ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1287/97 by Anne McIntosh (PPE) to the Commission (11 April 1997)

Subject: Developments since the Cork Declaration on Rural Development

With reference to the European Conference on Rural Development in November 1996, what progress has been made towards formulating a programme that places emphasis on sustainable rural development and meets the objectives as laid down at Cork?

It will be necessary to adjust the common agricultural policy (CAP) and the agricultural sector accordingly to implement this rural development programme. Will the Commission therefore confirm that the development programme will be introduced as part of its reform of the CAP, and that the principle of subsidiarity and the need to preserve and improve the quality of the rural environment will be observed?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (6 June 1997)

As stated at the Cork conference, rural development policy must be integrated, substainable, coherent and efficient. It must be simple and transparent and cater for the wide range of landscapes and activities in rural areas. Moreover, the Commission is convinced that rural development policy must help promote socio-economic cohesion within the Community and facilitate the necessary adjustments of the common agricultural policy (CAP) which will have implications on agricultural production at large.

It is a declared objective of the Commission to proceed with rural development policies in the context of a further reform of the CAP. As a general orientation, the Commission favours an approach which strengthens the coherence between rural development policies and market policies and which reinforces the role of agri-environmental policies.

Currently, the Commission is carrying out a thorough analysis of certain key market organisations, i.e. dairy, beef, cereals, oilseeds and protein crops, and of rural development. As a result of these analyses, the Commission will publish in due course a document which will give a factual background for proposals concerning a further reform of the CAP and rural development policies.

As an important document, the Commission adopted in November 1996 the first report on economic and social cohesion. This deals in particular with the effects of structural and sectorial policies - such as the CAP - on cohesion during 1989-1999. These questions were raised during the European forum on cohesion which was held at the end of April in Brussels.

In any case, the Commission will be presenting its guidelines and its first proposals - including financial perspectives - within the 'Santer package', following the conclusions of the Amsterdam European Council concerning the intergovernmental conference.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1253/97 by Susan Waddington (PSE) to the Commission (8 April 1997)

Subject: Recruitment of women by the institutions

Further to my Written Questions E-3444/96 ((OJ C 105, 3.4.1997, p. 74. )) and E-3171/95 ((OJ C 91, 27.3.1996, p. 39. )), will the Commission give concrete examples (advertisements, internal training schemes etc.) of actions taken or planned to encourage the recruitment of women, particularly in view of the policy of main streaming equal opportunities into all Community policies?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (13 May 1997)

The staff regulations already stipulate in Article 27 that 'Officials shall be selected without reference to race, creed or sex'.

Recruitment to the Commission, as to the other institutions, is done by open competitions. When publishing these competitions in the Official journal potential candidates are at the very beginning of each notice of open competition faced with the equal opportunities approach: 'The Commission/Community institutions are equal opportunities employers and particularly welcome applications from women. They take great care to avoid any form of discrimination, both during the recruitment procedure and when making internal appointments.'

In addition to this notice there is an advertisement in the national press. In each announcement candidates will find the following paragraph: 'The Commission/the institutions of the European Union operate a policy of equal opportunities between women and men and take great care to avoid any form of discrimination on this basis of race, creed or disability.'

The press publicity, as well as the announcements of open competitions, respect a gender-neutral denomination of the profession throughout the text of each publication.

As far as training schemes are concerned, in the recently adopted third action programme on equal opportunities for women and men in the Commission ((SEC(97) 536. )), provision is made for leadership training courses targeted at women eligible for management positions. A certain number of such seminars will already take place in 1997. Furthermore, awareness-raising seminars are also planned for a certain number of Commission services, thus emphasizing the need to increase the participation of women in all stages of policy-making.

The clearest example of concrete action taken by the Commission to increase the presence of women is the setting of ambitious annual targets both for the recruitment of women at the lower levels of the A category, and for the appointment of women to middle and senior management positions. The Honourable Member can have access to these data at her convenience.

