrimonious tone consistent with the low-key, high-quality approach to policy-making that the Commission is seeking to consolidate?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(4 April 2002)

As the Commission has had frequent occasion to recall in reply to written and oral questions by Members of Parliament, the Members of the Commission are politicians carrying out a political function, who, while honouring the obligations imposed by this function, remain free to express their personal opinions quite independently and on their own responsibility.

The Code of Conduct for Commissioners states that Commissioners may be active members of political parties or trade unions, provided that this does not compromise their availability for service in the Commission.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-2520/02

by Pietro-Paolo Mennea (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 September 2002)

Subject: Air Sicilia

According to reports in the Italian press and complaints made by members of the public, the airline Air Sicilia, which operates on domestic routes in Italy, has suspended flights on various occasions, thereby showing a degree of contempt for passengers, who are still waiting to be reimbursed.

This means that customers who were first of all inconvenienced are now awaiting refunds probably in vain. This is a blatant infringement of the Air Passenger Rights charter, which is supposed to be respected by all operators in the sector and hence also by the airline in question.

Furthermore, according to further press reports, the airline is in financial difficulties and is unable to respect its commitments vis-à-vis either its customers or its employees, who are demanding payment of several months' unpaid salary.

In the meantime the owners of the company are operating under other company names.

Can the Commission say whether these reports are true?

Can it also say whether this situation in general infringes the rights of European citizens and whether it will take steps to protect all those who have suffered as a result and because of the behaviour referred to above?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(8 October 2002)

From the information contained in the question of the Honourable Member, it seems that Air Sicilia is unable to meet financial obligations towards its customers. At present, the Commission has no detailed additional information on this subject.

Community legislation on the rights of air passengers does not cover such situations. They are rather primarily regulated by national law for whose respect national authorities or courts are responsible.

However, the Commission will ask the Italian authorities for information in the light of Article 5 §5 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2407/92 of 23 July 1992 on licensing of air carriers(1). This Article 5 §5 establishes a certain link between the holding of a license and the financial situation of an air carrier.

More generally, the Commission is closely following the financial situation of the aviation sector and, if a serious general deterioration threatens the interests of passengers, will consider taking initiatives to protect them.

(1) OJ L 240, 24.8.1992.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2785/02

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(3 October 2002)

Subject: Federal Mogul factory closure lack of notification of workforce

The Federal Mogul Company, currently based in Bridgwater, south-west England, employs 370 people. On 20 August 2002 the company announced without prior notification to the workforce that the factory would be closing. The company intend to transfer the work to Poland and Turkey.

Will the Commission confirm that this failure to consult either with trade unions on site or with the workforce is a clear breach of Community law?

Will the Commission also indicate if it will now be taking the appropriate legal steps?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(13 November 2002)

The Commission would like to make the point that several Community directives lay down procedures for informing and consulting workers' representatives which may apply in the event of closures of undertakings. These include in particular Council Directive 98/59/EC of 20 July 1998 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to collective redundancies(1) and Council Directive 94/45/EC of 22 September 1994 on the establishment of a European works council or a procedure in Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings for the purposes of informing and consulting employees(2). Recently, Directive 2002/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2002 establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees in the European Community(3) has been adopted in order to supplement Community legislation in this area, but the deadline for transposal into national law by the Member States is not until 23 March 2005.

The first two directives mentioned above have been incorporated into the national law of the Member States. It is the task of the competent national authorities to assess whether they have been applied correctly and effectively in each individual case.

(1) OJ L 225, 12.8.1998.

(2) OJ L 254, 30.9.1994.

(3) OJ L 80, 23.3.2002.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0581/02

by Professor Sir Neil MacCormick (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(5 March 2002)

Subject: Postal services in rural areas

Is the Council aware of the concern in rural communities over the need to maintain local offices for postal services, given that these often also function as local stores for general merchandise and thus form a focus for remote communities?

In that light, will the Council look favourably on the European Parliament's approach to liberalisation of postal services, maintaining the proposed 150g limit until such time as an in-depth review is undertaken on the feasibility for further liberalisation? Furthermore, will the Council reject any moves towards the introduction of a limit of 50g in 2006, as proposed by the Commission in October 2001, without a proper understanding of the likely effect that such as a move would have on universal service and universal tariff provision?

Reply

(5 November 2002)

Regarding the proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive amending Directive 97/67/EC with regard to the further opening to competition of Community postal services, the European Parliament adopted a number of second-reading amendments to the Council's common position at its plenary session from 11 to 14 March 2002.

These amendments include the addition of an obligation on the Commission to provide information on a two-yearly basis about developments in the sector, with particular reference to the economic, social, employment and technological aspects, as well as about the quality of services.

