ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1674/98

by Kirsi Piha (PPE) to the Commission

(29 May 1998)

Subject: Situation of foreign students at Tartu University

At the University of Tartu in Estonia a dispute has arisen between the foreign students (mostly Finnish) and the university concerning the increase in termly charges and the unfair difference in the level of these charges between Estonian and foreign students. This dispute has even gone as far as the courts.

What is the Commission's view on these measures taken by the candidate country Estonia, which will result in termly charges for foreign students being higher than those for Estonian students in future when Estonia is a Member State of the European Union?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission

(16 July 1998)

Estonia, which is one of the applicant countries for membership, and with which accession negotiations are currently being conducted, will be adapting its legislation to established EU law as part of the pre-accession strategy, notably in the areas of higher education and the principle of non-discrimination between citizens of one Member State and citizens of the other Member States as regards access to education. This principle was explained to the Estonian delegation at the first meeting for the analytical examination of established EU law, which was held in Brussels in May. Estonia will therefore have to adopt legislative provisions as soon as possible in order to comply with this principle. To this end, the Commission will ensure that the Estonian Government draws up a precise timetable setting out the stages of the legislative process required to transpose this fundamental principle into Estonian law.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1766/98

by Paul Rübig (PPE) to the Commission

(5 June 1998)

Subject: Improving the arrangements on the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal

In its Green Paper on the subject, the Commission lays down the framework conditions for future transport policy. It has been established in this connection that compared with traditional means of transport, shipping is cheaper, has a lower accident rate and emits conspicuously lower levels of pollution.

In 1992 the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal was opened, making a navigable inland waterway network of 10 000 km. We are pleased to note that since then there has been a great increase in freight transport on the Danube.

It is nevertheless important, especially in view of the enlargement of the EU, for the Danube to be made even more profitable for European trade and to safeguard its role as a natural, ecological and inexpensive transport route.

It is particularly necessary to eliminate the stretch of shallow water between Straubing and Vilshofen, ensuring a minimum depth of 2,50 metres in the shipping channel. Likewise, warehouses for buffer stocks must be specifically promoted so that industry can receive continuous supplies of goods and raw materials even at times when the water level is low.

What support does the Commission intend to give to these proposals?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(10 July 1998)

The Commission is aware that on the Rhine-Main-Danube link, inland navigation is still hampered by a number of bottlenecks, in particular on the river Danube.

In an effort to address this, the upgrading of the 69 kilometre long section from Straubing to Vilshofen has been included in the Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network(1) as a project of common interest. These guidelines constitute a general reference framework intended to encourage the Member States concerned in carrying out the projects which complement the network.

The German federal government and the Bavarian state government agreed in 1996 to postpone any decision on the upgrading of the section Straubing - Vilshofen until the year 2000, but to undertake further economic and ecological studies in the meantime.

To date, the national authorities responsible for this project have not submitted any request for support. The Commission would be prepared to consider a motivated proposal for support once the necessary studies have been completed.

(1) Decision No 1692/96/EC, OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1185/98

by Richard Corbett (PSE) to the Commission

(29 April 1998)

Subject: Producer responsibility (packaging waste) legislation

Is the Commission aware of the difficulties surrounding the application of the directive on packaging and packaging waste in the United Kingdom caused by the criteria laid down for registering accredited reprocessors entitled to issue packaging waste recovery notes?

Does the Commission agree with the exclusion of independent waste paper processors from consideration as accredited reprocessors?

Is this not a restriction of trade which is not justified by the terms of the Directive?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(15 June 1998)

The Commission is aware of the difficulties surrounding the application of Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste(1) in the United Kingdom concerning the registration of accredited reprocessors.

The Commission is currently examining the conformity of the United Kingdom's transposing measures in relation to this Directive. Within this examination the internal market implications of the United Kingdom's implementation of Directive 94/62/EC will be considered.

The Honourable Member may wish to send any further information on this matter directly to the Commission so that it can be considered within this examination.

(1) OJ L 365, 31.12.1994.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1282/98

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(29 April 1998)

Subject: Radioactive waste in the River Nestos

Bulgarian research centres have found concentrations of uranium and radium 2,5 times above permitted limits in the Bulgarian waters of the River Nestos at the site of a former uranium mine.