The above measures are some of the ways of mainstreaming the gender dimension in the personnel policies. They have a positive impact on the recruitment of women in the Commission, as well as in their career development.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1391/97 by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission (22 April 1997)

Subject: Heavy vehicles with Community or other number plates

The Greek transport sector is protesting vociferously at the fact that heavy vehicles with Community or other number plates are undertaking haulage work at very low freight charges within Greece, without being subject to any audit controls by the Greek authorities, or any verification whether they have paid road charges or VAT.

This situation obviously creates unfair competition for Greek heavy vehicles.

Will the Commission say whether it is aware of this matter, whether it has been officially notified of this by the Greek authorities and what it intends to do to restore fair competition in the road haulage sector in Greece?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (12 June 1997)

Internal transport within Greece by non-Greek Community hauliers (cabotage) is subject to Council Regulation No 3118/93 ((OJ L 279, 12.11.1993. )). For 1997, there are some 70 000 cabotage authorizations (each valid for 2 months) available to Commmunity hauliers to carry out cabotage in any other Member State. From the most recent information available (1995), only 0.5% of all the cabotage performed in the 15 Member States, as measured in tonne-kilometres, was actually carried out in Greece. Further, in Greece, these cabotage movements accounted in 1995 for only 0,07% of national transport for hire or reward, measured in tonne-kilometres.

Following Article 6 (1) (a) and (e) of Council Regulation No 3118/93, non-Greek hauliers from other Member States carrying out cabotage in Greece should respect the rules for rates and conditions and VAT as laid down for Greek hauliers for national transport. It is up to the Greek authorities to monitor compliance with the Greek rules for rates and conditions. However, given the low penetration rates of cabotage in Greece, the Commission doubts whether the freight rates charged by non-Greek hauliers would have any appreciable influence on the freight rates obtained by Greek hauliers.

The Commission has not been informed of cabotage operations being carried out in Greece by hauliers from third countries. The Commission has not been officially notified by the Greek authorities concerning the matter raised by the Honourable Member.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2056/97 by Frode Kristoffersen (PPE) to the Commission (16 June 1997)

Subject: Ethnic minorities

Since, when new Member States are accepted into the EU, the quality of the rules they have adopted to benefit ethnic minorities are to be given proper consideration, will both the representatives of the ethnic minorities in person and non-governmental organizations such as the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) also be actively involved in the assessment process?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (8 July 1997)

In order to assess - in keeping with the political criteria laid down by the 1993 Copenhagen European Council - the situation of minorities and the protection granted to them by countries which have applied to accede to the EU, the Commission has read reports from several non-governmental organisations which will be of great use to it in preparing the opinions which it has to deliver pursuant to Article O of the Treaty on European Union on the applications for membership from the countries in question.

The Commission has not been acquainted, however, with the position of the federation referred to by the Honourable Member.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2016/97 by Konstadinos Klironomos (PSE) to the Commission (11 June 1997)

Subject: Greek ferries between Greece and Italy

On 24 February 1997, the Commission sent a critical report to a number of Greek shipping companies following an investigation into Greek ferry services between Greece and Turkey..

In its report, the Commission refers to a number of facts and concludes that the companies involved had been acting in collaboration over a long period of time to fix their rates on the international sector of the ferry market between Greece and Italy, in breach of Article 85 of the Treaty.

On 17 March 1995, the Greek Government sent a letter to the Commission pointing out that, because Greece does not have common borders with the other EU Member States, the continuous and unhampered operation of ferry services between Greece and Italy was regarded as a service in the public interest. Moreover, the Ministry for Merchant Shipping had urged the companies involved to avoid engaging in unfair competition in ferry services between Greece and Italy.

If the companies involved were to be fined for a serious breach of Article 85 of the Treaty, the viability of the Greek-Italy service would be severely undermined, which would have a very serious negative impact on the future of Greek national policy in regard to that particular route.

