ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2026/02

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(9 July 2002)

Subject: Adoption of the HPV test in the European Union

It is well known that human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of cervical cancer and that the HPV test, if applied, could prevent the futile deaths of women who die each year because testing was not provided.

Six regions in Italy are currently involved in a research programme to determine the conditions necessary for the test to be adopted in Italy. All women should be given access to the most advanced technology available to ensure their health is protected. This is particularly important in the case of cervical cancer, a slow-growing disease which is 100 % curable if treated in time.

1. Can the Commission therefore provide information on the number of women who die unnecessarily as a result of this disease?

2. Given the scientifically proven advantages of the HPV test and the latest developments both in the EU and the United States (the ESIDOG conference and the new guidelines provided by the US National Cancer Institute), can the Commission indicate if it intends to include HPV testing as part of the recommendations on cancer screening which it will be publishing shortly?

3. If it does not intend to do so, can it say why?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(15 October 2002)

1. No, the Commission cannot provide the information on the number of women, who unnecessarily die from cervical cancer due to not being screened for their cervical HPV status due to the fact that this particular test has only been used in a restricted number of clinical studies. The European Cervical Cancer Screening Network

co-financed by the Europe against Cancer programme has followed these developments closely for many years and is expected to develop a consensus on European guidelines for quality assurance in cervical cancer screening. The guidelines will address all aspects of cervical cancer screening including HPV diagnostics. The publication of this document is scheduled for 2003 at the earliest.

2. and 3. The Draft Council Recommendation on Cancer Screening, presently in preparation within the Commission Services, is expected to refrain from very specific recommendations on particular screening tests. The recommendation is expected to focus on comprehensively laying the ground for the most important aspects of European best practice in early detection of cancer by screening. Any form of testing to be adopted by Member States, including HPV testing would have to meet such standards to maximise its contribution to a further reduction of the cervical cancer mortality of European women.

In addition, Directorate General Research are funding a project under the Quality of Life programme within the Fifth Framework Programme, which examines the relative merits of HPV cervical cancer screening for the Member States. Results are expected in 2004.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1676/02

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 June 2002)

Subject: The EU's new flag

The Commission President, Romani Prodi, and the Belgian Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstadt, commissioned the Dutch architect, Rem Koolhaas, to redesign the European flag. Mr Koolhaas's bar-code-style design of coloured abstract lines has been widely published in newspapers across Europe.

In an attempt to explain the character of the design and the intentions of the artist, the Architecture Correspondent of The Independent wrote the following in an article entitled King of Kool gives EU a sharper image published on 8 May 2002:

Koolhaas, now pushing 60, is tailor-made for the cusp of a millennium in which architecture is experiencing stylistic meltdown. For him, dogma is out and collages and semiotic games are in.

His new EU logo is a perfect example. Why try to blend ideas and signs and architecture together in a cosy, low-key way when we're all swimming in a soup of consumerism and what he calls junk space? Prada's New York outlet may have been super-expensively Koolhaas-ified, but that hasn't stopped him describing shopping as a dying elephant that in its death throes becomes completely wild and uncontrollable.

Koolhaas' ideas are like his architecture. They veer in smooth mental synchromesh from position to position, from material to material, and always from the static to the fractured and manoeuvrable.

adding later:

For Koolhaas, there are no pesky boundaries between things, be they ideas or physical structures. His intellect has the dual-cyclone suction of a Dyson Motorhead vacuum cleaner, and it's this huge appetite for the mysterious connective tissues of aesthetics and information that sets him apart.

Does the Commission have any evidence that the majority of European citizens are likely to share the modern art fraternity's overwhelming enthusiasm for the design, and does the Commission see acceptance of it as evidence of a genuine desire to bring Europe closer to the people?

Joint answerto Written Questions E-1676/02 and E-1992/02given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(18 July 2002)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Members to its answer to Written Question P-1952/02 by Mr Posselt(1).

(1) See page 179.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1942/02

by Jens-Peter Bonde (EDD) to the Commission

(3 July 2002)

Subject: Prostitution as an occupation

An article appeared in Svenska Dagbladet on 8 June 2002 concerning prostitution as a legitimate occupation on an equal footing with other jobs.