1. What information can the Commission obtain from the Bulgarians about storage of waste in the area?

2. What measures will the Commission take to eliminate the risks to Bulgaria and Greece, through which the river flows?

3. Can the Commission gather information about the storage of radioactive waste from reactors in Bulgaria which was previously sent to Russia?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(10 July 1998)

The PHARE project "remediation concepts for the uranium mining operations in CEECs" aims to compile a data base on all the countries covered, including Bulgaria, and to implement appropriate pilot projects for uranium remediation. By summer 1997 it had compiled a complete data base on all the "uranium liabilities" in the countries. As a result, the environmental problems related to more than 450 waste rock and ore dumps which resulted from uranium mining in Bulgaria are well known but, unfortunately, are still far from being solved. At the moment, the Commission can do little about the contamination of the river Nestos other than bring the matter to the attention of the Bulgarian authorities.

The shipment of spent fuel to the former Union of Soviet socialist republics (USSR) was terminated unilaterally by the Russians in 1989. The contractual conditions for reprocessing the fuels are under discussion. However, an international four party agreement was recently signed with Russia, Ukraine and Moldavia for the shipment of the VVER-440 spent fuel back from Kozloduy to Russia. The high level wastes resulting from the reprocessing in Russia should be returned to Bulgaria at a later stage. The VVER-1000 spent fuel will be kept in Bulgaria. The spent fuel pools at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant are nearly full, but spent fuel is now stored in the away-from-reactor (AFR) interim wet storage facility of the plant. The capacity of this facility should be sufficient to store spent fuel arising for at least the next five years. A new dry storage facility could be constructed at the plant after 2000, once additional reracking measures have been taken in the current storage pools.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-1872/98

by Mair Morgan (PSE) to the Commission

(8 June 1998)

Subject: European Commission Representation Offices in the Regions

Can the Commission clarify the role of the European Commission Representation Offices in the regions. Is there a responsibility on them to inform as well as to gather information?

Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission

(1 July 1998)

The role of the Commission's representations was described in the communication entitled "The role and organisation of the press and information offices"(1) and later in a progress report(2) and in a document on information and communication strategy(3).

The representations continue to have primary responsibility for information to all sections of the population in their respective Member States, but they are increasingly devolving the task of providing information for the general public to partner and relay organisations which work under their supervision. The latter are in close contact with the needs of citizens and can provide a user-friendly information service, at regional and local level. This allows the representations to concentrate on providing more specific information to opinion multipliers, such as politicians and the media, and reporting to Brussels on developments in their Member States which are of interest to the Commission.

This policy applies for the main representations as well as for the regional zones. Therefore the reply to the second part of the question is "yes".

(1) SEC(89) 662.

(2) SEC(90) 1646.

(3) SEC(94) 80.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-1673/98

by Angela Billingham (PSE) to the Commission

(18 May 1998)

Subject: Satellite viewing cards

A constituent of mine has been refused a satellite viewing card from a company called Viasat based in Sweden on the grounds that he lives outside the Scandinavian area and it only has broadcast rights within that area.

Could the Commission investigate whether this is a breach of the Treaty in creating an obstacle to the free movement of services?

Could the Commission investigate whether this could be an instance of unfair competition whereby the company, Viasat, has made agreements with other television and film providers based on exclusive rights in specific geographic areas?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(15 June 1998)

The Commission is aware that the reception of certain satellite broadcasting services across the Community is limited for reasons related to contractual arrangements between broadcasters and content providers. It is currently investigating some of these cases in the light of Community law, and more generally in an ad hoc study.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1727/98

by Joaquín Sisó Cruellas (PPE) to the Commission

(5 June 1998)

Subject: Increase in footwear exports from Vietnam to the EU

The European Community imposed definitive anti-dumping duties on certain imports of textile shoes from China in October 1997, and on imports of leather and man-made shoes in February 1998. The Commission's anti-fraud services are currently conducting an investigation in Vietnam to establish whether the increase in footwear exports from Vietnam to the EU is due to the sidestepping of anti-dumping duties.

Can the Commission say what the initial findings of that investigation have been?

Answer given by Mrs Gradin on behalf of the Commission

(1 July 1998)

The Commission, in close cooperation with the competent authorities of the Member States and Vietnam, is carrying out inquiries with regard to the import into the Community of shoes declared to be originating in Vietnam and accompanied by preferential (generalised scheme of preferences) GSP form A certificates of origin allegedly issued in Vietnam.

These inquiries continue. It is not therefore possible to determine at this stage whether certain consignments of Chinese origin shoes are being misdescribed as of another origin, for example Vietnam, in order to circumvent the anti-dumping duties.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1649/98

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(29 May 1998)

Subject: Stress at work and its consequences

A recent study carried out by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions in the 15 Member States of the EU reveals that more than one in three Europeans suffer from work-related stress. The study found that stress is steadily on the increase and has a high incidence among European workers. 9-12 % of men and 9-11 % of women in the EU are subjected to high levels of stress for most of their working day, which severely affects their health and creativity.