In view of the above, will the Commission say whether it has duly taken account of the content of the Greek Government's letter of 17 March 1995 and what measures it will take to avert the possibly disastrous consequences of drawing the mistaken conclusion that the companies involved were knowingly in breach of Article 85 of the Treaty over a number of years?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission (7 July 1997)

The Commission has noted carefully the contents of the letter of 17 March 1995 to which the Honourable Member refers, and also the arguments made by the parties during the hearing which was held on 13-14 May 1997, and in their written replies to the Commission's statement of objections of 24 February 1997.

Note has also been taken of the public service obligations for which the ministry of Merchant Marine is responsible, although it is also clear to the Commission that the ministry does not interfere in the price setting mechanism on international routes. The Commission is, of course, fully aware of the importance of international maritime transport for the Greek economy.

Should the Commission decide to proceed towards a negative decision in this case, it will take all of the relevant factors into consideration, particularly when it comes to assessing the gravity of the infringement. Any such decision will not be taken prior to the consultation of the advisory committee on restrictive practices and dominant positions in maritime transport where the competition and transport experts of the Member States will be asked for their opinion on the case.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-1993/97 by Olivier Dupuis (ARE) to the Commission (30 May 1997)

Subject: Turkey

With a view to the opening of negotiations for the accession of Central and Eastern European and Baltic countries to the European Union, the Commission has drawn up a list of eligible countries. Although Turkey has been linked to the Community by an association agreement since 1963 and a customs agreement since last year and has officially submitted its request for EU membership, it has not been included in this list.

Has the Commission considered the implications of not being included in the list, which in any case does not guarantee automatic accession?

Does the Commission not consider that this exclusion may justifiably lead Turkish citizens and their authorities to conclude that eligibility for EU membership is determined on the basis of criteria other than respect for democracy and the free market?

Is the Commission aware that this exclusion may contribute - or is already contributing - to the emergence of an Algerian-type scenario or similar situations dominated by violence and intolerance?

Has the Commission seriously considered the possibility of relations with Turkey being based on a series of political, institutional and economic reforms to be introduced gradually, following which Turkey could become a full member of the European Union? If so, why has this option been ruled out?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (23 June 1997)

The EC-Turkey Association Council has recently reiterated Turkey's eligibility for membership of the Union, confirming that its application would be examined in the light of the same objective criteria as any other country's.

At the Council's request, the Commission is currently preparing a discussion paper on the strengthening of relations with Turkey. The paper will include proposals to that effect and should go to the Council in a matter of weeks.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0738/97 by Jean-Yves Le Gallou (NI) to the Commission (10 March 1997)

Subject: Operating appropriations of the European Institutions

With regard to heading B4-1040 would the Commission give figures for the total amount of appropriations allocated in 1996 to expenditure on:

- studies

- meetings of experts

- conferences and congresses

- information and publications.

Can the Commission also give figures for these four types of expenditure expressed as a proportion of the total appropriations allocated to the heading in question and state whether it considers this to be a reasonable proportion.

Joint answer to Written Questions E-0698/97, E-0699/97, E-0700/97, E-0701/97, E-0702/97, E-0703/97, E-0704/97, E-0705/97, E-0706/97, E-0707/97, E-0708/97, E-0709/97, E-0710/97, E-0711/97, E-0712/97, E-0713/97, E-0714/97, E-0715/97, E-0716/97, E-0717/97, E-0718/97, E-0719/97, E-0720/97, E-0721/97, E-0722/97, E-0723/97, E-0724/97, E-0725/97, E-0726/97, E-0727/97, E-0728/97, E-0729/97, E-0730/97, E-0731/97, E-0732/97, E-0733/97, E-0734/97, E-0735/97, E-0736/97, E-0737/97, E-0738/97, E-0739/97, E-0740/97, E-0741/97, E-0742/97, E-0743/97, E-0744/97, E-0745/97, E-0746/97, E-0747/97, E-0748/97, E-0749/97, E-0750/97, E-0751/97, E-0752/97, E-0753/97, E-0754/97, E-0755/97, E-0756/97, E-0757/97, E-0758/97, E-0759/97, E-0760/97, E-0761/97, E-0762/97, E-0763/97, E-0764/97, E-0765/97, E-0766/97, E-0767/97, E-0768/97, E-0769/97, E-0770/97, E-0771/97, E-0772/97, E-0773/97, E-0774/97, E-0775/97, E-0776/97, E-0777/97, E-0778/97, E-0779/97, E-0780/97, E-0781/97, E-0782/97, E-0783/97, E-0784/97, E-0785/97, E-0786/97, E-0787/97, E-0788/97, E-0789/97 and E-0790/97 given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (5 May 1997)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will continue its findings as soon as possible.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2226/97 by Frode Kristoffersen (PPE) to the Commission (30 June 1997)