What is the Commission's position on this view (which I do not share)?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(27 August 2002)

The Commission would first remind the Honourable Member that the issue in question falls within the national competence of the Member States and that each Member State may opt either to consider prostitution as a form of exploitation to be abolished or

as an occupation to be regulated. The dividing line between those two approaches lies in the distinction made between free and forced prostitution, while both camps agree as to the decriminalisation of prostitution and the punishment of those who procure, entice or lead away, for purposes of prostitution, another person even with his/her consent.

In this context, and in order to tackle the transnational aspects of it, the Union has launched several actions in order to combat trafficking in human beings. These include the STOP programme and the recently adopted Council Framework Decision of 19 July 2002 on combating trafficking in human beings(1).

(1) OJ L 203, 1.8.2002.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2216/02

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 July 2002)

Subject: Commission study of petroleum deposits in the EU

According to the Greek newspaper TA NEA (9 March 2002), the Italian oceanographic vessel, the Urania, has discovered a large petroleum deposit in the Gavdos area

to the south of Crete. Using an advanced ROV remote operated vehicle large quantities of petroleum were discovered in a basin 300 metres deep and 1 km wide situated in the seabed off Gavdos. The Greek press has repeatedly reported on the discovery of considerable petroleum deposits as a result of satellite observations and marine research in the Aegean.

Has the Commission launched studies or received reports from other sources regarding petroleum deposits in European Union Member States? What quantities (in barrels of crude) have been found and in which areas? What information does the Commission have concerning petroleum deposits in Greek waters and on the Greek mainland?

Answer given by Ms de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(16 September 2002)

The table below gives the figures for proved reserves(1) and crude oil production in the Member States. The column on the right gives the percentage of each country's total consumption figure represented by domestic production.

>TABLE>

With the exception of Denmark and the United Kingdom, proved reserves and domestic production in the Member States are extremely low.

It is impossible to determine the total volume of exploitable oil reserves in Greece or in the Union as a whole for two reasons: the geological data currently available are incomplete, and we do not know how recovery technology will develop in the future. However, we may assume that, as indicated in the Green Paper entitled Towards a European strategy for security of energy supply(2), the Union's oil production will inevitably decline in the coming decades, as North Sea reserves are depleted. In view of the risks attached to the expected increase

in our external dependence, not only with regard to oil but energy supplies in general, this is a challenge for the Union, to which the Green Paper seeks to provide an initial response.

(1) Proved reserves are the quantities one may consider with reasonable certainty to be recoverable in the future, from known oilfields, under current economic and operating conditions. It is not a fixed estimate of total reserves: newly discovered reserves can be added or the figure can increase when technological improvements allow more of the oil already found to be recovered.

(2) COM(2000) 769 final.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1424/02

by Eluned Morgan (PSE) to the Commission

(23 May 2002)

Subject: Cross-border cheque payments

Will the Commission outline what is being done to make it easier for UK citizens to interact with the single market due to the difficulties of paying a cheque cross-border?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(25 June 2002)

Cheque processing on a cross-border basis is very expensive because it is not fully automated and requires manual handling. This situation is not likely to change, and banks are gradually withdrawing this kind of service. The Commission is urging the European

banking community to develop alternative electronic means of payment which should be modern, rapid, reliable and offered at low cost. These more modern payment methods should cover credit cards, credit and debit transfers, direct debits and other electronic payment instruments, such as mobile payments, both for face-to-face and on-line commerce.

The Commission does not intend to specifically support the use of cheques in relation to other means of payments, especially as cheques are considered a rather inefficient and outdated payment instrument. In addition, there is no obligation for accepting a cheque as a payment. This policy was also taken by the Council and the Parliament in adopting the Regulation (EEC) No 2560/2001 of 19 December 2001 on cross-border payments in euro(1). According to recital 8 of the Regulation the non-discrimination principle (equal charges for cross-border and national payments) does not apply to cheques as they are by nature not processed as efficiently as other means of payments, in particular electronic payments.

(1) OJ L 344, 28.12.2001.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1547/02

by Brigitte Langenhagen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 June 2002)

Subject: By-catches of marine mammals, in particular dolphins

Numerous press articles have reported that dead dolphins have been washed ashore along the coasts of Europe, above all along the French Atlantic coast. The marine mammals become caught in fishermen's nets and suffer serious injuries which result in their death. It is also reported that the fishermen frequently cut open the dolphins so that the carcasses sink to the sea-bed and nothing can be proven.