How does the Commission intend to intervene and what measures will it take to deal with this problem?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(13 July 1998)

One of the priorities in the Commission work programme on health and safety at work 1996-2000 was to analyse the action necessary at Community level on the prevention of stress at work. In part this decision was based on a 1994 study for the Commission on the design and delivery of effective guidance on work-related stress.

The advisory committee for safety, hygiene and health protection at work investigated the issue, and the recommendations in its report provide a valuable basis for the future activities of the Commission. In 1998 the Commission intends to take forward the report of the advisory committee together with the European agency for health and safety at work and the European foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1653/98

by Guido Podestà (PPE) to the Commission

(29 May 1998)

Subject: New Italian legislation governing licences for retail outlets of more than 2000 m2, transitional provisions, and the rules on competition and freedom of movement in the Single Market.

By means of a legislative decree of 16 January 1998, the Italian Government revised commercial law, affecting the retail trade market and large-scale distributors. The transitional provisions (Article 25, paragraphs 3 and 4), in particular, provide for three different systems for applying for licences for sales outlets of more than 2000 m2. Applications submitted to the local authority before 16 January 1998 and already "forwarded to the regional council" must be decided on within 180 days. The others, and applications submitted after this date will be declared to have been lapsed.

The new legislation clearly involves unwarranted discrimination of various kinds between those whose applications have been "forwarded" before the deadline and those who have not had this good fortune, without any account being taken of the fact that applicants acted in good faith.

What is the Commission's opinion on the compatibility of this legislation with the rules on competition?

Does it consider that this legislation is compatible with the Single Market?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(20 July 1998)

The Decree of 18 January 1998 established a new system of licences to open shops in Italy. It replaces Italian Law No 426 of 11 June 1971, which was the subject of the Court of Justice judgment delivered on 17 October 1995 in connection with the reference for a preliminary ruling in Dip/Lidl (Cases C-140/94, C-141/94 and C-142/94). The Court ruled that the competition and single-market rules did not apply to Italian legislation in this instance.

The Decree, which introduces a more liberal system for opening shops than the previous legislation, contains no new elements which might alter the analysis of Community law given by the Court in the above-mentioned judgment. Consequently, the fact that some applications to open shops must be resubmitted falls within the scope of the domestic rules of the Member State concerned.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1741/98

by Mary Banotti (PPE) to the Commission

(5 June 1998)

Subject: Directive 91/439/EEC on driving licences

Directive 91/439/EEC(1) on driving licences states that account must be taken of the state of a person's epilepsy in considering the issue of or renewal of a driving licence. The Directive lays down a guideline of no epileptic seizure for the past two years.

Could the Commission explain why a period of two years is used?

Is the Commission aware that, in the UK, a period of only one year is laid down for the issue or renewal of a driving licence?

If so, is the Commission aware of the development in medical science which underpins the period of twelve months laid down in UK law?

Since the period of two years laid down in the Directive seems to be no more than a recommendation, could this not be changed in accordance with the guidelines used in the UK?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(15 July 1998)

Provisions relating to the issuing and renewal of driving licences to people with epilepsy are laid down in Annex III point 12 of Council Directive 91/439/EEC on driving licences(2).

Point 12.2 stipulates that no group 2 licences (lorries and buses) may "be issued to or renewed for applicants or drivers suffering or liable to suffer from epilepsy seizures or other sudden disturbances of the state of consciousness". However, group 1 licences (motorcycles and cars) may be issued subject to a number of conditions, one of which is the progress of the epilepsy (point 12.1).

The Commission relied upon the advice of medical experts in drafting its proposal. Given the many different types of epilepsy, the medical experts who discussed these provisions in the late 1980s considered that no precise seizure-free period should be laid down. Consequently, the Directive is indicative: "no seizure in the last two years, for example".

On 23 March 1998, the committee on the driving licence, established by Directive 97/26/EC of 2 June 1997(3), (amended Directive 91/439/EEC) discussed the same issue in order to try to harmonise the seizure-free period. Although the seizure-free period established by Member States ranged between 6 months and 2 years in general, it is as long as 5 years for some specific types of epilepsy.

It is evident, therefore, that the reasons for not specifying a fixed period remain unchanged.

(1) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991.