Subject: Sexual harassment in the workplace

Does the Commission consider its plans to implement EU rules on the degree and scale of sexual harassment in the workplace in individual Member States to be in keeping with the principle of subsidiarity, and has it occurred to it that the outlook (including legal usage) is largely conditioned by national attitudes to ethics and education, which must be taken to mean that a set of EU rules on the subject would be impossible to enforce?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (4 August 1997)

The Commission is currently consulting the social partners on the objectives and the content of a Community initiative on sexual harassment. The Community institutions have repeatedly emphasised the importance of dealing effectively with this issue of equal opportunities and health and safety for all employees throughout the Community. Research has shown that sexual harassment is a problem in the workplace, and furthermore that very few Member States have a sufficient system of prevention to deal with it.

The current Community definition of behaviour constituting sexual harassment in the 1990 Council Resolution ((OJ C 157, 27.6.1990. )) on the protection of the dignity of women and men at work, includes an element of the recipient's subjective understanding of the situation, and thus takes into account possible cultural differences. The Commission acts in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity in formulating all its proposals.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1878/97 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (2 June 1997)

Subject: Actions to support run-down urban areas

In the European Regions' bulletin of 18 October 1996 ('Information Note: The Union', p. 359) actions in support of run-down urban areas are announced. These actions, which are approved by the European Commission and cover a series of measures to run for five years, in accordance with the rules on state aid, are intended to promote job creation in the poorest neighbourhoods of the EU's towns and cities. This should enable the governments of the Member States to provide financial support in the run-down areas to maintain or set up firms which have a purely local vocation. The measures are directed mainly at unemployed young people, young people without vocational qualifications and women and will cost a maximum of ECU 10 000 for each job created.

Will the Commission:

1. provide further information on the programme under which these measures are planned?

2. State whether the municipalities of Milan and Turin have applied for this financial assistance for their run-down areas?

Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission (10 July 1997)

The Honourable Member refers to an 'Information Note' which, he states, appeared in the 'European Regions' bulletin of 18 October 1996'. Having made enquiries, the Commission cannot give an exact reply to this question; it has no such note in its possession, and the Honourable Member's secretariat was unable to forward the note when requested to do so.

It would seem, however, that the Honourable Member is confusing the Community programme URBAN, which provides for a number of Community aid measures, and the guidelines on state aid for undertakings in deprived urban areas, adopted by the Commission on 2 October 1996 ((OJ C 146, 14.5.1997. )).

The purpose of these guidelines is to set out appropriate rules for determining which urban districts may be regarded as deprived urban areas and thus qualify for aid from the Member State concerned - not from the Community - provided that certain conditions and financial ceilings are observed, notably a limit of ECU 10 000 per job created, as mentioned by the Honourable Member.

It is thus the Member States' responsibility to identify the urban districts eligible for aid as deprived urban areas and to determine the aid to be granted to them. Such projects must be notified to the Commission for approval, in accordance with Article 93(3) of the EC Treaty. The Commission has received no notifications so far and is not aware of any project of the nature described in either Milan or Turin.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0754/97 by Jean-Yves Le Gallou (NI) to the Commission (10 March 1997)

Subject: Operating appropriations of the European Institutions

With regard to heading B5-3051 would the Commission give figures for the total amount of appropriations allocated in 1996 to expenditure on:

- studies

- meetings of experts

- conferences and congresses

- information and publications.

Can the Commission also give figures for these four types of expenditure expressed as a proportion of the total appropriations allocated to the heading in question and state whether it considers this to be a reasonable proportion.