Does the Commission have any information on by-catches of dolphins? Does it have any information on the results of the fisheries surveillance carried out by the Member States as regards dolphins? What measures are taken by the inspection authorities in the Member States when the practices described above are discovered? Does the action taken by the inspection authorities vary between Member States?

What measures does the Commission intend to take to reduce overall by-catches of marine mammals?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(20 June 2002)

The Commission has requested scientific, objectively validated information on the extent of cetacean by-catch and mortality induced by fishing. This information is summarised in the December 2001 report of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries' subgroup on fishery and the environment, available as Commission staff working paper(1).

The Commission is at present receiving reports from Member States on their implementation of Council Directive 92/43/EEC, of 21 May 1992, on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora(2) where Article 12 explicitly includes the obligation to monitor the incidental capture and killing of cetaceans. The first indications point to large differences in monitoring frequency and coverage, which makes it difficult to obtain a clear picture of the by-catch problem at Community level.

As a consequence, the Commission intends to draw up a proposal to cover both monitoring and mitigation of by-catch at the Community level in an efficient and proportionate manner. This proposal will be made on the basis of scientific details that will become available before this summer. The Parliament will be consulted on this proposal.

(1) SEC(2002) 376.

(2) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2022/02

by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(9 July 2002)

Subject: Night flight restrictions at German airports

Night flight restrictions are in operation at Munich, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Hamburg and Bremen airports, which strictly limit the volume of air traffic at night and thereby ensure a degree of peace and quiet

during the night. However, such restrictions do not apply at any other international airports in Germany. Only noisy aircraft are banned from flying at those airports, while no restrictions apply on the number of flights of Chapter III aircraft, which are classified as quiet.

Tour operators exploit these differences in night flight regulations by deliberately flying into the latter airports at night to make optimum use of their fleet capacity with the result that air traffic at those airports is shifting more and more to night-time, as is the case at Hanover.

Night flight restrictions are usually of limited duration and an extension or new notification not only affects thousands of individuals' sleep but also constitutes an intervention in the night-time tranquillity of the natural environment under Article 1(2) of Directive 85/337/EEC(1). Does the Commission agree that an extension to or new notification of such night flight restrictions are subject to an environmental impact assessment requirement?

(1) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985, p. 40.

Joint answerto Written Questions E-2022/02 and E-2023/02given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(2 August 2002)

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997(1), covers projects which are listed in its annexes I and II and which require a development consent. The extension of an existing permit or a new night flight permit is not covered by the definition of a project under the EIA Directive. Similarly, air routes and their allocation to existing runways are not covered by the definition of a project under the EIA Directive.

(1) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1708/02

by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(13 June 2002)

Subject: Kinnock clears way for Currie to join BNFL

In the European Voice (16-22 May 2002) a spokesperson for Neil Kinnock claimed clearance was given to former Environment Director-General Jim Currie to join the board of BNFL as his role was independent and non-executive, as Currie pledged not to divulge any confidential information gained while in EU office.

How does Neil Kinnock propose to enforce this commitment? How can the Commission know what is being said by Jim Currie at confidential board meetings? Can the Commission set out the reasons why it is acceptable that Jim Currie joins BNFL, explain its statement that his role will be independent, and give the basis for the assertion he will not divulge information gained at the Commission.

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(7 August 2002)

For a detailed response to the Honourable Member's third question, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the answers given to written questions E- 1466/02(1) and E-1605/02 from Mr Chris Davies(2).

In reply to the Honourable Member's other questions:

- has specifically committed himself to respect the obligations required by the Commission. The Commission has assessed the risks of possible conflicts of interest arising in this specific context and has asked Mr Currie to strictly respect the rules set down in the Staff Regulation. Mr Currie has committed himself to fully respect his obligations and the Commission has no reasons to believe that this might not be the case.

- However, the Honourable Member will be aware that any proof to the contrary would lead to a disciplinary procedure against an official or former official who was in breach of the rules set down in the Staff Regulations.