At its meeting on 7 May 2002, after approving the amendments adopted by the European Parliament at second reading, the Council adopted the Directive amending Directive 97/67/EC with regard to the further opening to competition of Community postal services. The Directive seeks to liberalise a further instalment of the postal market (20 % according to some estimates) by 1 January 2006, while maintaining existing safeguards on universal service provision. In this connection, the new recital 6 inserted at the European Parliament's request takes explicit account of the considerable social and economic importance of rural postal networks which can provide an essential infrastructure network affording universal access to new telecommunications technologies. Further measures may be adopted on the basis of a proposal to be submitted by the Commission by 31 December 2006.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2287/02 by Imelda Read (PSE) to the Commission. Tobacco advertising.



Official Journal 092 E , 17/04/2003 P. 0148 - 0148



WRITTEN QUESTION E-2287/02 by Imelda Read (PSE) to the Commission (25 July 2002) Subject: Tobacco advertising On 28 March 2002, the British Government forwarded to the Commission a notification under Directive 98/34/EC(1) concerning the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill. The standstill period on this draft law was due to expire on 1 July 2002. Can the Commission confirm that the reason for this extension is that the German Government has lodged objections to this draft British law banning tobacco advertising? (1) OJ L 204, 21.7.1998, p. 37. Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (22 August 2002) The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that the draft Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill has indeed been notified on 28 March 2002 under Directive 98/34/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations. Subsequently, on 28 June 2002, the German authorities issued, in accordance with Article 9(2) of that Directive, a so-called detailed opinion. This detailed opinion has extended the status quo period until 30 September 2002.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2164/02

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 July 2002)

Subject: Curved bananas

Given the recent confirmation by two British courts that EU rules on acceptable levels of curvature in bananas and cucumbers is unenforceable, could the Commission indicate whether it intends to take any action to ensure the enforcement of these rules in the UK? Could the Commission also say why the London office of the Commission has repeatedly denied the existence of legislation from the EU governing the shape of fruit and vegetables and characterised such claims as scare-stories and Euro-myths?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(25 September 2002)

Marketing standards for several fruit and vegetables, including bananas, are laid down in Commission regulations. They are based on international agreements discussed in forums such as the Economic Commission for Europe in the United Nations context (CEE/ONU). The Commission has repeatedly made this situation clear, including in the explanations of Euromyths given by the Commission Representation in the United Kingdom.

As regards the High Court judgment of 24 June 2002, to which the Honourable Member refers in his question, the Commission would like to point out that the Court did not call into question the applicability of the said Community marketing standards in the United Kingdom. Rather, its judgment is concerned with the interpretation of a national provision which makes the violation of those standards an offence. The Court concluded that that national provision does not apply in respect of such standards that were made after the provision came into force.

The Commission is following closely how the British authorities will react to the High Court's judgment.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1915/02

by Dorette Corbey (PSE) to the Council

(2 July 2002)

Subject: Introduction of the euro

According to Eurobarometer 56, close to half the EU population thinks that the euro is pushing up consumer goods prices. According to a survey by the Netherlands' Consumers' Association, compact disc prices rose by 7,2 % between March 2001 and March 2002. In the same period, set-meal prices in restaurants increased by 6,2 %, on average, and by as much as 8,8 % in cafes. The euro was supposed to result in greater transparency and an end to exchange costs and thus lower prices. When the summer holidays came, people were supposed to discover the benefits of the euro abroad, since money no longer needs to be changed in the euro zone. Now that the introduction of the euro has resulted in large price rises, those benefits have vanished. At the same time, some old banknotes have not been returned, representing a profit for national banks and hence for national exchequers.

1. Does the Council acknowledge that it has a political responsibility to deliver on the pledge made to consumers and make sure that the euro finally benefits them?

2. What scope does the Council see to flesh out that political responsibility?

Reply

(5 November 2002)

Neither the Commission nor the ECB has reported a substantial increase in inflation further to the introduction of euro notes and coins as from 1st January 2002. The Commission published in March 2002 the Review of the introduction of euro notes and coins, and the ECB published in April 2002 the Evaluation of the 2002 cash changeover.

Both institutions acknowledge, however, that inflation has been above 2 % in the euro area since January 2002 but relate this phenomenon to exceptional factors, such as persistent unexpectedly high energy prices and temporary price increases for food, resulting from the BSE and other animal sickness-related food crisis and from bad weather conditions.

The Council, furthermore, draws the attention of the Honourable Parliamentarian to the important longer term benefits of the introduction of the euro.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1883/02

by Fernando Fernández Martín (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(28 June 2002)

Subject: Equatorial Guinea

With respect to Equatorial Guinea, can the Commission specify the projects funded from the EU budget in 2000? Can it state the total amounts granted in aid over 2000 under all the headings referring to that country?