Joint answer to Written Questions E-0698/97, E-0699/97, E-0700/97, E-0701/97, E-0702/97, E-0703/97, E-0704/97, E-0705/97, E-0706/97, E-0707/97, E-0708/97, E-0709/97, E-0710/97, E-0711/97, E-0712/97, E-0713/97, E-0714/97, E-0715/97, E-0716/97, E-0717/97, E-0718/97, E-0719/97, E-0720/97, E-0721/97, E-0722/97, E-0723/97, E-0724/97, E-0725/97, E-0726/97, E-0727/97, E-0728/97, E-0729/97, E-0730/97, E-0731/97, E-0732/97, E-0733/97, E-0734/97, E-0735/97, E-0736/97, E-0737/97, E-0738/97, E-0739/97, E-0740/97, E-0741/97, E-0742/97, E-0743/97, E-0744/97, E-0745/97, E-0746/97, E-0747/97, E-0748/97, E-0749/97, E-0750/97, E-0751/97, E-0752/97, E-0753/97, E-0754/97, E-0755/97, E-0756/97, E-0757/97, E-0758/97, E-0759/97, E-0760/97, E-0761/97, E-0762/97, E-0763/97, E-0764/97, E-0765/97, E-0766/97, E-0767/97, E-0768/97, E-0769/97, E-0770/97, E-0771/97, E-0772/97, E-0773/97, E-0774/97, E-0775/97, E-0776/97, E-0777/97, E-0778/97, E-0779/97, E-0780/97, E-0781/97, E-0782/97, E-0783/97, E-0784/97, E-0785/97, E-0786/97, E-0787/97, E-0788/97, E-0789/97 and E-0790/97 given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (5 May 1997)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will continue its findings as soon as possible.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0748/97 by Jean-Yves Le Gallou (NI) to the Commission (10 March 1997)

Subject: Operating appropriations of the European Institutions

With regard to heading B4-3300 would the Commission give figures for the total amount of appropriations allocated in 1996 to expenditure on:

- studies

- meetings of experts

- conferences and congresses

- information and publications.

Can the Commission also give figures for these four types of expenditure expressed as a proportion of the total appropriations allocated to the heading in question and state whether it considers this to be a reasonable proportion.

Joint answer to Written Questions E-0698/97, E-0699/97, E-0700/97, E-0701/97, E-0702/97, E-0703/97, E-0704/97, E-0705/97, E-0706/97, E-0707/97, E-0708/97, E-0709/97, E-0710/97, E-0711/97, E-0712/97, E-0713/97, E-0714/97, E-0715/97, E-0716/97, E-0717/97, E-0718/97, E-0719/97, E-0720/97, E-0721/97, E-0722/97, E-0723/97, E-0724/97, E-0725/97, E-0726/97, E-0727/97, E-0728/97, E-0729/97, E-0730/97, E-0731/97, E-0732/97, E-0733/97, E-0734/97, E-0735/97, E-0736/97, E-0737/97, E-0738/97, E-0739/97, E-0740/97, E-0741/97, E-0742/97, E-0743/97, E-0744/97, E-0745/97, E-0746/97, E-0747/97, E-0748/97, E-0749/97, E-0750/97, E-0751/97, E-0752/97, E-0753/97, E-0754/97, E-0755/97, E-0756/97, E-0757/97, E-0758/97, E-0759/97, E-0760/97, E-0761/97, E-0762/97, E-0763/97, E-0764/97, E-0765/97, E-0766/97, E-0767/97, E-0768/97, E-0769/97, E-0770/97, E-0771/97, E-0772/97, E-0773/97, E-0774/97, E-0775/97, E-0776/97, E-0777/97, E-0778/97, E-0779/97, E-0780/97, E-0781/97, E-0782/97, E-0783/97, E-0784/97, E-0785/97, E-0786/97, E-0787/97, E-0788/97, E-0789/97 and E-0790/97 given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (5 May 1997)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will continue its findings as soon as possible.