(1) OJ C 28 E, 6.2.2003, p. 110.

(2) See page 69.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1423/02

by Eluned Morgan (PSE) to the Commission

(23 May 2002)

Subject: Euro-Mediterranean Bank (EMB)

The Commission has expressed support for the creation of a Euro-Mediterranean Bank (EMB) as a subsidiary of the European Investment Bank (EIB). Why is a separate EMB necessary, and why could not the work of the EMB be carried out by the EIB directly?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(9 July 2002)

In its Report adopted on 27 February 2002 in response to the request of the Council of Laeken of December 2001 calling for an assessment of the setting up of a Euro-Mediterranean Bank, the Commission considered various options to address the financing needs of Mediterranean Partner Countries. The report favoured the setting up of an European Investment Bank (EIB) subsidiary for a number of reasons. A bank structure would ensure ownership by and partnership with Mediterranean Partner Countries. The setting up of a subsidiary would not only encompass the work that the EIB is already doing in the region, but it would also enhance it and allow for the use of a wider variety of financial instruments. For instance, the EIB cannot commit equity from its own resources for its operations for statutory reasons, while an EIB subsidiary could potentially engage in such activities.

It should be noted that on the basis of the mandate of the European Council of Barcelona of 14 March 2002, the EIB is currently proceeding with the preparation of a Euro-Mediterranean Investment Facility. According to the mandate, this Facility will be complemented with the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership arrangement and an EIB representative office located in the area. It will enhance the Bank's current activities in the region and particularly focus on private sector development, which is recognised as a priority. It was also decided in Barcelona that a decision on whether to incorporate the newly created facility in an EIB majority owned subsidiary will be considered one year after the launching of the new facility, on the basis of its performance. The latest Ecofin meeting of 4 June 2002 has called for the facility to be launched before the end of autumn 2002.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-1641/02

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(3 June 2002)

Subject: Deterioration of Indo-Pakistani relations

In view of the recent deterioration in Indo-Pakistani relations, which could pose a significant threat to the people of the region and to the region's political and strategic stability in particular, will the Council, through the High Representative for the CFSP, take the lead in attempting to defuse the tension and re-establish constructive dialogue between the two countries?

Joint answerto Written Questions P-1568/02 and P-1641/02

(5 November 2002)

1. The Council shares the Honourable MEPs' preoccupation over the state of Indo-Pakistani relations, and in particular over the continuing military stand-off at the Line of Control (LoC) over the past few months. The Council also agrees that an all-out war between the two countries would have disastrous effects on the entire region and beyond.

2. The European Council in Seville on 21 and 22 June 2002 discussed the tensions between India and Pakistan and issued a declaration, calling on Pakistan to take further concrete action to stop infiltration across the Line of Control and to prevent terrorist groups from operating from territory under its control. The European Council encouraged India to be ready to respond with further de-escalatory

steps, and stressed the importance of free, fair and inclusive elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The European Council also confirmed the EU's commitment to work with India and Pakistan and with others in the international community, seeking for possible confidence-building measures in order to defuse the immediate crisis, and to continue to encourage both countries to achieve a lasting solution through bilateral dialogue between them.

3. The Council has discussed the evolution of the situation on several occasions, and most recently at the GACs on 10 and 17 June 2002. Several high-level personalities, including UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Straw, and Commissioner Patten, have recently visited the region. Others have maintained regular telephone contacts with the Indian and Pakistani leadership. The EU has also raised the issue in various high-level political dialogue meetings including with the US, Russia, Japan, and other G8 partners in order to contribute to a coordinated international effort.

Finally, the Council has in public statements repeatedly condemned the terrorist attacks in the region, and urged both sides to resume a dialogue with a view to a negotiated settlement of all contentious issues.

4. The Council welcomes the initial steps which both countries have taken recently to defuse the crisis. These steps have reduced the risk of an all-out war. The Council in particular welcomes the initial steps taken by Pakistan to clamp down on cross-border terrorism, and the de-escalatory measures announced by India in response.

5. In order to contribute to a lasting solution to the conflict, Mr Javier Solana, the EU High Representative for CFSP, held discussions with the Indian and Pakistani governments in New Delhi and Islamabad on 26 and 27 July 2002.