Joint answerto Written Questions E-1867/02, E-1868/02, E-1869/02, E-1870/02,E-1871/02, E-1872/02, E-1873/02, E-1874/02, E-1875/02, E-1876/02, E-1877/02, E-1878/02,E-1879/02, E-1880/02, E-1881/02, E-1882/02, E-1883/02, E-1884/02, E-1908/02, E-1909/02,E-1996/02, E-1997/02, E-1998/02, E-1999/02, E-2000/02, E-2001/02, E-2002/02, E-2003/02,E-2004/02, E-2005/02, E-2006/02, E-2007/02, E-2008/02, E-2009/02, E-2134/02, E-2135/02,E-2136/02, E-2137/02, E-2138/02, E-2139/02, E-2140/02, E-2141/02, E-2142/02, E-2143/02,E-2144/02, E-2145/02, E-2146/02, E-2147/02, E-2148/02, E-2149/02, E-2150/02, E-2151/02,E-2152/02, E-2153/02, E-2154/02 and E-2155/02given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 2002)

In view of the length of its answer, the Commission is sending direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat a table containing the information requested.

It should be noted that the figures contained in the summary table by country are also to be found in the Financial Tables portion of the Annual Report on the Implementation of the EC's External Assistance.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2672/02

by Mary Banotti (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 September 2002)

Subject: Care hire in EU for over-70s

It has been brought to my attention that citizens of the European Union over the age of 70 are having difficulty in hiring cars in the European Union. What measures will the Commission take to ensure that such discrimination is brought to an end immediately and what penalties, if any, can be imposed on car hire companies who continue with this discriminatory practice should such a practice be contrary to EU law?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(28 October 2002)

The Commission recalls that on 27 November 2000 the Council adopted Directive 2000/78/EC establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation(1). The Directive prohibits discrimination on grounds of, inter alia, age, including the use of age limits which are not objectively and reasonably justified by a legitimate aim, and if the means of achieving that aim are not appropriate and necessary. The Member States have until 2 December 2003 to transpose the requirements of the Directive into national law.

However, the material scope of this Directive is restricted to the field of employment and does not cover equal treatment in access to goods and services as in the case raised by the Honorable Member. Neither this Directive nor any other instrument of Community law prevents car hire companies from providing differential treatment according to age. Persons who feel they have been discriminated against in such circumstances must therefore seek redress under any national law which may exist.

(1) OJ L 303, 2.12.2000.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-2071/02

by Carlos Ripoll y Martínez de Bedoya (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 July 2002)

Subject: European Region of the Year

Does the Commission know the organisation called European Region of the Year and if so, can it confirm whether this organisation has anything in common with the designation of European cultural capitals which the Council decides on according to a binding legal basis.

Can the Commission confirm whether its President Romano Prodi has backed this initiative on the Commission's behalf or has granted it any institutional support and, if so, on what legal basis?

Can it confirm that Mr Prodi is a seconded member of the organisation or of the international panel which chose the Balearics and Karelia as the European regions for the year 2003? If not, has any other Commissioner or Commission official been delegated to replace him?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(27 September 2002)

The Commission was informed of the existence of the body entitled Organization of the European Region of the Year through a letter from its President to the Commission President. This organisation has nothing at all to do with the process of designating European cultural capitals.

The Organization of the European Region of the Year is a body governed by private law. It has received no support from the Commission.

An official of the Commission's Directorate-General for Regional Policy was invited in a personal capacity to serve on the jury to name the European region of the year. Only three regions (Karelia, Balearics, Lower Danube) submitted application files and since none of the three proposals met all the criteria set by the organisation it has decided to issue a fresh call for applications in the hope of obtaining enough to make a choice on a wider basis.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2143/02

by Fernando Fernández Martín (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 July 2002)

Subject: Kiribati

With reference to Kiribati, will the Commission draw up a list of projects approved for financing under the EU budget in 2001 and state the total amount of investment for that year?

Joint answerto Written Questions E-1867/02, E-1868/02, E-1869/02, E-1870/02,E-1871/02, E-1872/02, E-1873/02, E-1874/02, E-1875/02, E-1876/02, E-1877/02, E-1878/02,E-1879/02, E-1880/02, E-1881/02, E-1882/02, E-1883/02, E-1884/02, E-1908/02, E-1909/02,E-1996/02, E-1997/02, E-1998/02, E-1999/02, E-2000/02, E-2001/02, E-2002/02, E-2003/02,E-2004/02, E-2005/02, E-2006/02, E-2007/02, E-2008/02, E-2009/02, E-2134/02, E-2135/02,E-2136/02, E-2137/02, E-2138/02, E-2139/02, E-2140/02, E-2141/02, E-2142/02, E-2143/02,E-2144/02, E-2145/02, E-2146/02, E-2147/02, E-2148/02, E-2149/02, E-2150/02, E-2151/02,E-2152/02, E-2153/02, E-2154/02 and E-2155/02given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 2002)

In view of the length of its answer, the Commission is sending direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat a table containing the information requested.

It should be noted that the figures contained in the summary table by country are also to be found in the Financial Tables portion of the Annual Report on the Implementation of the EC's External Assistance.