(3) OJ L 150, 7.6.1997.
WRITTEN QUESTION P-0734/98

by Paul Lannoye (V) to the Commission

(2 March 1998)

Subject: Ban on 'organic farming' classification in the departments of Aude and Pyrénées Orientales (France)

Since 1994, a series of measures taken by the French Ministry of Agriculture and certain prefectures oblige all wine growers in the departments of Aude and Pyrénées Orientales to protect all vines against the Flavescence Dorée virus with synthetic chemical insecticides. This obligation also applies to wine growers using organic means of production.

Certain "organic" wine growers, having no outbreak of Flavescence Dorée in their vineyards, refused to apply such preventive treatment.

As a result, the Ministry of Agriculture decided to forbid the "Ecocert" control body from certifying these wine growers' vines as "organic farming", even though the vineyards in question fully meet, according to the checks carried out by "Ecocert", the provisions of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 (1) on organic production. These wine growers have been forced to cease making any reference to organic production.

This withdrawal of the "organic farming" label appears to be in flat contradiction to the provisions of Article 9(2) and 12 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91.

What steps does the Commission intend to take to allow these wine growers to recover their right to the "organic farming" classification?

Answer given by MrFischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 April 1998)

The Commission is conducting a detailed investigation of the problem raised by the Honourable Member and will inform him of the outcome as soon as possible.

(1) OJ L 198, 22.7.1991, p. 1.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1834/98

by Caroline Jackson (PPE) to the Commission

(12 June 1998)

Subject: Use of non-purpose-bred animals in Belgian research

Can the Commission answer the following questions regarding the implementation of the provisions of Directive 86/609/EEC(1) in Belgium.

1. It would appear that the use of non-purpose-bred animals for research is common practice in Belgium. Directive 86/609/EEC (Articles 19(4) and 21) makes it clear that such use should be the exception rather than the rule. Does the Commission believe that the Directive is being correctly implemented in Belgium?

2. Has Belgium informed the Commission of the source of dogs and cats now used for research in Belgium?

3. According to the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, Belgian laboratories are keeping animals in very poor conditions. Has the Belgian Government furnished evidence to the European Commission that conditions have now been improved and meet the requirements of the Directive?

4. Although the Commission has now investigated Complaint Number 97/3479, little action seems to have taken against the Belgian laboratories, the subject of the complaint. Does the Commission feel that the action taken was sufficient?

(1) OJ L 358, 18.12.1986, p. 1.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1087/98

by Klaus Lukas (NI) to the Commission

(7 April 1998)

Subject: Unpaid work by housewives

The Member States of the European Union are currently drawing up proposals for the statistical treatment of moonlighting. Also being discussed in this context are such questions as whether or not to include in gross national product unpaid work by housewives.

In this connection the Commission is requested to answer the following questions:

1. Would the inclusion of unpaid work by housewives in gross national product increase the Member States' gross national product?

2. If so, to what extent would the Member States' gross national product grow? If not, why not?

3. As the revenue from value added taxes, customs duties and agricultural levies is no longer enough to finance the European Union's expenditure, a growing proportion of the Member States' contributions is financed from the GNP share. Can it be assumed that, if unpaid work by housewives was included in the Member States' gross national product, their contributions to the financing of the European Union would increase?

4. If so, by how much would these contributions rise? If not, why not?

5. What implications would this have for the European Union's budget?

Answer given by Mr de Silguy on behalf of the Commission

(2 June 1998)

The inclusion of the production of unpaid domestic services by households in the central system of national accounts would increase the gross national product (GNP). However both ESA 79(1) (second edition) and ESA 95 Council Regulation (EC) 2223/96 of 25 June 1996 on the European system of national and regional accounts in the Community(2), which are the two systems used for the compilation of national accounts in the Community, exclude from production and hence from GNP the production of domestic and personal services that are produced and consumed within the same household (with the exception of employing paid domestic staff and the service of owner - occupied dwellings) (ESA 79 272, 312, 318 and ESA 95 3.09). The revised system of national accounts 1993 (SNA 1993)(3) which gives world-wide guidelines for compiling national accounts equally excludes unpaid personal and domestic services produced for own consumption within households from the boundary of production used in the system (SNA 93 6.19,6.23).

Under these circumstances, both on the Community and the world level no official information is available which would make it possible to reply to points 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the Honourable Member's written question.

(1) European system of integrated economic accounts.

(2) OJ L 310, 30.11.1996.

(3) System of national accounts 1993. Commission of the EC, IMF, OECD, UN, World Bank. 1993.